Zeovit - System

[chercm]

My net tank volume is 586l = 154gallons

does it mean i need to use 2l of zeolite ?

i am using Red sea which have a alk at 7.7 dkh

Hi Cher,

I am going to take a bit of an unorthodox approach to replying to your response... I am going to ignore everything you just typed... well most of it at least. I am going to give you a simple recipe to get you back on the track of zeo success. First I'll comment on some of the information you provided.

1)If your happy with your wave, then you have one part of the equation solved. Your SPS polyps should look like a field of long grass moving in the wind.
2)A temperature of 77 degrees F is good. That is what I keep my temp at
3)If your happy with your salt, change 10% on a weekly basis. I use brightwell aquatics neo marine, but there are quite a few good salts out there. Make sure your salt has a low alk level.

Now for the zeo...

dose 1 drop of the zeobac for each 25 gallons of net water volume three times a week

for each 25g of net water volume, you should only have 50ml of zeo media in your reactor. Your flow through your reactor should be enough to fill up a 16oz container in 10 seconds. A flow faster than this is not helping you in any way. I recommend you start brand new. Dump out your current stones and begin as if you were starting zeo from the beginning. Using more zeo media than recommend combined with an overly aggressive flow will most certainly result in tissue recession and/or pale colors

Follow the Zeostart3 dosing instructions. I recommend getting a doser and dosing the recommended amount broken up into 2 separate doses.

Test your water parameters. Write down the results in a log. You want to keep track of your alk, Ca, Phosphate, Nitrate, and Potassium. Alk should be stead around 7. Calcium around 420. Phosphate .02-.03. Nitrate .2 Potassium 400 (use a salifert potassium test kit).

You want to chart how your tank reacts to the zeo. Don't use anything else at this time. In conjunction with the zeo, you need to begin feeding your tank every other night after the lights are out and the polyps are extended. I recommend refrigerated oyster eggs. The goal is to max out feeding while still maintaining the parameters I have laid out for you.

Do this for three months and assess. Feel free to PM me with questions regarding your progress. I have laid out the exact path that I followed to be successful.

Warmest Regards,
James

 

[CUNAReefer]

My net tank volume is 586l = 154gallons

does it mean i need to use 2l of zeolite ?

i am using Red sea which have a alk at 7.7 dkh

Now this makes it very easy. I have the same net water volume as you. You only need 300ml of zeo stones every 6 weeks. Start completely new with 300ml. after 6 weeks add another 300ml. At this time, you should only have 600ml of the stones in your reactor. Your salt is perfect. If you have a zeo tank, you can experience burnt tips once your alk rises above 8 and you have an aggressive flow through the reactor. After you have this AND your feeding down, you can be a little more daring. Most folks try to use every additive in the book before mastering the basics. Once you get the basics down and you see how your corals react to the zeo, then you can begin to use the other additives.

 

[chercm]

Now this makes it very easy. I have the same net water volume as you. You only need 300ml of zeo stones every 6 weeks. Start completely new with 300ml. after 6 weeks add another 300ml. At this time, you should only have 600ml of the stones in your reactor. Your salt is perfect. If you have a zeo tank, you can experience burnt tips once your alk rises above 8 and you have an aggressive flow through the reactor. After you have this AND your feeding down, you can be a little more daring. Most folks try to use every additive in the book before mastering the basics. Once you get the basics down and you see how your corals react to the zeo, then you can begin to use the other additives.

so what should the flow rate be for the 300 l and the 600 ml ?? does it mean i start with 300 l or i can start with 600 l of zeolite ?

 

[CUNAReefer]

so what should the flow rate be ?

it should take 10 seconds to fill a 16oz glass. You will notice that your corals may begin to darken. This is fine and is perfectly healthy. Your tank needs to be stable for a couple months, then we can increase the flow through the reactor to lighten the corals and we can play with the additives to tweak the color.

 

[chercm]

so at this time i should put a fresh batch of zeolite of 600ml right ?

 

[CUNAReefer]

so at this time i should put a fresh batch of zeolite of 600ml right ?

Ok. I can see how that would've been confusing. Empty your reactor. put 300ml of new stones in your reactor. All you will have in your reactor is 300ml of the stones. Wait 6 weeks. After the 6 weeks have passed, then you add another 300ml of the stones. This is where the 600ml came from.

 

[chercm]

Zeovit - System

Ok. I can see how that would've been confusing. Empty your reactor. put 300ml of new stones in your reactor. All you will have in your reactor is 300ml of the stones. Wait 6 weeks. After the 6 weeks have passed, then you add another 300ml of the stones. This is where the 600ml came from.

Sorry I have a lot of questions hope u do not mind


on the packaging of zeolite is 400l of water i need to put 1l of rocks , is it ok ? i am just curious.

what is the dosage plan with this 300ml ?

how many drops of zeobak , start3 , Coral snow , Sponge power and ZZ?

 

[CUNAReefer]

Hi Cher,

Please do me a favor. Read my posts to you above. In your own words, I want you to repeat everything I have recommended to you. Once you have done that, I will answer your questions.

James

 

[chercm]

Zeovit - System

Hi Cher,

Please do me a favor. Read my posts to you above. In your own words, I want you to repeat everything I have recommended to you. Once you have done that, I will answer your questions.

James

Use 300 ml of zeolite for 6 weeks and after that add another 600ml .

Flow - fill 16oz in 10 sec

Start3 as per the bottle dosage

Is it correct ?

 

[CUNAReefer]

Use 300 ml of zeolite for 6 weeks and after that add another 600ml .

Flow - fill 16oz in 10 sec

Start3 as per the bottle dosage

Is it correct ?

Almost there. Could you please tell me what I said about water changes, feeding, the use of other additives for now, zeobac, and how long you should let your tank run with the basic zeo? If you added 600ml of zeo media at one time you would kill your corals. You ONLY want to add 300ml of media every 6 weeks. I want you to know that I am trying to help you, but I need you to get back to basics to be successful.

 

[v1...rotate]

James,

A few questions,

How do you measure 300ml of Zeolite stones?

Can you elaborate on your statement, "for 25gal net water volume use 50ml of stones"

Thanks

 

[CUNAReefer]

James,

A few questions,

How do you measure 300ml of Zeolite stones?

Can you elaborate on your statement, "for 25gal net water volume use 50ml of stones"

Thanks

Absolutely! I have a cup that measures ml, cups and fluid oz. I found the cup at the local grocery store. I just add the stones to the cup until I get to the 300ml line. I use this cup for all of my zeo measurements.

With all zeo additives, its important that you use your net water volume. You need to consider sand, rock, equipment, etc. Once you have estimated your net water volume, you can tailor your dosing to this water volume.

The stones need to be changed every six weeks. Over time, when I changed my stones, I've played around with the amount. 375ml is the maximum I can use for my tank. Whenever I use any more... growth stops, colors start to become pale, and tissue recession starts at the base. 300ml is a pretty safe amount for 150g net. With some simple math, I came up with the net 25g/50ml stone recommendation. Its a pretty safe amount that does allow some room for error. You also will need to adjust the flow through the reactor. I hold the cup up to the reactor output. I adjust the flow so that I can fill my cup 16oz up in 10 seconds.

Now that you have the correct amount of stones and flow, the testing and the feeding begins. Until you can develop a routine that produces desired water params, you will need to test, test, and test some more.

These are some very basic recommendations to get started. Even though you can become more aggressive with the zeo products, this is a great starting point. Taking this approach lets you become familiar with the zeo method, and also lets you increase your dosing, reactor flow, and amount of stones based on how daring you want to be. Once you master the basics... Then you can start tweaking your colors with the other additives

Hope this helps:thumbsup:

James

 

[ryanrid]

James,

Remember you run bare bottom with low fish load so you can use significantly less zeolites etc than a ssb and moderate to high fish load.

 

[chercm]

James,

Remember you run bare bottom with low fish load so you can use significantly less zeolites etc than a ssb and moderate to high fish load.

so what do you guys suggest for me to do ?

 

[karsseboom]

Absolutely! I have a cup that measures ml, cups and fluid oz. I found the cup at the local grocery store. I just add the stones to the cup until I get to the 300ml line. I use this cup for all of my zeo measurements.

With all zeo additives, its important that you use your net water volume. You need to consider sand, rock, equipment, etc. Once you have estimated your net water volume, you can tailor your dosing to this water volume.

The stones need to be changed every six weeks. Over time, when I changed my stones, I've played around with the amount. 375ml is the maximum I can use for my tank. Whenever I use any more... growth stops, colors start to become pale, and tissue recession starts at the base. 300ml is a pretty safe amount for 150g net. With some simple math, I came up with the net 25g/50ml stone recommendation. Its a pretty safe amount that does allow some room for error. You also will need to adjust the flow through the reactor. I hold the cup up to the reactor output. I adjust the flow so that I can fill my cup 16oz up in 10 seconds.

Now that you have the correct amount of stones and flow, the testing and the feeding begins. Until you can develop a routine that produces desired water params, you will need to test, test, and test some more.

These are some very basic recommendations to get started. Even though you can become more aggressive with the zeo products, this is a great starting point. Taking this approach lets you become familiar with the zeo method, and also lets you increase your dosing, reactor flow, and amount of stones based on how daring you want to be. Once you master the basics... Then you can start tweaking your colors with the other additives

Hope this helps:thumbsup:

James

Did you see who you were quoting? That Andrew from reef in the sky. His tank was featured on the zeovit site.


http://www.zeovit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25727

 

[reefmutt]

This has been a fantastic read. Very informative and very open.
I'm 'this close' to going zeo in my upcoming tank..
I don't want the derail the help that chercm is getting here, but I have a question about deep sand beds and how they may interact with bacteioplancton systems (zeovit)-if properly maintained.
A bare bottom system with a maintainable deep sand bed in a fully accessible sump could (and has been in the past when they were more popular), be very effective in achieving a ulns..
Has anybody experimented with this method and zeovit?
I realize that the lack of zeolite and lack of flow trough a deep sand bed goes against the basic concept of the zeolite, but I am wondering if by using the bacterial additives from zeovit along with the sand bed to get to ultra low nutrients, one could produce a functioning hybrid system..
Part of the equation would be to change out sections of the DSB on a regular basis to keep the bed generally clean.
Thanks for any input or opinion!

 

[CUNAReefer]

James,

Remember you run bare bottom with low fish load so you can use significantly less zeolites etc than a ssb and moderate to high fish load.

so what do you guys suggest for me to do ?

@Ryan - Hi Ryan, I couldn't agree more. You have a very good point. I am an advanced zeo user though. I know how my tank reacts to zeo, and I know how to play around with my growth and coloration. I can look at my tank and know exactly what is going on with my dosing. There are a couple of reasons I make my recommendation.

1) Not only do I have CherCMs best interests in mind, but I also have to think about the other reefers who are interested in starting the zeo process and read my posts for help.

2) As someone who followed the zeo guide perfectly, I was plagued with problems. No growth in six months. Colors were extremely pale. Tissue recession started at the base. I recommend a lower/slower approach because I want new zeo users to avoid making the same mistakes I did. Some of my advice will go against what is recommended in the zeo guide. The reason I do this is so help the new user ease into zeo. Once the user finds the happy balance, they can become more aggressive with zeo.

3) When using my approach, you wont need to try all the different additives as a solution to wide array of problems. Start with the basics to find what amount of zeo media, reactor flow, and zeostart3 dosage works for your tank. They you can choose what additives to use to tweak your coloration and growth.

4) I want the new zeo users to come back and say "James, I followed your instructions, but my nitrates and/or phosphates are rising! This zeo stuff isn't working!!!" This response is easy to fix. It requires a gradual increase in the stones or flow through the reactor (don't do both at the same time). The response I don't want is "James, I followed your instructions and my corals are DEAD you dope!!!" This response is hard to fix.

5) By recommending this approach to CherCM, he is going to gradually find the balance that makes his tank pop. It wont be quick, but then again.... Good things in this hobby take time, while bad things in this hobby happen quickly. Think of a Tunze wavebox with the dial cranked all the way up. Chances are, you will not have any type of wave going. When you slowly turn the dial counter clockwise, you will find the perfect position that creates your desired wave. Now if you take the dial and move it to a random position every three seconds, chances are it will never work the way you want it to. You might get lucky, but probably not. This is what I am trying to do with Cher. I want him to move slowly to find the perfect balance.


@CherCM - This is exactly how things are going to happen

1) You will follow my instructions.
2) Your nitrates/phosphates will begin to rise.
3) Your going to contact me a couple of days later to ask why its happening. You will also post on the zeo forum with my advice. The zeo members are going to disagree with me and once again... You will confused and will be no better off
4) I will tell you to continue the course and continue to perform your normal maintenance/feeding.
5) If you continue to follow my advice... You continue to test your water and document your params. My recommended zeo amount may work, but you will most likely see your nitrates rise above .2 and your phophates rise above .03. This is fine. Its part of finding the balance.
6) If your nitrates are high, I will tell you to increase your flow to 16 oz in 9 seconds. If they are still high, I will tell you to increase your flow to 16 oz in 8 seconds. If they are still high, I will tell you to decrease your flow to 16 oz in 10 seconds and add 50ml of stones to the reactor. I will also recommend that you wait at least 5 days in between adjustments. If your nitrates are too low, I will tell you to increase your feeding. If your nitrates are still too low, I will tell you to decrease your flow. If your nitrates are still to low, I will tell you to remove some of the stones.
7) If your phosphates are high, we will look at your zeostart/zeo bac and type of food. There are other factors we would need to look at to.
8) After weeks of constant tweaking, we will have found the happy balance. A routine will be established and you can now begin to play with the different additives and coloration of your corals. By this point, you will know how your corals should look.

Now for some examples…
Bad Zeo

Good Zeo


Bad Zeo

Good Zeo

Bad Zeo

 
Good Zeo

Bad Zeo

Good Zeo

 

[CUNAReefer]

Bad Zeo

Good Zeo

Bad Zeo

Good Zeo

Bad Zeo

Good Zeo


Bad Zeo

Good Zeo

Bad Zeo

 

[CUNAReefer]

Good Zeo

Bad Zeo

Good Zeo

Bad Zeo

Good Zeo

Bad Zeo

Good Zeo

Bad Zeo

Good Zeo

I guess I can also say bad camera good camera

 

[CUNAReefer]

Did you see who you were quoting? That Andrew from reef in the sky. His tank was featured on the zeovit site.


http://www.zeovit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25727

Hey Karsseboom,

I know that tank very well! One of my absolute favorites. I just bought a new tank today... Official announcement!!! I HAVE BOUGHT SUNNYX'S RIMLESS REEF 2.0!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is being delivered NOW! I hope to have a zeo tank as nice as that someday 246g Starfire Rimless. Oh YEAH!!!