New tank, coverted to Zeovit... plae SPS and corals dying.

[Akvariegrej.dk]

Hi Zeovit users..

i have been trying the Zeovit for roughly 6 weeks now. And the thing i am seeing until now, is coral growth in corals i thought where dead prior to Zeovit. But as time has went on. I now see a paleness in corals suddenly. I recently tried to add LPS Amino Acids (because of my LPS looking not so good) and also Sponge power where added to my dosing routine. After that, i saw the dip in colors and now i i'm not sure how to act. I have been running the reactor with Zeolites continously, but now i just saw another post where G.Alexander suggested to run it on a 3-hour timer ? is that the way to go and what flow should i go with? i have just dialed it down to 150L/hr according to the pump.

i really need som guidance here. I have just ordered the automatic elements K-balance, iondid and Amino acids hoping this might help also.

1. Gross water volume of your complete system (incl. sump etc.)

943L

2. Net water volume (incl. sump etc.)

623L


3. Are you using a CaCO2 reactor or other technique

Yes

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)

Nyos 220

8. What are your actual PO4 and NO3 levels

Po4: 0.04 *Hanna Checker HI774*
No3: 5 ppm *Salifert*

9. What are your actual Ca, Alk and Mg levels

Ca 450 *Salifert*
Mg 1500 *Salifert*

10. What filtration method do you use (refugium, DSB, Miracle Mud, etc.)
Nothing

11. Type of light (Watt, color temp, how old, etc.)

2x GHL LX7206 - less then 6 months old. Running the AB+ look-a-like program, but wants to change to another more not so blue spectrum


12. What corals do you keep
LPS & SPS

13. Tissue color (light or dark)
light

14. How long has the tank been running

11 months

15. Why do you want to use the ZEOvit system

because of the easiness of keeping SPS, and also the coloration and growth.

16. Any supplemental dosing (type, amount, why, etc.)

Spongepower: 7 drops every other day
Easy reefs SPS: fed at night according to instructions

17. Live rock (how much, how old, etc.)

70 kg Liverock 11 months old (some even 24+ months old)

18. Any present problems
SPS corals are dying on me. Slime is coming off corals, and montiporas are light grey pale.

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.)

21. Present dosing, amounts and intervals (ZEOvit, ZEObak, ZEOfood, ZEOstart, ZEOspur2, etc.)

22. Other water parameters and water stability (salinity, temp, etc.)

SG: 1.025

Temp: 25.1 degrees celsius

23. Which salt brand do you use

Aquaforest Probio Reef salt. Switching to Tropic Marin Pro Reef next week though.

[Akvariegrej.dk]

This is how the corals are looking atm.

[jacky]

I read the picture. Since you have reduced the zeolite reactor flow rate to 150 liters/hour (I hope you do get the actual flow rate to ensure that the flow rate is correct, if it is true, it is good to maintain this flow rate temporarily)

The basic water parameters are high, so that we can get the correct salinity level. Please also obtain an accurate salinity meter (calibrated) for cross-comparison salinity.

What is the potassium level? Please get a potassium test kit and publish the actual level, K+~380g (please increase slowly)

Activated carbon, what brand and how to use it, can you describe more

[Akvariegrej.dk]

Hi Jacky

thanks for replying!

yes i am aware of the elevated levels. This is probaly due to the fact that someway along the line, the CaRx dosed minimum amounts and then suddenly the dKh rise... this i am hoping to fix with the new salt i'm getting om monday. I think the reason for the elevated numbers are due to the fact that AF P Reef Salt has a very unconsistent level salinity as it goes from 7.2-8.4 dkH but even though that is the case the numbers are higher then that.

The make of carbon is Grotech.

i will get a potassium test right away

[G.Alexander]

Please tell us something more about your dosing regimen including the carbon and ZeoVit quantity.

Do you have the carbon in a reactor or do you run it passively flown in the sump ?

A picture of your sump would also be good, also get a potassium test kit as Jacky has already mention.

I would also try to replace the Grotech carbon with Korallenzucht carbon for some time to see if this does support your corals.

If you get the new salt also do three water changes each 15% within 10 days to refresh elements in a balanced way.

The three hour on / off for the ZeoVit reactor is used for the first couple of weeks if a already stocked and running system is converted to ZeoVit. This does speed down the biological changes a little bit which makes it easier for the corals to adopt.

G.Alexander

[Akvariegrej.dk]

Pictures are not the best from the sump. I got the new salt, did two wataerchanges of 15% each.. gonna do a new one tomorrow of perhaps 30%. My kH is still too high which i dont get... I stopped the supply from the CaRx so nothing is filling the system. Tomorrow i will also get a new pH probe for tank since the one i had died and then I had to use the working one into the CaRx

i did the KZ auto elements, but went ahead and ordered 2 x GHL dosers and going to dose the KZ Coral system 1234 instead spreadout the week, so approx. 4 ml pr. Day

but what i would like to hear something about is feeding .. I feed 6 Cubes a day for the following fish

1 x zebrasoma Xanthurum
1 x regal tang
1 x yellow Eyed kole tang
5 x chromis
5 x anthias
1 x cleaner wrasse
1 x longnose harddisk

So my bioload is certainly there but im in doubl if I feed too much or too little

the sump includes

1 x CaRx
1 x Clarisea sk-5000
1 x Nyos 220
1 x AF90 media reactor (Carbon)
1 z AF115 media reactor (Zeovit)
lots of live rock
bag of Maxspect media balls

[G.Alexander]

Thank you for the pictures, the setup looks very clear to me so I can not see anything causing issues.

I am still not sure what exactly you dose in which quantity and interval. I miss ZeoStart and ZeoBac for example in your post completely.

Please tell us how much ZeoVit you use in your reactor and measure the flow by collecting water from the reactor outlet for 30 seconds with a small container. Multiply the volume by 120 and you will get the exact output per hour. The material itself does speed down the flow of the pump massive so just using the setting on the pump is not possible.

Please also replace the Grotech carbon with Korallenzucht carbon to rule out that the carbon is to “aggressive” in removing elements, use 0.6 liters passively flown.

As you described some issues with Montipora corals I do expect the K+ level is to low also, please check it is is really important. The level should be 380 mg.

Replacing 30% water might be to much at once, split the change to 2 x 15% instead over the weekend.

If the KH is to high, you need to reduce the CaCO2 reactor as higher KH does cause harm to the corals especially in a nutrient poor environment. Keeping it as solid as possible within the range of 6.5 – 7.5 is what I would recommend you.

G.Alexander

[Akvariegrej.dk]

Hi Alexander

this is my dosing schedule:

Spongepower: 7 drops everyday
Zeobak: 7 drops x 2 a week
Zeostart3: 1,48 ml daily
Zeofood Plus: 2 drops pr. 100 L / 14 drops, every 3rd week 42 drops daily.

i just ordered two dosers, the coral system 1-4 and then i'm hoping on to bring more controlled values to the tank. Also ordered Potassium test set and potassium additive as well.

[G.Alexander]

Your dosing regimen is basically OK, you can continue with it. Looking forward to your test result if the potassium test does arrive.

G.Alexander

[gandalf]

AF110 is not a zeolite reactor, how do you shake it?

[Akvariegrej.dk]

Hi Gandalf

No, i know. What i do is i turn the reactor with the media and then accomplish with "shaking" the media this is just until i get a proper Zeoreactor

Alexander. My Potassium reading just came out as 390 mg. Did a triplet to make sure. tested with Salifert test kit

[G.Alexander]

The potassium level is perfect, just check it from time to time. The level should be ~ 380 mg, a little bit more or less does not have a negative impact.

G.Alexander

[Akvariegrej.dk]

So, a quick update...

I have now added the color system to my dosinge regimen (automatically) and also the Zeofood & Zeostart aswell.. Throughout the day i also dose Easyreefs SPS total of 4 ml pr. day of 8 doses in total.

i have tried to measure the output from the reactor as i realised my NO3 and PO4 has risen a lot suddenly. And it turned out it was very slow. I have now detached the reactor from the flowpump, and connected it to the manifold. Right now i measure a L/H to be around 416 L/H .. should i increase the flow even more?

also, i have trouble with the alk being used, it hovers around 8,3 dkH and stays there, even after a WC. Is this due to nutrient issues? Allthough the nutrients has risen, i see much more coloration in my Monti's though.

NO3: 25 ppm
PO4: 0,37 ppm

[G.Alexander]

Thank you for your update, the flow is still to low, in your case it should be ~600 liters per hour (net water volume of the system) while using 1.5 liters ZeoVit material.

Nutrients concentrations have no impact to the KH. First thing I would do is to cross check the level with a additional test kit to make sure your test is accurate.

As long as nutrients are increased I would not dose additional coloration elements for the corals, they can be used later once the nutrient concentrations are solid low. I would also recommend to stop dosing the EasyReef product. You might use it later also in lower quantities but basically it should not be necessary.

G.Alexander

[Akvariegrej.dk]

Hi Alexander

the thing i mean, is that too high nutrients will prohibit growth right ? i have almost 50 frags in the system including some colonies, and all my LPS are thriving, but my SPS not so much.

I am getting 2 more lights, but need a mount 3d printed for it to be put together though, as i might think my SPS are getting too little light, and that might be the cause... Otherwise i'm out of options to why my dkH is not consuming anything and hasn't done so since i converted to Zeovit +8 weeks ago