How to convert to Zeovit after failing with different carbon dosing protocol?

[muffin]

I have a 190 litres display tank with a 70 litres sump. Tank is about a year and a half.
Sand: barebottom.
Rocks: one very large big background ceramic reef tock (image in the link). Smaller rocks (3 wrasse dens) were removed because I've got no wrasses at the moment.

I found different "Zeovit conversion protocols". Which one I should follow?

• General Guide for the Zeovit System 1.03 -- Is this "old" information?
• 14 days initial cycle instructions -- My tank is not new, but I'm thinking of doing this since I have only a couple of softies, and 3 fish. This seems to involve higher dosages of bacteria and carbon? Any Advice?
• Zeovit & Korallen Zucht Guide Easy Reefing -- is this the "newest" information?

I did struggle with carbon dosing in the past, and barebottom doesn't help with the bacterial fauna.
I tried using the Tropic Marin carbon dosing protocol with very little success, especially in terms of phosphate control.

So I was wondering what the most effective way for a Zeovit conversion is?

• Zeovit: 650 ml - flow rate through reactor: 250-300 Liters per hour.
• Zeobak: 5 ml x 100 L once / OR / 4 drops per 100 for 2 weeks?
• ZeoStart 3: 10 ml x 100 L once / OR / 5 ML x 100 L the first 3 days, then 1 ML x 100 L for 2 weeks?
• ZeoFood Plus: does this help with converting to Zeovit? If so, at what dosage? I've read around this has been replaced by Sponge power, and the impact on the biology of the bacteria is very small.
• Sponge Power: does this help with converting to Zeovit? Dosage is 3 ml when the conversion has started?

Is the Zeolite gonna grow more bacteria faster, if let the reactor go anaerobic for 3 hours, every 3 hours of aerobic flow? That's what I gathered from the general guide:

The pump should be switched on and off at an interval of 3 hours (3 hours on, 3 hours off, 3 hours on, 3 hours off, etc.) leading to an alternating environment of aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Every switch leads to an increased aspiration of PO4 by the microorganisms/bacteria residing in the material.

Thank you very much for all the help!

[jacky]

The Zeo guides you listed are all correct and contain product introductions and some details. I checked the 1.03 guide and it seems to be an older version (Zeo Start2). However, the other one you listed is the latest version. Zeo's 14-day "initial" cycle plan is only applicable to "initial" "no animal corals". Otherwise it will bring about big changes in bacteria and biology, and coral animals will be under pressure. System conversion to Zeo system has a system conversion method, as you described: the reactor is turned on and off for 3 hours, and the Zeo dosage is different, and some things that should be noted, such as whether to use germicidal lamps, etc

Why are different carbon sources used, and can you know why? Did you encounter any problems

[muffin]

Why are different carbon sources used, and can you know why? Did you encounter any problems

I used:

• Tropic Marin Elimi-NP from minimum, to maximum dosage for my tank size
• Tropic Marin NP-BACTO Pellets (in a TLF Phosban Reactor with the bio pellet screen kit.)

Dosed different bacterial products over the course of several months, hoping to get the carbon dosing going:

• ZeoBak
• TLF Bactiv8 Heterotrophic Bacteria for Nitrate and Phosphate Reduction
• Underwater Creations Vibrant
• Biomate

Checked PO4 with Hanna Phosphate URL HI-774. Couldn't get phosphate go lower than 0,06 ppm without water changes.
Then, I tried the Fauna Marin PowerPhos (GFO) in TLF Phosban Reactor, with very slow, medium, and rather fast flow. PO4 wouldn't go down.

Hopefully, switching to Zeovit, I can count on this forum and the fact that it's just a very well proven method.

Should I dose both Zeofood Plus and Sponger Power then to get the bacteria going?

[jacky]

I hope I also recommend that you use the complete Zeo system, which is great. In addition, GFO is not recommended to be used in the Zeo system, it may put pressure on your coral health, such as loss of coral tips. Phosphate level, it is hard to say, basically start from reducing nutrition, Zeo Bac/Start/SpongePower/zeolite material quantity/reactor flow rate/activated carbon brand/whether some materials and other equipment are extra leached, etc. The two products you mentioned have different characteristics

Can you post/fill in more basic information about your tank?

[G.Alexander]

Please tell us something more about your system:

https://forum.zeovit.com/forum/gener...bout-your-tank

G.Alexander

[muffin]

1. Gross water volume of your complete system (incl. sump etc.) - US gallons / UK gallons / liter
2. Net water volume (incl. sump etc.) - US gallons / UK gallons / liter
   260 Liters
3. Are you using a CaCO2 reactor or other technique
   Not dosing currently
4. Are you using a PO4 reactor (how long, how long ago, etc.)
   On and off. Been on for a week now.
5. Are you using Ozone
   Not at the moment
6. Are you using UV
   Not at the moment
7. What skimmer are you using (type, rated water volume)
   Aquavitro Division 125 recirculating. Up to 125 gallons.
8. What are your actual PO4 and NO3 levels
   PO4 0,06 ppm (Hanna 774)
   NO3 4,1 ppm (Hanna 781)
9. What are your actual Ca, Alk and Mg levels
   Not measured recently, only got softies until nutrients are stable and low.
10. What filtration method do you use (refugium, DSB, Miracle Mud, etc.)
    Been trying Tropic Marin Carbon dosing protocol without success
11. Type of light (Watt, color temp, how old, etc.)
    120w GNC Bluray PRO
12. What corals do you keep
    Softies only at the moment
13. Tissue color (light or dark)
    light with darker patches
14. How long has the tank been running
    1 year and a half
15. Why do you want to use the ZEOvit system
    I want a system that has been tested and a userbase I can ask advice to.
16. Any supplemental dosing (type, amount, why, etc.)
    Underwater Creators Vibrant, to reduce Algae.
    Biomate, to reduce PO4 and byproducts of algae dying off.
17. Live rock (how much, how old, etc.)
    Reef Ceramic 50 cm x 50 cm x 35 cm Image of the rock here. Cycled with the tank for the first time about a year ago. Reef Ceramic is much heavier than live rock, so not sure how much live rock it would correspond to.
18. Any present problems
    PO4 won't get any lower than 0,06. Often higher than that without large water changes.
19. Problem description (tissue loss tips, tissue loss base, diatom bloom, algae, etc.)
    Hair algae.
20. What test kit do you use (how old, recently switched, etc.)
    Only use Hanna checkers at the moment. NO3, PO4, kH, Ca, pH.
21. Present dosing, amounts and intervals (ZEOvit, ZEObak, ZEOfood, ZEOstart, ZEOspur2, etc.)
    This post is exactly about what I should be dosing to ensure I convert successfully to zeovit. Zeofood or Sponge Power? Are both useful to convert to zeovit?
22. Other water parameters and water stability (salinity, temp, etc.)
    Temp 26°-29.5°. Will get a chiller next summer after I introduce more corals.
    Salinity. 35 ppt.
23. Which salt brand do you use
    Instant Ocean. (Will switch to Tropic Marin Syn-biotic when I have more corals)

Considering I only have a couple of soft corals, should I convert to zeovit by using the same doses as the 14 days cycle?
Or some other zeovit conversion protocol?

Thanks a lot! Appreciate all the time you take to help me!

[jacky]

The quantity of zeolite material is 0.65 liters, the reactor flow rate is 260 liters per hour, and the reactor switching interval is 2hr.

(The first time the material is retained in the first 4 weeks, then replace the new 50%, retain the old 50%, and each time the material is replaced, Zeo Bac x 10 days) After 2 weeks, if the corals are all healthy, switch to continuous flow

KZ carbon 0.26 liters, use net bag, passive flight, change every 30 days

Zeo Bac 3 drops a day for 2 weeks, then 2-3 times a week
Zeo Start 0.26ml x2 times a day (morning and evening)
Zeo SpongePower 3 drops every other day
BioMate-6 drops every other day (2 weeks) and then twice a week
Zeo CoralSnow 3ml 2 times a week

-Turn off the germicidal lamp

-Underwater Creators Vibrant Stop adding

-Tropic Marin Elimi-NP Start to reduce the dose by 1/2, and gradually reduce the dose, weekly, until 0

-Tropic Marin NP-BACTO Start to reduce the dose by 1/2, and gradually reduce the dose, weekly, until 0

-Fauna Marin PowerPhos (GFO) Start to reduce the dose by 2/3, and gradually reduce the dose, weekly, until 0

-TLF Bactiv8 Heterotrophic Bacteria for Nitrate and Phosphate Reduction (Stop adding)

-Underwater Creations Vibrant (Stop adding)

System conversion requires some time and patience, pay close attention to the phosphate level, should not rise, pay attention to the basic water parameters to maintain the NSW level including potassium

Salt + water, keep changing water 10% every week, refresh the elements in a balanced way

Kh 6.5~7.5
Ca 400~420
Mg 1250~1300
K+~380g