Newbie Questions.

[RichB]

Just about to start with Zeovit and have a few simple questions I need answers to before I get going.

1. Kalk for Ca addition and not a reactor. Is this OK? Use this in all my top up water and keeps CA, MG and KH with-in Zeo limits so is it OK to still use this?

2. Rowa use. Is it needed or is it at least still ok to run with it? Keeps my Phos reading very low so do I continue to use and then phase out as the Zeo does it's stuff.

3. Micro Algea in sump. Do I need to get rid of this as Zeo will kill it anyway?

Thanks in Advance.

Rich B.

[G.Alexander]

Rich, the problem with the addition of Kalkwasser are the changes in the parameters (PH, KH & Ca) when you add it to the tank. A nutrient poor environment needs some rules which ware important to get impressive results. One of the is the stability in the parameters which IMO is one of the important ones. Personally I do not like the Kalkwasser, because it binds nutrients, especially PO4 which will be hosted in the sand & the rocks (PO4 pool). Under not unusual conditions they are leached back in the water column.

It is not recommended to use a PO4 absorber beside the system. This will only bring instability and sooner or later zeo will make your tank very nutrient poor so the addition of PO4 absorbers is waste of money. I also got some reports from people they used PO4 absorber beside the system. They got problems with their SPS. So I would recommend to left it out if you decide to use the zeo system.

Once your water gets nutrient poor, the algae will die. They work fine in reducing nutrients so I would pull them out until you notice they do not look healthy or they will leach the nutrients they have absorbed before back to the tank which would not be good. If you decide to keep them until this point, make sure you observe them daily to check their condition.

Before you start with the system, please answer the questions from this sticky. It would be helpful for other members in giving you recommendations:

http://www.zeovit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14

Good luck, G.Alexander

[RichB]

Tank Spec

OK here is the Tank Spec

[RichB]

Tank Spec

OK here it is this time....

1. Gross water volume of your complete system (incl. sump etc.) 120 Imp G
2. Net water volume (incl. sump etc.) 100 Imp G
3. Are you using a CaCO2 reactor or other technique. Kalk but will get Ca Reactor Soon
4. Are you using a PO4 reactor (how long, how long ago, etc.)Yes with Rowa for 12 Months
5. Are you using Ozone. No
6. Are you using UV. No
7. What skimmer are you using (type, rated water volume). APF600
8. What are your actual PO4 and NO3 levels. PO4 will test Tommorow. NO3 10ppm
9. What are your actual Ca, Alk and Mg levels. 410, 7,1230
10. What filtration method do you use (refugium, DSB, Miracle Mud, etc.). DSB and a algea refugium which I will remove.
11. Type of light (Watt, color temp, how old, etc.) 2x 250W XM 10K and a 150W 50K.
12. What corals do you keep. SPS and LPS.
13. Tissue color (light or dark). Dark
14. How long has the tank been running. 2 Years.
15. Why do you want to use the ZEOvit system. Color of corals.
16. Any supplemental dosing (type, amount, why, etc.)None apart from Kalk
17. Live rock (how much, how old, etc.).70-80 KG all 2 years old+
18. Any present problems. Just color of corals.
19. Problem description (tissue loss tips, tissue loss base, diatom bloom, algae, etc.). None, Tank very stable might have high stock level.
20. What test kit do you use (how old, recently switched, etc.). Salfiet.
21. Present dosing, amounts and intervals (ZEOvit, ZEObak, ZEOfood, ZEOstart, ZEOspur2, etc.)Start Friday...
22. Other water parameters and water stability (salinity, temp, etc.) 1.024 and 78F ish. Very stable.

Hope this helps. As I say will get Reactor going in next few weeks. Never have any problems using Kalk for top up and drip very slow to keep stable reading, including PH over night.

Rich B.

[Aged Salt]

Hi Rich, glad to have you aboard For your 2 y/o system I recommend the following:
1)1 ltr. carbon in a mesh-bag placed in your sump passively. Knead the bag 3x's/wk & change the carbon monthly.
2)dose 1 ltr. zeolites with a flow rate of 400l/h. Cycle the zeo-filter on & off at 3 hr. intervals. Pump-clean the stones once or twice a day. Exchange these in 1 mo. on the first cycle-period, thereafter, every 6 wks.
3)dose 3 drops Bak & 3 drops Food daily for 2 wks. then 2x's/wk. Dose these in front of the zeo-filter pump intake. Turn off your skimmer for 60min after each time Bak/Food is dosed.
4)dose .25ml Start2 2x's/day daily throughout the cycle-period. It is not necessary to turn off your skimmer when just dosing Start.

For now, it is not necessary to dose any zeo-supplements. Be sure to read the ZEOvit guide a few times so that you understand it thoroughly. Be sure to do 5-10% WC's weekly for trace element supplement.. When you're ready for the next[4wks] zeolite exchange, plz. repost the pertainent tank info for new zeo-dosages. Any questions? Bob

[RichB]

Why Passive Carbon

Bob,

Why Run carbon in a bag, Forgot to say I already run this in my PO4 Reactor at the top. Have done for a long time.

I was just going to remove the PO4 Rowa and run just Carbon.

Is it not better to fluradise carbon the run just in a bag?

All else makes sense I think.

Can you dose all the stuff at the same time or is it best to give it an hour between.

Also that was 0.25 ml of Start2 right.

Thanks for help

Rich.

[Aged Salt]

Hi Rich, carbon's small effect here with ZEOvit day after day is best served in a passive manner. That said, it can be used in your filter but it's rapid effect in this manner may cause some problems as it is too effective in removing elements that we are dosing with the method. There is no reason to lag the zeo-dosages. They can be dosed one right after the other in no particular order. Do not pre-mix them together however. Keep Bak refridgerated but the others should be at room temperature. Yes, from our experience with the new Start2, your dose is fine. Bob

[Funkyskunk]

Running Carbon through a canister filter may over strip the water with the zeo method, you could possible use smaller amounts of carbon in the reactor and a reduced flow, however I think it is playing a little Russian roulette and may be hard to judge the correct amounts of Carbon and flow.
The use of Carbon in a canister together with ZEO will make the water exceptionally clear and can also lead to coral burning.

Anyway this is just how I understand it I am sure the experts will correct me if I am wrong.

[Funkyskunk]

Oh i see Bob got to it, sorry.

[Aged Salt]

Hi Christiaan, you are totally correct Bob

[RichB]

Thanks Guys

Thanks guys.

Kit comes tommorow so have spent today getting the dkh up to 8 as a good start point.

Will post when anything happens.

Rich B.

[RichB]

Me again

Forgot to add that I got new set of test kits today and have the following results:

PO4 No reading, first time I have used this test so might be me but have run Rowa for a long time and always RO water for top up.

NO3 10ppm. This has gone up in the last week after putting in new shallow sand bed and I think is the problenm for poor coral color.

DKH is 6.7 and going up as we speak due to buffer addition. This might be reason for slow growth.

CA is 430 with new test kit

MG is 1350 with new test kit. Both this and CA look ok and hope will stay that way with KALK addition for now. CA reactor will follow next pay day.

Rich B.

[Aged Salt]

Rich, I believe you will do well with ZEOvit. Keep us posted, thnx. Bob