Under dose?

[reefplayer]

Hi all,
How do you tell when you are underdose? I have heard alot about over dose like stop start2, bak, food for several days because of algae, cyano, etc. But never heard anything about underdose.

What are the symtoms if i underdose?

[Orion76]

What are the symtoms if i underdose?

High phosphates and brown corals

[Aged Salt]

Hi Stanley, good question, as this underdosing of the zeo's will manisfest itself with a increase in your nutrients, easily demonstrated best with a Hanna colorimeter. As Timon mentioned, rising P04's will causing browning of our corals, but in zeo-excess, browning will be the end-result. Bob

[adobo]

If a tank was not prone to an increase in nutrients without the use of zeovit (mature tank with minimal feedings), and the same tank were then moved to the zeovit system, would underdosing cause a rise in nutrients?

I can see where if a system is in balance through the proper use of zeovit, then underdosing would make zeovit would tilt the balance towards higher nutrients. But if the system is in balance before zeovit is applied, why would under dosing contribute to the rise of nutrients?

[Aged Salt]

Hi Adobo, a non-ZEOvit tank, stable on WC's/skimmer only, will benefit from adding the ZEOvit method, as nutrients will become even more poor, resulting in more intense coral colors as the zooxanthellae density is further diminished, exposing the coral tissue. Once on ZEOvit, underdosing could only occur if the tank's bioload is increased, one increased feedings, one decreased their zeo-dosing, stretched the zeolite change-out period, decreased the % of WC's, or animal die-off occurred. Bob

[Orion76]

But if the system is in balance before zeovit is applied, why would under dosing contribute to the rise of nutrients?

Nobody said that it would.

The reason we use Zeovit is because we believe it lowers nutrients more effectively than possible with other methods. That's why we believe that in most tanks nutrients will be higher if Zeo is underdosed or not used at all.

To put it simply, a good way to tell if Zeo is being underdosed is if you do not notice an effect on nutrient reduction.

[reefplayer]

Can i say zeovit is just another denitrator?

Well, i have zero NO3 and PO4, using salifert test kit not with any Hanna meter.
But somehow i thought i underdose my zeo as i can see some browning on my sandbed. Bob would say is overdose, but i couldnt see any rise in nutrient level, no die off, no algae bloom and all corals are happy, just that i saw increase in sandbed browning or you called it cyano. So i reduce dosage, then NO3 increase slightly, but sandbed remains abit brown. increase dosing, no NO3 or PO4, sandbed still the same.

Flow, to have more flow across the sandbed is good idea, but will create a sandstorm. But i didnt have such problem before when i use Rowa, the sandbed is clean and white.

Pls advise.

[Orion76]

Can i say zeovit is just another denitrator?

You can say it but it wouldn't be true

[Orion76]

Your brown slime sounds like excess bacteria which would be a result of overdosing and may take a week or 3 to clear up.

Or your RODI filters may be exhausted and the brown stuff may be diatoms caused by the silicates in your source water.

[reefplayer]

Your brown slime sounds like excess bacteria which would be a result of overdosing and may take a week or 3 to clear up.

Or your RODI filters may be exhausted and the brown stuff may be diatoms caused by the silicates in your source water.

Brown slime with little bits of air bubbles on them. I am using RO/DI with in line TDS meter that reads 0 at the output. Overdose i may suspect but then, if i stop for 2 days without dosing, my NO3 will go up to 0.2 from 0.

[Orion76]

Hi, what is your tank volume and dosing regimen at the moment?

[reefplayer]

about 1500litres after deducting LR.

3rd change of zeolite running for 2mths+

dosing
start2 - 3ml every other day
bak - 5 drops every othe day
food - 5 drops every other day
amino acid - 20 drops/2days
potassium - 10 drops/2days

Thks
Stanley

[Orion76]

I'll leave the dose recommendations to Bob the dosage guru but they seem low for a tank your size, I dose a lot more.

If you are having trouble with brown slime I would hold the iodine.

[Aged Salt]

Hi Stanley, your concern regarding under/overdosing is natural, & w/o a Hanna colorimeter, takes a good visual sense of the effects of the zeo-components. It does take experience/time to correlate dosing & visual result of our dosing. I use my yellow A.,selego to detemine my dosing. If it begins turning slightly green then I back-off zeo-dosing for 2 days, then reduce my dosing quantities by 50%. Remember, our nutrients are always changing, as do our corals, therefore, the dosages will need to be titrated to these. Your description of the sandbed accumulate sounds like specific zeo-component overshoot, ie. Start1 or 2 or AAHC with or without PIF. I would recommend the following course of action for the next two wks:
1) continue your present dose of bak
2) dose 50% of your normal food7 quantity
3) dose 50% of your normal Start quantity
4) stop dosing any zeo-supplements
5) increase your WC's by 5%/wk for the next two wks
6) decrease the fish-feedings slightly over the next two wks.

Stanley, I would suggest if you're using Start1, that you order Start2, as it's more effective in reducing nutrients & at the same time it gives us more safety in a excess situation. Bob

[reefplayer]

Hi Stanley, your concern regarding under/overdosing is natural, & w/o a Hanna colorimeter, takes a good visual sense of the effects of the zeo-components. It does take experience/time to correlate dosing & visual result of our dosing. I use my yellow A.,selego to detemine my dosing. If it begins turning slightly green then I back-off zeo-dosing for 2 days, then reduce my dosing quantities by 50%. Remember, our nutrients are always changing, as do our corals, therefore, the dosages will need to be titrated to these. Your description of the sandbed accumulate sounds like specific zeo-component overshoot, ie. Start1 or 2 or AAHC with or without PIF. I would recommend the following course of action for the next two wks:
1) continue your present dose of bak
2) dose 50% of your normal food7 quantity
3) dose 50% of your normal Start quantity
4) stop dosing any zeo-supplements
5) increase your WC's by 5%/wk for the next two wks
6) decrease the fish-feedings slightly over the next two wks.

Stanley, I would suggest if you're using Start1, that you order Start2, as it's more effective in reducing nutrients & at the same time it gives us more safety in a excess situation. Bob

Wow Bob, good to have a coral that can give you some indication on water quality. I am currently using start2. 50% of food7 meaning now i am 5 drops reduce to 3 drops? and start2 at 1.5ml every other day.

Stanley