Zeovit

[eskymick]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12252210#post12252210 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by madadi
eskymick, let us know what kind of salt your using also and how often you do water changes. it will help us better guess our K level if were using the same salt thank you

I use Instant Ocean.

My initial Potassium test indicated that the level in my tank was approx. 250. I admit I'm due for a water change, but I think that most salt mixes have a potassium level below that of NSW (which is about 380). And, from what I've read, potassium is only very slowly depleted in the aquarium. Regular water changes (with K at NSW levels) should generally keep your aquarium in balance.

From now on, I plan to bump up my water change IO mixes with a dash of Potassium Chloride ... along with the adjustments for calcium and magnesium that I already do.

 

[eskymick]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12252444#post12252444 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Zedar
I like the price

http://www.aquariumguys.com/seachem-reef-salt-160.html

How are the shipping charges on that ?

 

[Zedar]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12252692#post12252692 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by eskymick
How are the shipping charges on that ?

I dont know. My LFS sells it for that price.

 

[eskymick]

The nearest "local" supplier I'd have for that is Dr. Foster.

 

[Husky_1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12247732#post12247732 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Zedar
Husky thats a good idea ....Ok guy/gals lets summarize.

Zedar, Thanks for posting, I was a little sketchy on when to start dosing the K, AA etc, but that cleared it up. Funny thing is that I did not read your post until I went through and re-read (some pages 2-3) times.


I was so excited to start that I stopped by one of the large LFS today (almost a Big box store), and they happened to have matrix and Stability so I picked some up. I already have some of the Seachem AA's at the house, I have never seen the issues that you mentioned, but thats because I tend never to dose 100% of recommended amount, I alway go less. I will go with the Zeo AA's, as suggested by many people. I also use Lugols, but I dose probably once per month right now, since I do not test for it.

Either way, I plan on starting the CheapskateZ method (matrix, stability, v/s/v) here in about a week. I have been on a mission to flush out some detritious, from the back of my BB tank. I am almost there, adding 2000gph straight to the bottom really helps ....My next step will be to clean my sump really well.

Truth be told I am a little nervous and this next week will help me do more research while cleaning up my sump. The good news for me is that my Calc sits around 420, Alk around 8 (Probably should lower). Unfortunately I bumped my MG up to 1600 to try to rid myself of some HA. That was 2 weeks ago, so I will measure this weekend and see what happens.

BTW, for a little background (Sorry for the long post), my corals seem to do well, and was running relatively low nutrients. I bought a few more fish, and started feeding much more. This was not a problem until my PBT got ich and took out a couple of more fish. Well I started overfeeding the 3 fish I had left and HA started coming in force. My nitrates are at 0 (Salifert), phosphates show around .2 (Hagen test kit, but arent they all crap anyway ) So over the past month or so I have really been running GFO more than normal, and added the extra flow. Still not much HA gone.. I am hoping that I can get back to feeding my fish and corals, I really do not like feeding once every other day. My corals along the way have been fine with color and growth, actually better then when I was running somewhat LNS.

 

[Husky_1]

Ok, so here are a couple of questions that I have.

1. Do you guys run a cryptic sump? I really do not want to add live rock to the sump, since this is just another detritus trap.

2. Once you find your maintenance dosing of v/s/v, what are you thoughts of putting it in your ATO, and matching your depletions rate. For instance I use a 5g bucket for my ATO reservoir. This gets used up in 3 days. So say my v/s/v dosing comes in at 5 ml/day when I am stable, would there be any harm in adding 15ml to the reservoir? My thought is that this would be a nice steady flow of C.

3. Other than dosing, what maintenance do you do? I have heard that Zeo Requires you to blow off your rocks. I do this everyday anyway with a turkey baster. Also, what about your filter sock? Do you run them at all?

4. When you guys feed so heavily, do you turn off your pumps?

 

[sailfintang]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12255845#post12255845 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Husky_1
Ok, so here are a couple of questions that I have.

1. Do you guys run a cryptic sump? I really do not want to add live rock to the sump, since this is just another detritus trap.

2. Once you find your maintenance dosing of v/s/v, what are you thoughts of putting it in your ATO, and matching your depletions rate. For instance I use a 5g bucket for my ATO reservoir. This gets used up in 3 days. So say my v/s/v dosing comes in at 5 ml/day when I am stable, would there be any harm in adding 15ml to the reservoir? My thought is that this would be a nice steady flow of C.

3. Other than dosing, what maintenance do you do? I have heard that Zeo Requires you to blow off your rocks. I do this everyday anyway with a turkey baster. Also, what about your filter sock? Do you run them at all?

4. When you guys feed so heavily, do you turn off your pumps?

To answer your questions in order:

1. I use to run a sumo with live rocks and filters to trap debris and deitrus. Since adding my reactor with Seachem Matrix I have removed all live rock and filter pads. So I am now running a cryptic sump tha I will have to clean out every few months to get rid of any remaining particles or matter in the sump.

2. As to adding the v/s/v to auto top off I have a few questions. What type of top off water are you using? RO/Di, tap, deionized etc. I do not see any harm though in adding it to the top off wter but since I just started the v/s/v dosing a littel while ago I add it directly to the tank. maybe Zedar or another reefer more experienced wit the v/s/v could chime in here.

3. As for maintenance i would do regular water changes, dose your supplements and monitor your levels of course. removing any deitrus off of rocks and algae off the glass is a must. A for filter socks I do not currently run them but will be reincorporating my filter sponges.

4. I always leave my pumps on when feeding it keeps the food stired up in the water column and allows the fish to gp after particular items of food. rremember the oceans currents never really stop so I try to keep all my flow on. Also it helps any uneaten food go into the overflow and get simmed out.


Hope this answers your questions well all except the v/s/v one.

 

[Husky_1]

Thanks for answermy questions Sailfin

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12256486#post12256486 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sailfintang
To answer your questions in order:



2.What type of top off water are you using?

RO/Di of course...maybe a very little kalk in to keep the PH high in the reservoir.

 

[Husky_1]

BTW, what is the feeling on using NSW in the Zeo world?

 

[jamesdawson]

I turn off my main pump on a feed timer when I feed but leave my circulation pumps (Tunze Streams) going. I do this because otherwise some of the foods go down the overflows and contaminate my filter socks. I do want the circulation to blow the food around as I find it then feeds the invertebrates as well as the fish.

James

 

[Zedar]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12255845#post12255845 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Husky_1
Ok, so here are a couple of questions that I have.

1. Do you guys run a cryptic sump? I really do not want to add live rock to the sump, since this is just another detritus trap.

2. Once you find your maintenance dosing of v/s/v, what are you thoughts of putting it in your ATO, and matching your depletions rate. For instance I use a 5g bucket for my ATO reservoir. This gets used up in 3 days. So say my v/s/v dosing comes in at 5 ml/day when I am stable, would there be any harm in adding 15ml to the reservoir? My thought is that this would be a nice steady flow of C.

3. Other than dosing, what maintenance do you do? I have heard that Zeo Requires you to blow off your rocks. I do this everyday anyway with a turkey baster. Also, what about your filter sock? Do you run them at all?

4. When you guys feed so heavily, do you turn off your pumps?

1. I dont run one. Dont know how it would work with this method. You can be the first to find out

2. Again that sounds plausible. Since the ATO water is DI I cant see the carbon starting any kind of bacteiral growth, which would be the one concern.

3. I do the usual maintenance. water change weekly of 10% some do 5%. I blow of the rocks once or twice a month.

4. heres How i feed the corals twice a week. I turn off the sump pump. Leave the recircs run and dose AA's iron iodide and zooplankton. I let this run like this for about an half hour. I do this an hour after the lights go out.
i dont turn off the pumps to feed the fish.

 

[Canarygirl]

BTW, what is the feeling on using NSW in the Zeo world?

no problem, as long as it comes from an uncontaminated area.

 

[Husky_1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12261029#post12261029 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Zedar
I do this an hour after the lights go out.

Thanks Zedar, just thinking if there is no need for a light in your sump, then why not try to go cryptic. I think it may be hard for me, since my stand is open in the corners (Corner tank).


As for your feeding, sounds similar to blue coral method for feeding the corals, have you thought about dosing the AA's a little bit before you feed?

On second thought, based on what everyone is saying about PE, this may not be necessary.

What is the general feeling of using a Papone/Blue coral feeding (minus steroids) and Zeo or similar method?

 

[Zedar]

I was feeding the zooplankton during the day but a few of my acros dont show much PE till after the lights go out. I wanted them to get fed too.
For the rest of the acros the AA's made a big difference in PE with or without lights.

Papone would work fine. I was thinking of using it when i ran out of zooplankton. Mostly for money reasons.

 

[glassbox-design]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12261674#post12261674 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Husky_1
What is the general feeling of using a Papone/Blue coral feeding (minus steroids) and Zeo or similar method?

It is fine, just leave out the sugar.

 

[Zedar]

Correct...On the papone thread, people had problems with zeo and papone with sugar in it. They were fine without.

 

[Husky_1]

Yeah, I should have mentioned leaving out the sugar as well. When you say problems, do you remember the problems that they had? Blooms from to much C? Or other issues?

 

[Husky_1]

Ok,
Sorry for the quesiton but I have few more:

1. So the one thing I see in a Zeo system that is not accounted for is the Zeofood, any suggestion?
2. What are the suggested levels of FE and Iodine?
3. Zedar, any reason on going with the Iherb KCl over the warner marine, seems like for $4 more its worth using something that is balanced.
4. For Iron, I was thinking of using the Two little fishes, any comments?

 

[tcollins]

Interesting thread and am sorry if I missed it in the last 14 pages, but in the recap on page 13 (?), it's stated that you wouldn't want to run GFO. I didn't see this mentioned earlier, can someone explain why not? Thanks!

 

[sailfintang]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12267215#post12267215 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tcollins
Interesting thread and am sorry if I missed it in the last 14 pages, but in the recap on page 13 (?), it's stated that you wouldn't want to run GFO. I didn't see this mentioned earlier, can someone explain why not? Thanks!

I believe you do not need the GFO becasue the v/s/v mix will lower and eventually eliminate the PO4 in your tank so instead of wasting your money on the GFO you can just use the cheaper alternative that glass bx designed substituting the pribidio with seachem Stability.

akthoug hif you have really high po4 I think runnign a GFO form the initial start of the v/s/v could not hurt but i am not sure on that. I know that when I started the v/s/v dosign I removed my po4 media and liverock from the sump and anything else that could be removed and eliminate nutrients form the entire system. So currently I am only using v/s/v and carbon source plus supplements when levels are not adequete.