Mentor Required

[Signaturecorals]

Hello all,

We currently run a heavily stocked SPS (Acropora) dominant system, I have posted the system specifications below.

We are looking to transition from a miss match of methodology onto the Zeo system, our main driver for the switch is 1) coral couloirs are not where we want them to be, some acro’ s have browned out 2) High Nitrates. 3) We want to feel mor in control

Would be very greatful if someone could mentor/coach us through the transition, starting with the following questions.....

1) How to choose the right/best reactor? We don’t need it to be auto

2) Where should the reactor be placed I.e. before or after skimmer?

3) Should we remove the Cheato algae bed?

4) We understand the need to up feeding, how did you balance nutrient reduction vs increase in food, how much is too much?

5) What should the flow be through the reactor?

What other questions/considerations? The old saying, we don’t know what we don’t know.

Thanks in advance.

[Signaturecorals]

Some tank stats....

Tank: A4L 8 x 2.5 x 2.5 Display
Sump: 6 x 1.5 x 1.5
Total volume circa 1285l after calculated displacement

Lighting:
4 x 400W 20,000k Metal Halides
5 x Orphek Blue/UV light bars


Skimmer:
Red Sea Reefer RSK900
Air feed through ATI Co2 scrubber

Circulation:
6 x RW-20’s
2 x Vectra L1’s

Manifold pump: Jacod DC10000

Manifold components:
Reactor 1 - Red Sea Carbon
Reactor 2 - Rowaphos (Will reduce/remove once transition complete)
Reactor 3 - Seachem nitrate media/stones (Will remove and replace with Zeolite)
Chiller: D - D 2200w

Element Management

Fauna Marin Ca, Mg, Kh
Triton elements (various) dosed based on ICP tests monthly ( split over daily doses)
Triton Infusion @ 3ml/day

GHL Control.

Profilux 4
KH Director

[Signaturecorals]

Current Parameters

No3 - 21ppm
Po4 - 0.02 ppm
KH - 7.5
PH- 8.3 - 8.4
Ca - 435
Mg - 1360

Current challenges

- Mild Cyano bacteria that has been there untouched for 6 month +

- Coral browning, mainly purples and dark greens

[G.Alexander]

Welcome to ZeoVit.com !

Before answering your additional questions I post you the dosing recommendation for the transfer. The quantities are calculated for a net water volume of 1200 liters:

1. Place 3 liter zeovit in a Zeo Reactor. Water flow around 1200 liters per hour. Connect the reactor pump to a clock timer and run the reactor pump with a 3 hour on / 3 hour off / 3 hour on interval. Please make sure the zeolite is not exposed to air while the pump is switched off. Clean the material daily. Leave the zeolite 4 weeks in the filter until you do the first change out. This is the first changing interval, others could be lengthen to 6 – 8 weeks.

2. Place 1 liter activated carbon in a filter sock and keep it in a passive water flow in your sump, changed every 30 days. Knead the carbon daily to keep the surface clean. Most users get perfect results with korallenzucht carbon. Later on you can use the carbon in your reactor if you like to but in this case reduce the quantity to 50%.

3. Dose 12 drops ZeoBac daily for the first 2 weeks, flowed by a 2 – 3 x weekly dosage of 12 drops. Dose 1.2 ml ZeoStart 2 x daily (morning & evening). Dose those in front of the Zeo reactor pump while it is switched on.

Later on you could use the additional products for coral coloration. Adjust your skimmer to skim wet, keeping it clean to export as much as possible. Do a weekly water change of 5 – 10 % with a good salt.

When you start with ZeoVit stop dosing the additional elements you already use except your Ca / Mg and KH supplement.

With the system it is not recommended to use a PO4 absorber. I would recommend to remove 1/3 of the absorber if you start with zeovit, than reduce the rest over the next 6 – 8 weeks step by step to zero. If this is done keep a eye on the PO4 level which should not increase. If you remove all the absorber at once you will experience a increase of PO4 as the system needs some time before it does process nutrients effective.

Try to keep the basic water parameters as solid as possible close the NSW in the following ranges:

KH 6.5 – 7.5
Ca 400 – 420 mg
Mg 1250 – 1300 mg
K+ ~ 380 mg

For a nutrient poor environment K+ (potassium) seems to be a important element. I would recommend you to get a test kit for this element also, posting your results.

This is a start-up dosage which might have to be adjusted later.

I try to answer your additional questions as follows:

1. Several good reactors are available on the market but I con not give you a direct recommendation as I have personally just used the reactors from korallenzucht. Most important is that the reactor has two tubes, a outer and a inner tube which will make it much more easy to clean the material as it does not get blocked. Many automatic reactors have the problem that they do not move (clean) the material effective enough, you might take a look at the reactor forum for some more information.

2. The reactor should be placed behind the skimmer. The material which is released from the reactor while cleaning is a excellent food source so if you place it before the reactor most of it will be skimmed out before reaching the corals.

3. In the fist step I would keep the cheato algae until they do not die off. This will provide additional stability to the system while the transfer.

4. Corals are doing well even if nutrients are not detectable if everything else is ideal. With the ZeoVit system several coral foods are dosed with the products and basically dosing is done by the look of the corals. If to much is added corals usually respond with darker tissue so you need to find out the ideal dosing quantities for your system by fine tuning the dosage of the coloration elements which is individual by each system.

5. Reactor flow is 400 liters per hour for each 1 liter ZeoVit material.

G.Alexander