what is zeovit?
- Thread starter barnett8
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broadwave
New member
this should answer all of your questions......
http://captiveoceans.com/pdfs/ZEOguide 103 English.pdf
http://captiveoceans.com/pdfs/ZEOguide 103 English.pdf
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
It is a system of tank husandry that relies on dosing several different solutions and following a different methodology to achieve what some feel is a healthy tank with superior growth and water clarity. There are plenty of arguements for and against the system.... most of the time the debates get more than a little heated. You can find some very infomrative forums on the subject if you look around.
broadwave
New member
The more I think about it, I should have had a more informative answer than "read this..." 
Since I've "tried" the ZeoVit method, I'll give you an overview and some of my observations as well as clearly just my opinion.
just as BeanAnimal had suggested, it is a way of tank husbandry that tries to get your reef environment to 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates while promoting beneficial bacteria to propagate in your tank. By reducing the the amount of nutrients in your tank, the ZEOVit method claims that SPS corals will need less zooanthellae to prtect them and therefore will become less brown and more colorful.
There is a board that is very informative if my explanation needs more clarification http://www.zeovit.com
initially, there is what ZeoVit calls "the Basic 4" which consists of...
ZeoBAK-
a Planktonic bacteria that provide corals with nutrients
ZeoFOOD7-
ZEOfood increases bacterial growth that supplies corals with all necessary elements
ZeoSTART2-
ZEOstart accelerates the cycling process and aids in the reduction of nutrients in your tank
ZeoMedia -
ZEOvit consists of three different sized untreated and all natural Zeoliths that will safely remove nitrate and phosphate from the aquarium
There are also allot of other additives that are part of the ZeoVit method that are recommended but not nessesary.
The PDF link that I added above will go into dosing recommendations etc... of these "Basic 4" and other additives.
ZeoVit "Highly recommends" that you use Their Salt Mix and Their Carbon which are very expensive, and they claim that you will get better results....
That's kind of the basics on this system, now on to my observations and My Opinion ...
I did not see any significant improvements on my water quality as my regular husbandry did not change. What I did see was that I lost ALL of my SPS corals to RTN and my softies / LPS corals did not open as well as they had prior to ZEOvit. Keep in mind I followed their directions to the "T". Also, my tank did not look as good as it did prior to ZEOvit and still looks like %^&# as it will take some time to recover.
AS long as you utilize efficient heavy skimming, change carbon weekly, weekly water changes and maintain your tank as you normally would ( I'm very meticulous about husbandry ) there is no reason you shouldn't see the same results in your reef.
Since I've "tried" the ZeoVit method, I'll give you an overview and some of my observations as well as clearly just my opinion.
just as BeanAnimal had suggested, it is a way of tank husbandry that tries to get your reef environment to 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates while promoting beneficial bacteria to propagate in your tank. By reducing the the amount of nutrients in your tank, the ZEOVit method claims that SPS corals will need less zooanthellae to prtect them and therefore will become less brown and more colorful.
There is a board that is very informative if my explanation needs more clarification http://www.zeovit.com
initially, there is what ZeoVit calls "the Basic 4" which consists of...
ZeoBAK-
a Planktonic bacteria that provide corals with nutrients
ZeoFOOD7-
ZEOfood increases bacterial growth that supplies corals with all necessary elements
ZeoSTART2-
ZEOstart accelerates the cycling process and aids in the reduction of nutrients in your tank
ZeoMedia -
ZEOvit consists of three different sized untreated and all natural Zeoliths that will safely remove nitrate and phosphate from the aquarium
There are also allot of other additives that are part of the ZeoVit method that are recommended but not nessesary.
The PDF link that I added above will go into dosing recommendations etc... of these "Basic 4" and other additives.
ZeoVit "Highly recommends" that you use Their Salt Mix and Their Carbon which are very expensive, and they claim that you will get better results....
That's kind of the basics on this system, now on to my observations and My Opinion ...
I did not see any significant improvements on my water quality as my regular husbandry did not change. What I did see was that I lost ALL of my SPS corals to RTN and my softies / LPS corals did not open as well as they had prior to ZEOvit. Keep in mind I followed their directions to the "T". Also, my tank did not look as good as it did prior to ZEOvit and still looks like %^&# as it will take some time to recover.
AS long as you utilize efficient heavy skimming, change carbon weekly, weekly water changes and maintain your tank as you normally would ( I'm very meticulous about husbandry ) there is no reason you shouldn't see the same results in your reef.
glassbox-design
New member
if you're looking for real info head over to their site. it's for advanced reefers, many try and fail as water params must be stable and at NSW. a drop or raise in alk can can take many corals with it.
it allows you to get extremely low nutrient...much more so than can usually be achieved by normal husbandry, it also allows the manipulation of colors through the dosing of certain solutions.
it allows you to get extremely low nutrient...much more so than can usually be achieved by normal husbandry, it also allows the manipulation of colors through the dosing of certain solutions.
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
The thing is, I bet many of those solutions are just common chemicals that we wouldnt consider putting in our tank normally... kind of like how you can use Prestone driveway heat to buffer calcium because it is calcium chloride.
For instance... if you want to increase bacterial plankton in the tank, as well as drop nutrients... you can just dose ethanol/everclear/vodka.
Or, some other 'trace element' mixtures have iron, iodine, potassium, etc.... well... you can just buy pure potassium, potassium iodide/potassium chloride, and gee... like I cant find something with iron in it...
I admire the level of chemistry that the Korallen Zucht Zeovit, Prodobio, and Fauna-Marin Ultralith... but I dont think its so much that what they sell you is anything too exotic, just that they went and figured out the chemistry of how to improve a captive system and they arent required to list the exact chemicals used on the bottle.
For instance... the rocks that Zeovit uses in a reactor... they arent 100% unique... lets just put it that way.
For instance... if you want to increase bacterial plankton in the tank, as well as drop nutrients... you can just dose ethanol/everclear/vodka.
Or, some other 'trace element' mixtures have iron, iodine, potassium, etc.... well... you can just buy pure potassium, potassium iodide/potassium chloride, and gee... like I cant find something with iron in it...
I admire the level of chemistry that the Korallen Zucht Zeovit, Prodobio, and Fauna-Marin Ultralith... but I dont think its so much that what they sell you is anything too exotic, just that they went and figured out the chemistry of how to improve a captive system and they arent required to list the exact chemicals used on the bottle.
For instance... the rocks that Zeovit uses in a reactor... they arent 100% unique... lets just put it that way.
Serioussnaps
New member
Really? I thought it was training wheels for those that couldn't do it the "right" way!
I say this very jokingly!
barnett8
Member
Can somebody elaborate on this, does this system cause more fluctuations, what if I were to go away for like... a month? (my tanks have been fine fending for themselves for a month.)
Can parts of this system be used induvidually, or do they HAVE to work together (like one won't work without the other)?
And also, is this system worth it if you have the time?
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glassbox-design
New member
betting and knowing are very different things
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
Right... so for much of this stuff, its just the fact that they know what chemicals to dose, how often, etc. Really no more complicated than say... dosing/supplimenting calcium, but just other chemicals. Of course, then there are some more biological solutions... cultured bacteria strains that prodobio and the rest seem to be big on. I shouldnt lump these into the same group as the others. I think the basic assumption with many captive reefs is that they tend to have some dominant strains of bacteria which dominate after a while, and in the long run, putting these bacteria back into the tank can help the cycles in the tank alot.
As to how important these bacteria are might be up for debate though. I mean... there are plenty of attractive tanks out there that dont use these systems.
As to how important these bacteria are might be up for debate though. I mean... there are plenty of attractive tanks out there that dont use these systems.
glassbox-design
New member
we have tests for calcium, and levels to compare against NSW. i dont know about you but i have no idea how much organic and iorganic carbon is in our tank
zeovit has found a system that works, and can be shared by many users of the system. individually the components arent that special, but together it's pretty damn incredible if you ask me. also they are far from simple household items. AA, CV, Spur2, etc are not anything close to sugar water as many believe.
jmo.
zeovit has found a system that works, and can be shared by many users of the system. individually the components arent that special, but together it's pretty damn incredible if you ask me. also they are far from simple household items. AA, CV, Spur2, etc are not anything close to sugar water as many believe.
jmo.
MetalReef9
New member
zeovit is the magical galaxy where everything for the aquarium is free!!
magnoliarichj
New member
expense is a relative term. 10 bucks a week to manage a 100 gallon tank. not bad in my eyes.
reefkoi
Premium Member
I think it's a "system" that has proven itself.
There are a lot of other systems that have proven themselves as well.
Thing is most people want instant results and they try everything and they overdose or don't give a system time to function and then they bad mouth that method and eventually leave the hobby.
I really feel this is why the Germans and a lot of european hobbyists have such nice tanks..................In America we have a different mentality and we need instant results or we move onto something else.
I love it here so don't take it like I'm an American basher (far from it) but this is what I am seeing anyway. I don't see too many German online reef sites complaining about all the stupid stuff I see on here.
C
There are a lot of other systems that have proven themselves as well.
Thing is most people want instant results and they try everything and they overdose or don't give a system time to function and then they bad mouth that method and eventually leave the hobby.
I really feel this is why the Germans and a lot of european hobbyists have such nice tanks..................In America we have a different mentality and we need instant results or we move onto something else.
I love it here so don't take it like I'm an American basher (far from it) but this is what I am seeing anyway. I don't see too many German online reef sites complaining about all the stupid stuff I see on here.
C
More reefers = more problems. Stuff is far cheaper here as well, especially livestock. I'd say if Americans had to purchase like the Euros did, they'd be stepping up their game rather quickly.seflreefer
New member
I have a friend who has a 1500+ gallon reef with all the bells and whistles and he tried Zeovit following the first few months that the aquarium was in motion so to speak. While loading the system with as many sps corals that would fit, it seemed as though the corals were glowing in the dark. And what I mean by this is that they were achieving colors brighter than anything that I have ever seen in the U.S. For the next few months everything went according to plan with the system. Then all of a sudden things were changing and the corals began to whither and die. Now whether this was in fact caused by the zeovit, or the fact that the system was new and it was loaded relatively quickly, I am not the one to say. But following a large loss of specimens as well as money, my friend took the zeovit system off line. It has been quite awhile since I have seen the tank, or talked to him about it, but I dont think he is using the zeovit any longer, or has plans to in the future. I believe that he is going to do things the old fashioned way with husbandry and patience. As an earlier reply to this post suggests, we live in an instant gratification society and people sometimes look for the quick fix. But in this hobby, IMHO, I believe that it is those who use tried and true approaches, over the long haul are the ones who will be most successful. Here is his system posted on the zeovit site:http://www.zeovit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9159.
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