my house reef (211 g.)

[carib]

Simon.are you still dosing buster?Also you added K-balance,do you see any diference?I am having some algea issue,and thinking it's related with PIF.Overall my tank is doing good,PO-4 &NO-3 are under control.[phosban still out]I am on my 5th week prodi.I lost a dozen of snails and getting a gallon of skimmate[g-5 wet] a day.

 

[TryTheChi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6939007#post6939007 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by carib
Simon.are you still dosing buster?Also you added K-balance,do you see any diference?I am having some algea issue,and thinking it's related with PIF.Overall my tank is doing good,PO-4 &NO-3 are under control.[phosban still out]I am on my 5th week prodi.I lost a dozen of snails and getting a gallon of skimmate[g-5 wet] a day.

Hi Carib

Yes, still using ReefBooster weekly. The reason why I didnt mention it earlier is that it feeds corals and zoo plancton rather than works to lower organics - and as such could be left out of any evaluation of a probiotic approach to nutrient reduction IMO.

With K-B i'v found that an acro that was very washed out with no PE is regaining it purple tips and some PE even during the day - quite vividly - but I also switched salts from TM to Seachem which has a higher potassium content apparently. I dosed K - B @ 1 ml per 100ltrs for about a week and started to get the brown granular deposits on my Tunzes so stopped for a while and have started dosing 0.5ml per 100ltr 2 times per week along with PIF @ 1 drop per 100ltr- so far so good.

What sort of algae issue is it - any pics? Is the algae in areas where detritus can collect? I have one last patch (1cm x 1 cm) of hair algae in a colony of red pipe organ polips which collect detritus so could be a localised source of NO3/PO4.

Good to hear its going well - any before /after pics?

The snails could die of old age or starvation - does any green film develop on the glass? If not - it could be starvation?

A Gallon of skimmate! I'm finding my skimate is reducing in darkness and quanity - maybe this happens with time as residual organics are depleted?

Cheers

Simon

 

[TryTheChi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6938040#post6938040 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Travis
Hi Simon,
... another person has also brought to my attention the PolypLabs product, which also sounds very promising. I see that one of US retailers already stocks it and sells the complete package for $180, but I don't know for sure how long that will last. It sure is hard to make a decision with so many options out there....

..... If I do end up trying one of these other systems I will be sure to post details and progress here. As for my full tank pic, I will try to get one up later today.

Hi Travis

The PolypLabs web site says all the right things to be classified as a probiotic method along side ZB4 and prodi - plus they seem to have the equivelent of ReefBooster and CV , AAHC in the package.

Unfortunately they do not have any aspirational pics. Zeo got going in the english speaking world with Alexander G's tank, and obviously Iwan is the inspiration here. They are asking for pictures of not so good tanks though - presumably to get some good before / after pics - which is a good sign.

For me, deciding which way to go was based on theoretical coherance - then someone else showing what can be done in practice ie Alexander or Iwan and since Iwans looks better to my eye and is cheaper -.......

Anyway Polyplabs seems a viable alternative approach in theory. They say $180 is good for 100g for 8 months - so compared with melves Q re running costs with Prodi and Zeo CV/AAHC it works out @ approx $15 pw on 280g so only a dollar pw more.

They dont have trace element supplements like Zeo or Nightsun, so the range is focused on probiotic and feeding, so costs will rise if these are included.

Would be great if you trialed it with before after pics

Cheers - and good luck with the SWOT analysis.

Simon

 

[TryTheChi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6938481#post6938481 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by alien9168
Wow, your coral seems to be groing pretty fast!
Way to go!

Is that normal for sps, or do my lps just take longer?

-alien

Hi alien - sorry - I dont know. Although this is my fourth marine reef tank - its the first sps tank I'v tried - so I dont know what normal is. I do know I am aiming to achieve what Iwan has

Cheers

SImon

 

[h20cooled]

Coral growth will be different from tank to tank and coral to coral. I have some SPS that have trippled in over a year and some that seem like they have barely grown at all.

Also just wanted to say hi! I order the Prodibio products from Rob's Reef and I'm excited to get them started on my tanks. I'm hoping that I can get more color out of the SPS and get rid of the algea also. My 50G SPS tank is growing great, actually to fast cause I'm growing out of it. The color isn't bad and people that see it in person always say it looks great, I'm just looking to make it better (like Iwans).

Right now I'm in the planning stages for a 120G tank and I will be switch over to only T5 lighting for it and 2x Tunze 6100 streams for circulation. I'm hoping with the T5 lighting and the Prodibio products to get amazing colors.

Thanx,

Rich

 

[tangblack]

Prodibio is not expensive at all.
I have a 2500l tank and I dose as below.
Bio digests 3 vials weekly
Bioptim 6 vials weekly
Reef booster 2 vials weekly.
I also add 5ml of vodka a day as a carbon source./ same as start 2.
I also add iron and amino acids. Trace elements.
I feel you donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t have to add start 2 , CV etc. you can find plenty of substitutes that are far cheaper is budget is a problem.
I am a stage now that I will be dosing Bio Digest and Bioptim every two weeks as my tank is getting too clean.

Finally got a good photo of my Atlantic Blue and bellus angel.

 

[Travis]

Simon,
Here are some pics of my tank:

 

[tangblack]

Nice tank travis, got some nice pieces.
Not really a fan of barebottom tanks as I donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t see any benefits.
They were popular in the 1980s . Julian sprung points out that sand or gravel in a reef aquarium could play a very important role in nutrients cycling and acts as a refuge for variuos micro organisms, worms and crustacens.

 

[TryTheChi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6940401#post6940401 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by h20cooled

Also just wanted to say hi! I order the Prodibio products from Rob's Reef and I'm excited to get them started on my tanks. I'm hoping that I can get more color out of the SPS and get rid of the algea also.
Thanx,

Rich

Hi Rich

Before/after pics would be great if poss

Cheers

Simon

 

[TryTheChi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6941527#post6941527 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Travis
Simon,
Here are some pics of my tank:
[

Thanks Travis - its always good to put a tank to a name

Nice pieces in there and plenty up upward growth space. The double atol looks great - and the canyon bridged with plating corals is/will have a fascinating effect.

I like the black background - will draw out colours. Are you going to epoxy and corals to the back?

I know here your comming from with BB - 6 years plus sustainability..... Have you got a refugium?

cheers

Simon

 

[jnarowe]

Travis,

No one comments that it looks like there is no water in the tank? Don't need sand if there is no water! But on a serious note, where did you get those chromis mobils??? LOL...

Don't listen to the anti-BB remarks. I hear them all the time too and as patient as I am with my tanks, so I can be with others' inevitable crash.

 

[Travis]

Thanks everyone. There are already corals attatched to the back. You can see on the back left side there is a purple montipora attached to the back. And down and to the left of that there is an orange montipora also attaced to the back but it is not so easy to see in the picture. I don't run a refugium on this tank. As for the BB comments, I don't mind. Everyone has different beliefs on how a tank should be run and some people seem to hold on strongly to their own beliefs. I realize that a tank can be run successfully regardless of what type of substrate is used (if any).

 

[einsteins]

Hello all

I have just read all of the 30 pages in this post...I am ready to try these supplements on my fairly new 120g display tank. because of the different tanks posted here and the different methods tried I am not sure what I need to get started and what doses I should use. I believe that I will bring on the Zeo supplements later after I get established with the Prodibio as I dont want to rush this at all.
here is a link to some recent pics of my tank www.einsweb.com/web2_28_06 the tank is 6 months old and very stable with the following parameters...
Temp 78-79.5 deg
alk 9.5 DKH
calcium 400ppm
mag 1350 ppm
pH 8.2 to 8.35
phosphate undetectable
Nitrate and nitrite undetectable

This tank will be primaraly SPS and Clams and has a 3" substrate consisting of a bed of crushed aragonite topped with Southdown sand.
I will move forward as soon as I am sure of proper dosages for the 3 Prodibio products
Thanks in advance for your help getting me started...

einstein

 

[iwan]

Congratulations Travis!

Beautiful tank! I look forward to the next pictures!

 

[Fliger]

Wow, I haven't seen this thread in forever. I didn't realize it had grown to this!

I recently started Prodibio as well. After I figured out how to open the ampules without throwing shards of glass ;-) I was pretty amazed at the Reef Booster. It brought out polyps in almost all my corals, including LPS (lords, micros, dendros) and SPS. On my new set-up (next month HOPEFULLY) I plan on using: the basic 3 Prodibios and Coral Vitalizer. It will be a well skimmed, high flow, low nutrient tank.

I have been researching different alternatives to the full Zeovit regimine for quite a while now and saw Iwan's tank long ago on a different website.

I'm also looking into some of the Elos products, waiting for a little more info from the manufacturer.

Thanks again Iwan, for all the thoughts (and pictures) you've shared!

 

[TryTheChi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6944906#post6944906 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by einsteins
I will move forward as soon as I am sure of proper dosages for the 3 Prodibio products
Thanks in advance for your help getting me started...

einstein

Hi einstein

If you want to try for prodi 3 months, and assuming 120 is net usg total system volume, you'll need:


6 vials Biodigest - 1 every 2 weeks
12 vials bioptim - 2 every 2 weeks
12 vials reef booster - 1 every week

pls do some before /after shots

cheers

Simon

 

[einsteins]

Simon

Thank You...
I will do some additional shots especially of the new frags in my system, so we can document the growth rate and overall health of the specimens.
I am going to order the product this week and will continue to udate everyone....
This thread is getting large, should we consider starting a new thread specifically for documenting the progress of people who are using this new Prodibio system? and to give Iwan his thread back?....just an idea.

I will let all of you know when I am ready to start and post some before pics.

Thanks again
einstein

 

[melev]

I would love to know what happens to a tank after you stop dosing this product. I mean, is it like Rain-X, where if you stop putting it on your windshield, you almost can't see out of the glass until it is all completely removed?

 

[tangblack]

would love to know what happens to a tank after you stop dosing this product

It would be no different if you stopped your skimmer. Nutrients would build up over time unless you removed them somehow.

I do recommend that for the first month it gets dosed weekly, and then every two weeks, Results donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t start to appear until the 3-4th week.

 

[Floridiot]

Travis,

How do you keep your coralline in check? Mine is becoming a serious nuissance. I never really minded it in my past tanks, as coralline was considered a 'good' thing to have. I've just seen so many nice tanks posted here on RC with little to no coralline, and kind of like the 'clean' look.