<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7848051#post7848051 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefshadow
It all sounds interesting, but is so expensive! While I'm not opposed to spending money on my reef, I'm not yet convinced, but will be watching with interest.
I don't understand a few things, like what exactly distinguishes this bacteria from any of the others we naturally culture in our systems, and what makes the zeolite a better media than live rock, sand ect...? Also I gather that this is an aerobic bacteria, how does it eventually lower nitrates to undetectable levels if so? Is this more a function of the zeolite than anything, by that I mean could you make a reactor, obtain some zeolite, feed it an organic carbon source and culture bacteria already present in your system? Has anyone tried to DIY this concept?
Guess I need to do more reading.
Hi Reefshadow
The manufacturers of the various probiotic products are developing the idea that bacteria strains all naturally occur, but in a closed environment of reef tanks the range of bacs become limited due to environmental conditions and lack of appropriate elements.
All probiotic methods aim to regularly re innoculate the captive reef with a range of bac strains and provide these with appropriate carbon sources to get the bacs to florish.
The outcome one can expect to see is a very low nutrient picture, resulting in the decline of nurtient dependant algae including symbiotic algae., the latter allowing for the underlying color of an sps to be more visible.
If one has undetectable nutrients and great coloration anyway, I cant see there would be any benefit in adding bac strains and carbon sources.
In the zeovit method, the zeolites have two functions: ammonia adsorbtion (although this is disputed by some) and as a biological filter. In the zeo method the zeolites are shaken daily to prevent the zeolites from clogging up with bacs ( and therefor enable adsorbtion - if it does) and to release bacs into the water colomn which then act as food to the corals promoting growth and vitality, and therefor supporting coloration. The residual bacs in the water colume are exported by protean skimmers. The bigger the better.
In this model, the bacs in the water colume are needed as sps, lps and other corals have less energy available to them through the symbiotic algae.
In all bac innoculation systems - the bac solution must have denitrifying strains, and we must have appropriate anerobic environment for these to function.
Some think that zeolites do not provide this environment as thier structure is too dense. ZEOheads recommend 3 hour on and off phases for the reactors to provide this if nutients are high.
For prodi and zeo and others- the denitrifying bacs will live in the LR and/or dsb.
I cant see any reason why one cant DIY the concept to get the benefits. Vodka is a DIY carbon sourse, but its critics say that it is an indescriminate source of carbon, with potential negative effects. Having said that people get cynobacter with prodi and zeo too if carbon and aminos are overdosed.
This is the strategy I'd use to DIY a probiotic system based on my experience of using both prodibio and now the full zeo system:
1) Select the cheapest bac strains available, and the cheapest carbon source designed to support these. You could even leave the innoculation and see what happens.
IME Prodi digest has produced the greater impact on clarity in the water column compared with zeo bac. Maybe polyip labs are good too? This can also be stored for longer than zeo bac.
2) Feeding the bacs is important, and ZeoFood7 allows for much greater flexability of dosing than prodi TPIM. I dont know if the two differ significantly but having used both my NO3 and PO4 remain 0. Both contain carbon, amino acids and vitamins.
3) Construct a DIY reactor which you can shake daily. The zeoforum has some examples for $20.
4) Break up some live rock so that there is a mix of sizes from 3-4 mm to 60 - 70 mm. The larger sizes will host anerobic bacs. LR should already have a range of bacs in there if you want to miss out the innoculation element. Siporax or sintered glass medium could be good too, but would definately benefit from innoculation.
Dose Prodidigest into the reactor every 2 weeks, and feed with zeofood 7 as per the zeoguide. Shake the LR in the reactor daily to provide the mulm for the corals.
I cant see why this system would not capture most/all the benefits of the other systems, and would be cheap to get going.
The main possible limitations maybe that if zeolites do infact adsorb NH3 in seawater, there may be a difference there, but I'v not been able to find any answers as to the benefits of this compared with letting the bacs do all the work. The other factor is that the LR needs to be very low in PO4 ie fresh.
All of the above may take you to very low/ undetectable NO3 & PO4, which sets the foundation for color enhancement. The addition of amino acids will be important to prevent lightening/ bleaching, and the addition of major and minor elements throuh w/c or other means may further promote coral health and pigmentation.
Just some thoughts. Will be very interested in your experience if you go for it. Pls do the before /after pic thing.
Cheers
Simon
