Black Max Ozone Generators – About

The Australian-made Black Max Ozone Generators were first introduced to the hydroponics farming industry by Gary Davies in 1998, at a time when many farmers were unaware of the benefits of using ozone to purify their water.

Since then hydroponic farmers and hobbyists, plant nurseries, orchid growers, organic produce growers, vertical gardens manufacturers, car wash manufactures, pet boarding kennels, fish farms, Koi pond hobbyists, bakeries, drinking water suppliers, odour control consultants, float tank treatment therapists, swimming pool and spas owners, plus numerous other customers have all reported the great results they have achieved using our Black Max ozone systems.

Ozone is one of the most effective bactericides known to science. The use of ozone in hydroponics farming has now become very well recognised for its effectiveness in helping to control waterborne diseases, viruses, fungi, pathogenic bacteria, E.coli etc. that can rapidly grow and contaminate a water tank or nutrient mixing tank, a drinking water supply, or any industrial process that requires purified water.

Black Max ozone generators are constructed from powder coated marine grade aluminium for an exceptionally long lifespan. The heavy duty design, unrivaled build quality, and proven results achieved over the past 27 years make the Black Max ozone systems the most reliable, efficient, low maintenance and affordable solutions for use in hydroponics farming, and numerous other commercial and industrial applications.

The Black Max BM1 and BM2 ozone generators use very high quality UV (Ultra Violet) ozone producing lamps, operating at a precise frequency, to produce extremely pure ozone. This is completely different from the more common CD (Corona Discharge) ozone generators that produce ozone using electrical arcing between two metal grids. With a CD ozone generator the ozone could potentially become contaminated with Nitric Acid, especially in a high humidity environment, but this is never a problem with Black Max Ozone Generators.

Black Max direct ozone systems are used for many industrial applications.. For example to treat the water that is recirculated in a vehicle washing bay. The water that is used to wash the cars gets very dirty, but is then returned to a holding tank for reuse on the next car. This dirty water must be sanitised to control the bacterial load, and also prevent the unpleasant odours that would develop or intensify without the Black Max ozone system installed.

On a hydroponic farm, disease causing microbes can greatly reduce plant growth and yields, or even destroy a whole crop. A Black Max ozone system purifies water by directly injecting ozone into the storage tank water and/or nutrient solution tank. In a plant nursery the ozonated water, or the ozonated water/nutrient solution, greatly helps to keep plants healthy, whether watering overhead or at the base of the plants.

In a typical Black Max ozone treatment system, the injected ozone concentration in a water tank will naturally adjust, so that once the water has been purified any excess ozone will simply gas off through the water. Some of the ozone in the water tank will naturally break down into oxygen, which will super-oxygenate the water.

In a hydroponic farm situation, the abundant oxygen in the holding tank water, and/or the nutrient solutions tank water, will promote rapid healthy root development and plant growth.. leading to higher yields.

The injected ozone is not harmful to beneficial aerobic bacteria that thrive in an oxygen rich environment, and Black Max ozone systems are ideally suited to organic farming as no chemical residues are created or left behind when the system is turned off.

Ozone has also been proven to be safe as part of a process to purify bottled drinking water.. “Ozone has been granted GRAS status, ‘Generally Regarded As Safe’, by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA)”.

Protected Cropping Australia (PCA), previously called Australian Hydroponic & Greenhouse Ass. (AHGA), publish a quarterly industry trade magazine called Soilless Australia. In the 2010/vol. 1 edition, and the 2011/vol. 4 edition, there are articles by Graeme Smith entitled Waste Water Recycling.. Closed vs. Open Hydroponic Systems.

In these very informative articles, Graeme points out the benefits of waste water recycling in hydroponic farming, in particular by converting current free draining (open) feed water systems, to full recycling (closed) systems.

He concluded that this process greatly reduces a farms impact on the natural environment, by converting a hydroponic farms waste-stream, into a revenue-stream.

He estimated that this process can reduce a farms production costs with an average savings of 40% of water usage, and 60% of fertilizer usage. This equates to average annual savings of approx. $15,000 for every 4,000m2 greenhouse system.

Black Max BM2W ozone systems installed at a hydroponic farm in South Australia. This very successfully farm grows quality asian greens, including coriander. The farm owner has reported that he’s had no more water-borne disease issues since installing the Black Max ozone systems throughout his extensive farm. Note the Megazone injector manifold used in both of these systems, in conjunction with a MultiCyclone water filter, which in these systems is mounted on an optional stands for an easier and more stable installation.