I think I am ready for a dosing reccomendation

[Ruth]

First I need to ask a question. I am still waiting for my zeo reactor but I am sure it will be here soon. It has been suggested that I can use the zeolits passively in my sump until the reactor arrives. If that is the case then I need a dosing schedule. Here are my tank parameters:
1. Gross water volume of your complete system (incl. sump etc.) 280g
2. Net water volume (incl. sump etc.) 200g (approx)
3. Are you using a CaCO2 reactor or other technique - GroTech Calcium reactor
4. Are you using a PO4 reactor (how long, how long ago, etc.) No
5. Are you using Ozone - No
6. Are you using UV - No
7. What skimmer are you using (type, rated water volume) BK 400 ext.
8. What are your actual PO4 and NO3 levels - 10 (NO3) 0.03 (PO4) - Salifert tests until my Hanna arrives
9. What are your actual Ca, Alk and Mg levels Calcium 400, Alk., 3.2 meg/l Mg. 1140
10. What filtration method do you use (refugium, DSB, Miracle Mud, etc.) Refugium with chaeto and live rock rubble
11. Type of light (Watt, color temp, how old, etc.) 6 X T5 and 3 400W 13K Geisemann bulbs - New
12. What corals do you keep - None yet but want SPS
13. Tissue color (light or dark) N/A
14. How long has the tank been running 6 weeks
15. Why do you want to use the ZEOvit system - colour, growth and health of corals
16. Any supplemental dosing (type, amount, why, etc.) No
17. Live rock (how much, how old, etc.) 300lbs curing 6 weeks in tank
18. Any present problems No
19. Problem description (tissue loss tips, tissue loss base, diatom bloom, algae, etc.)
20. What test kit do you use (how old, recently switched, etc.) Salifert, Hanna PH monitor, Hanna PO4 monitor
21. Present dosing, amounts and intervals (ZEOvit, ZEObak, ZEOfood, ZEOstart, ZEOspur2, etc.) Here we go
22. Other water parameters and water stability (salinity, temp, etc.) Temp. 80 salinity SG 1.026

[Aged Salt]

Hi Ruth, finally have your tank up & running. Ruth ,it's great to have you abroad , place the zeolites in a filter sock in a rapid flow area of yur sump or in a tank overflow. Slightly increase your bubble count on your Ca Reactor to increase Ca, Mg, & KH, a notch. You may need to add Mg granules to top up your reactor after rising the Mg ~1250 with an Mg additive for Mg maintenance. My recommendations:

1)dose 3/4 ltr. carbon in a fiter sock, passively in a low flow area of your sump, kneaded 3x's/wk & exchanged monthly.
2)dose 2 ltr. zeolites Knead the stones thoroughly 2x's/day. Exchange these every 6wks.
3)dose 8 drops Bak & Food daily for the 1st 2wks. then 6 drops each 2x's/wk. Turn off your skimmer for 60min after dosing these in front of the zeolite-sock.
4)dose 1ml Start2 2x's/day. It is not necessary to turn off the skimmer when just dosing Start2.
5)for now w/o corals, it is not necessary to dose AAHC/C-V. These are the first to be used with beginning ZEOvit, & dose AAHC at 3-5 drops daily & C-V at 8-12 drops daily when you introduce corals to your system, Bob

[Ruth]

Thanks Bob. Is AAHC Amino Acid Conzentrate? Does it matter if you dose the Bak Start and food at the same time?

[Aged Salt]

Ruth, yes, it's AA High Concentrate. The zeo's can be dosed one after the other, in no particular order. Bob

[Spur2]

Bob dosing the Bak, food and start into the main tank or into the reactor? I have been dosing into the main tank. I hope i am on the right path.

[gqjeff]

Reefrookie, You are fine with the start in the main tank but if you can dose bac and food in front of the reactor that would be best.. I always dose right into the reactor running...

[Ruth]

Well I have added a few frags over the past week and all seems to be doing well. I also started dosing AAHC and CV in accordance with Bob's recommendations. The only thing is I have noticed a brown film starting to form on some of my live rock and my glass (well acrylic). Am I doing something wrong? Or should I be adjusting my dosage?

[Aged Salt]

Hi Ruth, have you just completed the daily dosing of Bak & Food for 2wks? What dosage are you using for AAHC? Thnx. Bob

[Ruth]

Thanks Bob. Yes I just finished the daily dosing and have gone to the 2Xweek. I have been dosing AAHC at 5 drops/day and CV at 10 drops/day.

[Aged Salt]

Hi Ruth, the doses should be fine, although I'd reduce AAHC to 2 drops daily until your zeo-reactor is up & running with a flow rate of 200gph, pumping the stone surfaces 1-2x's/day about 10 reps each time. This will enable all zeo-components to be utilized more fully, resulting in less dosing side-effects while improving the general look of your reef.Bob

[Skipper J]

Hello Ruth,
Glad to hear your are making progress on your tank and taking up the zeovit route.How are you? I don't have much time going online lately so now I'm trying to catch up. My tank is still in the state of drought(no water) as some other details on the plumbing and other equipment. I hope before Christmas I'll have this up and running. I'll be monitoring your progress as I want to used zeovit as well. God Bless !!

Joey

[Ruth]

Hey Skipper J good to hear from you! So far so good. I have cut back the dosing of the AAHC and the brown film is clearing up. Going good and I am glad to have this baby up and running. I have added my first fish (2) although I'm not sure if they are going to be OK or not. One is a Blonde Naso Tang that is not really eating yet and the other is a Moorish Idol that the fish store that I shop at in Vancouver got in by accident and I am trying to see if I can give it a chance (with some encouragement from them). Hope to see that you have your tank up and running soon - with no leaks, drips or other set backs. God bless you and your family.

[Ruth]

Still waiting for a pump to run my reactor so I still have the zeolites in a bag that I massage once a day. The brown film on the glass (well acrylic) seems to have stopped but my corals are still pretty brown. I have gone to just 2 drops a day of AAHC but have kept the CV at about 10-12 drops. Should my coral start to color up soon or should I be adding any other suppliments. I have also been adding stylo-pocci glow for the 2 stylos that I have in there and they seem to like it. In hind site I probably should have asked if it was OK to start adding this buy they are the 2 corals in my tank that seem to have some color although unlike the others theirs is on the light side. I have been doing 10-15% weekly water changes and will be changing out my carbon and zeolites tomorrow. Should I retain some of the zoe stones when I change?

[Aged Salt]

Hi Ruth, if you have the time, plz. review Jason's[reeftec] thread "what's next" as there are several points germaine to your discussion. Bob

[Ruth]

OK OK - Bob I just know that I have to have lots of patience somewhere cause I have never used any of it up! For switching out the zeo stones should I keep some of the old ones to seed the new ones with bacteria? After reading Reeftec's thread I guess my only question is should I be adding PIF? And should I stop using the styllo-pocci glow?
I am also going to be going away at Christmas for 2 weeks - don't know if there are any hockey fans out there but I have tickets for the World Junior Hockey tourney!!!!! Will I be OK to stop zeo for the 2 weeks? I really don't trust my son to get it right for dosing and I think he is going to be fairly challenged with feeding and top off (not always the sharpest knife in the drawer but he's still only 19 and doesn't always use the right head for thinking)