well I decided to try zeo...

siropa

New member
So i've been reading about zeo for some time, but have been reluctant to make the change just because what i've been doing has been working pretty well. But Jeremy's cheerleading finally wore me down :D

So I got the stuff I needed to start a few weeks ago and started the program 6 days ago. There were a few corals in particular that i've never been happy with. One example is this blue millie I got around a year ago down in madison. It was a deep, bright blue when I got it. just an amazing color. In my tank though, it got a drab tan/brown/blue tint to it. Below is a pic of the change in just this one coral after 6 days on zeo. It had been that drab color for 11 months or so and has gotten that much blue in less than a week. it isn't back to its original color yet, but it is getting close. i'm just amazed.

6days.jpg
 
WOW!

Are you using the full regimen? Or which ones?

6 days almost sounds too good to be true, but if you made no other changes, and it was uncolored for so long, It must be the zeo.

Wow
 
yeah i'm a little doubtful myself, but I haven't changed a single other thing in how I do stuff. I'm doing the 'basic 4' to start the zeo. none of the other additives yet. not sure how much you've read about it, but it is the starting point they recommend. after you get into it for awhile then you start adding other additives.

I had thought I was seeing some difference in a number of corals but figured it was just in my head. you know how it is when you change something, you tend to see things sometimes that might not really be the case. But getting the blue out like that was so obvious.
 
No I don't know zeo that well, but I do know It revolves on bringing your tank system to a lower nutrient level. (Which can't be done in 6 days, no?)

What are your Ates? (Nitrate and phosphate)
What have they been for awhile?
Have they lowered since starting zeo?

Maybe Jeremy can chime in, but what exactly is in those first 4 your dosing? Or what are they doing?

Did you ever dose any TE or AA?
 
I would think you couldn't bring them down that fast. My ates have always tested zero, but i've never completely trusted the low end results on those kits. So I haven't seen any change there since starting.

I tried AA once before without the rest of zeo and had some nasty algae outbreaks. it wasn't pretty.

I was hesitant to even start this post because it is so hard in this hobby to do a cause-> effect relationship with things. but given that the coral has been unchanged in nearly a year, it sure seems likely it was something to do with the zeo startup. just have to let it keep rolling to see what happens I guess.
 
I knew you'd like zeo!!! Everybody gave me so much crap about preaching about how great zeo is - well here's more proof!!!

I'm not surprised at all that you've seen results that fast. The zeolites are extemely powerful at removing ammonia and ammonium so that they cannot break down any further. You likely created a major decrease in water column nutrients which caused the zoox to back off a bit and let that natural blue come through. Getting to a true ultra low nutrient level takes a significant amount of time since you need to exhaust nutrient reserves. If you stopped zeo dosing now things would go back to the way they were. Once you exhaust nutrient reserves (usually takes 8-12months depending on the tank) you will be able to maintain awesome coloration without dosing much of anything.

This is only the beginning Bill. I'm sure you'll see some more color explosion over the next few weeks!!

Bri.
The basic four is only zeolites, food7 (coral food and bacterial food), zeobak (nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria), and start2 (carbon source for proliferation of the bacteria).

You don't need all the AA's and other supplements to have zeo be extremely effective. The majority of the results comes from the extreme nutrient export by the bacteria.



Bill.

Make sure that in about a week or two you remove your chaeto and other macros. Soon the nurients will get so low that there won't be enough to feed the macros and they'll die off causing a release of more nutrients.

Jeremy
 
Hey bill - are you sure you didn't just finally do a water change? :lol:

That's an awesome change in 6 days. I'll be cool to see what everything else does for you!
 
I'd like to read about zeo- where would I get started? I think someone mentioned this to me before, but I didn't save the sites.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14137979#post14137979 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bri Guy
So true zeo tanks are fuge less??

Is dosing vodka or sugar similar then?


Yep no fuge! Nutrient levels are too low to provide enough nutrition to keep macroalgae alive. Pretty awesome!! A true refugium however, doesn't necessarily need macroalgae. People use macro in fuges for nutrient export but a refugium is nothing more than an area of "refuge" so pods and such can grow and thrive (and eventually get swept into the water column and become food for corals or fish).

Dosing vodka and/or sugar is similar in some ways but the zeo process attacks nutrients in two different ways and is overall much more effective. I'll explain more later - at work right now.

Jeremy
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14138402#post14138402 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by intricable
I'd like to read about zeo- where would I get started? I think someone mentioned this to me before, but I didn't save the sites.

I'll post some links tonight. I've got lots of info!

Jeremy
 
I plan on keeping a fuge, just not with micros.

Jeremy, I was wondering what to do with the chaeto. I was going to leave it until I started to see it changing. You think I should pull it before that happens?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14138942#post14138942 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by siropa
I plan on keeping a fuge, just not with micros.

Jeremy, I was wondering what to do with the chaeto. I was going to leave it until I started to see it changing. You think I should pull it before that happens?

Yeah I'd pull it before it starts to change. In this situation when it starts to become pale and look rough it may already begin releasing nutrients and decomposing. I pulled mine as soon as I started zeo and saw no ill effects - only the tremendous transformation the zeo process was creating.

Jeremy
 
I've left it all in so far. I've got a huge ball of chaeto going right now. I suppose i'll start with a small chunk every day over a week or something.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14137979#post14137979 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bri Guy
So true zeo tanks are fuge less??

Is dosing vodka or sugar similar then?

OK Bri I've got a second for a bit more detail.

Some people dose sugar or vodka for bacterial proliferation. Unfortunately those types of carbon sources feed all types of bacteria - good, bad, and indifferent. For example, sometimes you end up with cyano outbreaks when dosing with those types of carbon sources.

The zeo process starts with the use of zeolites. Zeolites are a type of rock that absorbs ammonia and ammonium before it can be broken down further into other unwanted nutrients. The zeolites are extremely effective at removing nutrients from the water and if not used properly, a zeolite reactor can strip the water so clean that you essentially starve the corals.

The second component to the zeo process is zeobak. The most effective and efficient strains of bacteria are cultured out so we can dose them to our tanks for removal of nitrate and phosphate.

Start2 is the carbon source for the zeo regimen and it is designed to selectively feed the bacterial chains that we dose (zeobak). Start2 can also fuel other bacterial growth but for the most part it is far more effective and less risky than dosing vodka, sugar, or vinegar.

Food7 is a supplement to feed the corals and bacteria. The process is so efficient at nutient removal that we need to be sure to dose appropriate supplements back in so the corals and bacteria can thrive.

That's the basic four in a nutshell.

Jeremy
 
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<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14138402#post14138402 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by intricable
I'd like to read about zeo- where would I get started? I think someone mentioned this to me before, but I didn't save the sites.

Here are a few links to get you started.

zeo guide

zeo catalog

zeolite filter info

General info Towards the bottom there's a bit of good info about the three phases of the zeo process.

English zeo forum

I love zeo and would use no other primary means of nutrient management. IMO there's no easier and/or more effective process at this time.

Jeremy
 
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