drummereef's 180g in-wall build

[drummereef]

interesting - looking forward to hearing about your thoughts on the results

what is the marine snow?

It's essentially a transport mechanism which makes SPS coral feeding more efficient. It also has some side benefits as well. I'll post the abbreviated description direct from the korallen-zucht website. It's translated from German so it reads kind of funny.

"Coral Snow is used as a carrier liquid messenger for elements such as B-Balance or potassium fluoride concentrate. It is compatible for all elements, even for Amino Acid and our Vitalizer. Coral Snow is among other things, a natural calcium-magnesium Karbonatgemisch. So it can get in SPS coral, at 2.5 μ, we offer an optimal size for recording."

"Coral Snow neutralizes acids and helps with many unwanted problems in the water, even with slime algae and cyanobacteria."

Here's the link to the KZ site. I can't get it to hyperlink to the Coral Snow page so go to Shop/Products/Elements and you'll see it in the list.

Anxiously awaiting the experiences and reviews of this particular dosing program. Been considering the exact products myself and feel my corals need a "boost".

Although on the fence with Bio-pellets, I do run a 0 phos and near 0 nitrates through a beast of a skimmer and 20% weekly water changes. To that end I do feel my corals are "staved and I have been wanting to dose ZeoVit products for a while, so your experience with their products will help immensely.

Great job Brett and many thanks for ALL your hard work and sharing with us........

Thanks so much for the kind words. I agree, correctly feeding corals in a ULNS environment is widely misunderstood. Myself along with other dosers are trying to get to the bottom of the bio pellet mystery. I think the bio pellets are a great product for nutrient reduction but the inhabitants must be supplemented during use. I will definitely be keeping everyone posted on the results as I see them.

G'Day Brett

Have just started the Zeovit way as well. Day two now though just using the basic 3 for now....Bak, Food7 & Start 3....Have plumbed the Zeo rx and running carbon passively in the sump.......

Fingers crossed!

cheers :beer:

Shaggss! Although I'm not a full Zeo user I have high hopes for the KZ supplements. I'm running WM ecoBAK pellets and am just starting to dose these products. Thanks and I'll let you know how it goes.

i hope you have great results!!! may i know where you bought your zeovits? ty

Thank you bagz. I purchased through zeovitusa online. Don't know if they ship internationally but you can contact them via email. They were very responsive and quick to ship. I will do business with them again.

awaiting results & long term detail! Also how often dose this slurry need be added? weekly?

Thanks 110g. The Magic Brew can be added as frequently as every 2 days if you have cyano problems, as it's known to reduce cyano at that rate. I would omit the AA's if dosing this frequently, and just dose AA's separately for routine feedings. For most users they just add it after water changes to neutralize acids and along side dosing AA's for feeding. I might try the 2 day cycle this week and see if it does anything to reduce the last of the strange brown algae that's still hanging on. Bob Fenner thought it was a cyanophyte so maybe it will have some sort of an effect on it.

 

[cromedogg33]

Brett,

Great info.

I finally have received the brown algae you may be having as well. I turned the flow up in my pellets ever so slightly to creat a little more of a soft boil and the next day i started to get a dark brownish almost goldish/yellow algae growing on everything. I have not changed anything else other than the flow to the pellets. Although I did add 1 more tang into my tank bringing me up to 4.

I'm wondering if the pellets are having to work a bit overtime with the bacteria in the tank.

Is this the algae you had/have?

 

[Taqpol]

For the few of us that are in the same boat with dosing/biopellets (and LEDs in my case) I have significantly upped my feeding of fish food (Automatic feeder with flakes and pellets two times a day, 2-3 cubes of frozen food at night at least five days out of the week) and started dosing 2 drops of Lugol's a day as well as 6 drops of AA's on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This has been going on for maybe two weeks and I can literally see color coming back into my corals daily, especially the ones that were the hardest hit by color changes like my monti caps and an ORA Plum Crazy.

Brett, you're write ups are what made decide to finally bite the bullet and go back to dosing, so thank you! I think I might have to try and pick up some of this Coral Snow in the future.

EDIT:
Also, where did you order the Alkalinity checker?

 

[drummereef]

Brett,

Great info.

I finally have received the brown algae you may be having as well. I turned the flow up in my pellets ever so slightly to creat a little more of a soft boil and the next day i started to get a dark brownish almost goldish/yellow algae growing on everything. I have not changed anything else other than the flow to the pellets. Although I did add 1 more tang into my tank bringing me up to 4.

I'm wondering if the pellets are having to work a bit overtime with the bacteria in the tank.

Is this the algae you had/have?

Sounds about right Josh. Is the algae really hair-like and almost sprouts from one spot? Like little tufts of brown hair algae? I still think it's a bacteria-based algae but I don't know this for sure. I'd have to send some into a lab but don't know if it's worth the time/effort at this point. Get some Mexican Turbos in there ASAP and let them go to work. I think this algae is somewhat toxic and does mess with some fish's gills. So keep an eye on your fish during the cycle. Keep dosing bacteria, MB7 or ZEObak, and hopefully it won't last long.

For the few of us that are in the same boat with dosing/biopellets (and LEDs in my case) I have significantly upped my feeding of fish food (Automatic feeder with flakes and pellets two times a day, 2-3 cubes of frozen food at night at least five days out of the week) and started dosing 2 drops of Lugol's a day as well as 6 drops of AA's on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This has been going on for maybe two weeks and I can literally see color coming back into my corals daily, especially the ones that were the hardest hit by color changes like my monti caps and an ORA Plum Crazy.

Brett, you're write ups are what made decide to finally bite the bullet and go back to dosing, so thank you! I think I might have to try and pick up some of this Coral Snow in the future.

EDIT:
Also, where did you order the Alkalinity checker?

Great news Alex!! More and more evidence like what you are providing is really making a dent in the case. Thank you! :thumbsup: I ordered my Alk Checker from Jeremy B at Premium Aquatics, in Indianapolis. He said they are one of their hottest items at the moment but were still in stock as of last week.

 

[cromedogg33]

Brett,

The algae is almost hair like, but nothing of length at all. It is more on my substrate than my rocks. My tangs and blenny are eating it like crazy so I sure hope it isn't toxic.

Going to do a big water change this weekend and hopefully clear it up.

 

[drummereef]

Brett,

The algae is almost hair like, but nothing of length at all. It is more on my substrate than my rocks. My tangs and blenny are eating it like crazy so I sure hope it isn't toxic.

Going to do a big water change this weekend and hopefully clear it up.

Sounds like a good plan. My yellow tang ate the stuff too but the bloom I had sounds like it was much worse. Glad to hear it's relatively under control.

 

[drummereef]

UPDATE:


So my updated plan is to dose the Coral Snow every night after lights out along with alternating bacteria sources, ZEObak and MB7. First dose was Saturday with ZEObak and last night I dosed with MB7. Water clarity is somewhat better but my water was already very clear. What I am noticing is extreme polyp extension even with the lights on. Some of the corals that have been apprehensive with the lights on are really starting to come out. My Green Slimer polyps look like they are about to pop off the branches. :lol: No noticeable change with the algae situation but we'll see how it goes as the week progresses. I'll dose AA's again Tues or Wed with the Snow/Bacteria brew.

 

[cromedogg33]

Great......
Positive reactions with dosing.

Back to the pocketbook we go

Sounds great though Brett, I had picked up some pink lemonade/garf bonsai/icefire enchinta/blue milli before I had my little algae bloom and all are still doing well and acclimating but polyp extension isn't the greatest. I'll let you guinea pig your pocket book and corals first.

 

[psteeleb]

wow - results already

any pictures?

 

[drummereef]

Great......
Positive reactions with dosing.

Back to the pocketbook we go

Sounds great though Brett, I had picked up some pink lemonade/garf bonsai/icefire enchinta/blue milli before I had my little algae bloom and all are still doing well and acclimating but polyp extension isn't the greatest. I'll let you guinea pig your pocket book and corals first.

Haha, thanks! I'll keep you posted...

wow - results already

any pictures?

Nothing too big but I am seeing a difference in polyp extension. Color is the same, growth is obviously the same, but the Coral Snow is definitely stimulating a feeding response from the corals. I guess that's why it's considered a "secondary biological facilitator". Seems like there's something in it to stimulate the corals for feeding and is why it's optimal to add the Amino Acids to the brew.

I'll try and get a couple shots of the SPS when the lights come on. I tried getting some with the lights out but apparently my photo skills are lacking. But, I did get a decent shot of my Candycanes with the lights off (kinda).

This is me holding a flashlight on my head and taking a picture. :lol:

 

[110galreef]

are you shutting down your skimmer or turning off your sump pump for the "majic brew" feeding?

Good news on polyp extension! I love to see them waving in the current

 

[drummereef]

are you shutting down your skimmer or turning off your sump pump for the "majic brew" feeding?

Good news on polyp extension! I love to see them waving in the current

The first night I shut off my carbon reactor for a while but left everything else on. I've read to leave the skimmer on as the Coral Snow tends to take stuff out with it, so the skimmer is useful. I just didn't want the carbon sucking up the amino acids. Last night I just dosed the Coral Snow and MB7 but left everything ON. The tank stayed cloudy for at least a couple hours so it stays in the system a while.

 

[drummereef]

UPDATE:


Here's some pics I took tonight of the polyp extension with the lights on. It might be subtle but I can really tell a difference looking at the tank daily. A couple of the corals never had much polyp extension at all and now they are starting to get slightly more color and they are leaving their polyps out during the light period. Here's the pics.


More extension on the Green Slimer.

This was one of the corals that wouldn't extend polyps during the light period. I can see a much bigger difference now, even down where it's encrusting on the rock rubble.

Another that has better tip coloration and slightly better polyp extension. The tip color was very white but has settled into a light purple/blue color.

Another coral that never had good extension and but is now staying out during the light period. And I can see much more skeletal detail.

Polyps on the milli are going crazy now. Much longer and stay extended day and night.

One more...

 

[psteeleb]

super nice :thumbsup:

 

[Koddie Doo]

I have to see this in person sometime, I am right across the river. Cleanest setup/build I have ever seen.

Thanks

 

[iwishtofish]

Are you thinking the Zeovit may already be having a behavioral/physiological impact on these corals, or that it is likely they are just becoming more acclimated to your tank? Or both, maybe?

 

[drummereef]

super nice :thumbsup:

Thanks Pete!

I have to see this in person sometime, I am right across the river. Cleanest setup/build I have ever seen.

Thanks

Thanks Koddie Doo. You never know, maybe I'll host a pizza night in the future.

Are you thinking the Zeovit may already be having a behavioral/physiological impact on these corals, or that it is likely they are just becoming more acclimated to your tank? Or both, maybe?

It's hard to say, but seeing that the polyp extension has been relatively acute within the last couple days I definitely think the Coral Snow is a factor. Sonny ran it for a couple days and saw cyano disappear and he said his corals never looked better. I think it's definitely reducing nutrients which is freeing up the corals for feeding. Is it a "miracle" additive..? No, but I think it's helping my situation. Check my next update...

 

[drummereef]

UPDATE:


Late night update here...


We might be onto something guys. Tonight I was doing some last minute tank cleaning since the "first of the month" FTS is upon me. Seeing that my overflows were getting dirty I decided to clean them. When I removed the overflow covers I was absolutely SHOCKED at what I saw. Normally there is a nice forest of brown algae inside the overflow covers. For some reason this kind of algae loves flow as it mostly grows inside the overflow covers and near the powerheads in the tank.

Upon further investigation I deducted the algae that normally grows there was literally DEAD! Not just dead but completely DEAD!! :dance:

So one or more of these factors are in play...

1. The Coral Snow is neutralizing the acid within the algae.
2. The ZEObak bacteria is offsetting the bad bacteria population.
3. The Magic Brew is physically coating the algae, causing it to suffocate.
4. Or... All of the above. :lol:

Coral Snow has been noted in many discussions of being effective at killing Cyano. Since Cyano is a bacteria in nature and can be present in nutrient poor environments, it was argued that the brown algae in my system was a Cyanophyte, a microorganism of the division Cyanobacteria. If this is true it would be reasonable to think the Coral Snow/ZEObak mixture is having a detrimental effect on this type of algae. In any event, this is major progress in the pursuit of a nutrient free system.


WARNING: The following pictures are disturbing and somewhat embarrassing.
But in the spirit of open reef keeping I will share them.



Notice the "live" brown algae at the bottom of the overflows. The white patches directly above them is the dead algae. I later siphoned out the mess with some airline tubing.


Right Overflow - Cover Removed.

Left Overflow - Cover Removed

 

[bagz727]

cool reaction to the algae!!

 

[salali]

Do you feed your corals ?