Interesting Observations

[AZNEPYDNA]

Our reef club held a meeting yesterday and I volunteered to test water samples for PO4 with my Hanna meter. My Zeovit tank tested at .09mg/l. The three other non-zeotank samples that I tested were .05, .03, .02. The three samples were taken from tanks utilizing heavy skimming, ironbased PO4 removers in a fluidized bed reactor, and a refugium with lots of macroalgea. The hosts tank is awesome and has a huge fishload (30+ fish in a 210 gallon). Coral colors were not as good as mine but he had no algea problems like I am experiencing now. He does one waterchange per month and feeds heavily.
I am seriously considering giving up Zeo. The daily dosing, weekly waterchanges, biofilm on rocks, three times daily pumping of reactor, and cost. I am spending more time maintaining my tank and not enough time enjoying it. I have enough zeo products to last about 4 months. If I do not see a positive difference in my tank 4 months from now I am going back to PO4 removers and a refugium.

Andy

[Aged Salt]

Hi Andy, I've kept SPS now for over 15 yrs. & I've tried all reef-keeping methods during that time. I have found the ZEOvit method to be the easiest way to control nutrients & yet yield beautiful colors, growth & longevity that I have never had before. I have run this method for 21 mos. now, & have no algae whatsoever in my system. I spent much more each month with other methods that needed RP, Polyfilters, Purigen, carbon & actually higher % WC's than my cost in using ZEOvit, with inferior results.

Andy, obviously, you're frustrated but lowering your nutrients will come if you stay the course. As you mentioned your colors are above average & that's with higher nutrients than you will maintain down the road--then watch your colors become brilliant. I'd suggest you recheck your product water for TDS, P04's & Si's & be sure your zeolite filter is properly dosed with the correct amount of zeolites & flow rate. Bob

[wasp]

Another thing, you got the low Po4 readings on the other tanks, if using Rowaphos in a fluidised reactor it is possible to take Po4 as low as you like, even below what corals will require to survive. With zeovit you get a more controlled reduction, plus the benefit of all the other components of the system, which is likely why you have good colors, despite a highish Po4 reading.

[mesocosm]

Greetings All !

... three times daily pumping of reactor ...

Presuming that media quantity and flowrate are correct, one of the things you may wish to consider is only pumping the reactor once ... at most twice ... per day (as per the zeoguide). As has been noted here and in other cyber-spaces, the biofilm is at the core of the ZEOvit methodology. Historical cyber-discussions emphasizing the role of the ZEOvit media have been unfortunate. In terms of generating an oligotrophic environment, it's not about the "magic rocks" ... it's about the biofilm.

... Coral colors were not as good as mine but he had no algea problems like I am experiencing now.

Is the algae issue a cyclical thing with the system? I ask because I found this ... "I used to have a hair algea problem before Zeo but that is all gone (ZeoThread Link from 10-20-2005)." My thinking is that if it is cyclical, then there may be a "long term" issue with RO/DI units, TDS, etc ... as Bob has already mentioned.

I think your focus on what's going on with the PO4 is probably quite astute. But there has been "progress" in its reduction, yes? Down from .27 in late November 05, to .09 in mid-January 06 seems like good progress. Which takes me back to the "cyclic" thing ... hunting for "external" PO4 sources is truly maddening, isn't it? ...

...

Another potential issue is "excess nutrient reservoir" within the ecosystem itself. Back in Spetember 05 you were battling the noxious cyanobacteria, yes? (ZeoThread from 9-08-2005). Incredibly irritating though it is, it's been my experience that slowly consuming pre-existing nutrient reservoirs can be a very long-term effort. Maddening, isn't it? ...

...

I am seriously considering giving up Zeo. The daily dosing, weekly waterchanges, biofilm on rocks, three times daily pumping of reactor, and cost. I am spending more time maintaining my tank and not enough time enjoying it. I have enough zeo products to last about 4 months. If I do not see a positive difference in my tank 4 months from now I am going back to PO4 removers and a refugium.

The day my reefkeeping loses its magic, it's time for me take another methodology/philosophical tack, or to pursue what Linus Pauling once described as the only real science other than physics: Stamp Collecting.

And yet, you already possess the three things that are essential ... IMO .. to successfully keeping captive SPS ecosystems: (1) An open and inquisitive mind; (2) Patience; and (3) Persistence. Armed with these three characteristics ... you WILL be successful, regardless of your methodology choices.

You've got 4 more months to apply the ZEOvit system without it costing you another dime. I get the sense that you're close to breaking through to a stable oligotrophic state. After all, you've already "beaten" both cyano and microalgae at least once, yes? ... and you've gotten coloration improvements as well. JMO.

PLEASE continue to post regarding these issues and your progress (both good AND bad) ... much as I love the zeosystem photo-documentation eye candy, it's the analysis of what's happening when things don't go as planned that I find to be especially useful ... just like with any reefkeeping methodology or philosophy.

Then again ... these damn Anthozoans took control of my mind long ago ...

... ...




JMO ... HTH

[Orion76]

I would say there may be other issues in your tank that need to be addressed before Zeovit can give you the benefits you are looking for. A PO4 reading of 0.09 is higher than a properly setup and maintained SPS system should have even before any Zeo or iron based PO4 removers are used. Without Zeo your PO4 level may have been greater than 0.15

Zeo is not a magic potion to turn any system into a glorious colorful phosphate and nitrate free coral garden. It needs a solid foundation of good husbandry. This includes ensuring no detritus is getting trapped in between liverocks and making sure your DSB (if any) hasn't become soiled and is leaching PO4 into your system.

These phosphates are coming from somewhere and if you want to lower them you should determine the source and deal with it, regardless of what reefkeeping method you decide to use.

[trythechi]

Andy - I run a Tunze plancton friendly skimmer followed by chateomorpha over a Mineral Mud and aragonite MSB in the sump, followed by Rowaphos, and add prodibio bacteria and food - and NO3 (salifert) +PO4 (Deltec Merrick) are both zero. Its a hassel free minimal fiddling set up and sps are growing well. Infact since the prodibio has been dosed, colouration has improved massively.

The general husbandry is 1.6% water change twise a week to syphon of detritus from the BB, 24/7 carbon, and occassionally (quaterly) change the rowa. I'm intreagued by the zeo method, but alternatives methods work well too.

Alk and CA are fine although MG seems to drift down - (must add KS Mg granules at the next reactor refresh).

I'v just started CV,AAHC, PIF to see what difference this makes. (Did your club memebers use CV AAHC and PIF?)

Check out Iwans tank in the lighting section here - v impressive - he is a partial Zeo user same zeo additives as above, no refugium, just DSB and LR.

Just my experience to save yourself a guilt trip .... hehe... anyway hope the next few months turn it arround for you.

Simon