Hi and suggestions please.

[Steve Parkes]

Hi all,

I just found this forum. I thought things had gone quiet on RC!

So, 'Hi my name's Steve, I live in the UK and I'm a Zeohead'. Oh it feels better to have come out already!

Any way, I'd appreciate your comments on my dosage regime because I have lingerering nutrients (painfull - I know!). I started Zeovit a few months ago - same time as Bob, I think. My main tank is 66" x 30" x 30". The rest of my 300g (UK gallons) total is a sump.

I'll start with the standard 20 Questions...

1. Gross water volume of your complete system (incl. sump etc.) Err..not sure?????
2. Net water volume (incl. sump etc.) 1200 litres
3. Are you using a CaCO2 reactor. Yes Korallin 3001
4. Are you using a PO4 reactor. No
5. Are you using Ozone. No
6. Are you using UV. No
7. What skimmer are you using. Deltec 703
8. What are your actual PO4 and NO3 levels PO4 = 1ppm. NO3 = 25ppm
9. What are your actual Ca, Alk and Mg levels 450, 7.4, 1350.
10. What filtration method do you use (refugium, DSB, Miracle Mud, etc.) Just live rock
11. Type of light. 3x400w 10k/20k
12. What corals do you keep. Mainly Acro
13. Tissue color (light or dark) Not dark but could be lighter!
14. How long has the tank been running. 4-5 years
15. Why do you want to use the ZEOvit system. see Q8
16. Any supplemental dosing. No
17. Live rock. 200 lbs 4-5 years old
18. Any present problems See Q8.
19. Problem description (tissue loss tips, tissue loss base, diatom bloom, algae, etc.)
20. What test kit do you use. Salifert kits (all newish)
21. Present dosing, amounts and intervals (ZEOvit, ZEObak, ZEOfood, ZEOstart, ZEOspur2, etc.)
3 litres Zeovit. Home made reactor with Eheim 1250. 5ml Start daily. 12 drops bac and food for 14 days after change then same dose twice per week afterwards. Carbon changed every 4 weeks. 5% water change weekly.
22. Other water parameters and water stability (salinity, temp, etc.). 34 ppt salinity, temp 27 C. No nuisance algae. pH 7.8 - 8.0.

So, as you can see 1ppm PO4 and 25ppm NO3 that don't want to go away. I'm guessing that it's locked up in the rocks but do you think that I can alter my dosing to help reduce them?


Steve

Worcester
UK

[Aged Salt]

Hi Steve, it does feel good coming out of the closet on our forum You're among friends here. With your nutrient level, I'd be sure to decrease fish-feedings, be sure your water source is low in TDS, & increase your WC's to 10%/wk for a time. Continue to dose 3ltrs. zeolite at a water flow through of 1200l/h. Be sure to cycle your zeo-filter & clean the stones 2x's/day. Exchange them every 6wks, but consider changing them whenever the corals start backwards in color, ie. 4-5wks. time frame until your nutrients are lowered. Since your corals basically are doing well, & would not at this time alter your bak/food7 dosage. I would try Start at 1ml 3x's/day if time allows, as multi-dosing Start prevents bacterial morphology changes, therefore more effect. Be sure to turn off your skimmer for 60min after dosing bak/food7. This is not necessary after dosing Start. Keep us posted, & if your corals demonstrate any visual cues of zeo-excess, then repost. Bob

[Steve Parkes]

Thanks Bob,

Just a couple of comments on your recommendations.

1. Decrease feeding. Sure this one's easy.
2. Increase water changes. Again - no problem.
3. Cycling reactor is a problem. My design means that the reactor empties when the pump is off. I'll have to give that some thought.
4. Your Start recommendation is 1ml x 3 per day. Does that mean my 1 x 5ml per day was way overdosing?
5. Also haven't been switching off the skimmer but with a Deltec that's no problem either.

Thanks again

Steve

[Aged Salt]

Hi Steve, #3 should work with a small check valve to keep the stones submergerd when in "off" mode. #4 if Start is overdosed you'll notice coral tip tissue lightening excessively or tissue recession, diatomaceous build-up on the panes or slime on the LR. No, the multi-dosing of Start just shifts the bacterial driven system into overdrive With the skimmer off after dosing bak/food7, less quantities of same will be necessary to seed & feed the system. Bob

[Steve Parkes]

Okay Bob,

All understood.

I've just spent the last hour fitting a check valve to the reactor. I found that it restricted the output so have also uprated the pump to keep the flow at the required level. I've also added a timer so that the whole system is on for 3 hours and then off for three etc.

Fingers crossed that it makes the difference.

Steve