Zeolite on a 130L tank

[Mirko93]

Hi, I'll start using Zeovit on my 130 L tank in a few weeks and I need a few tips regards the amount of zeolite I have to use and the flow rate for my system. For my setup I need aprox 0.31L of zeolite and a flow rate of 65 L/h, is it right? I found a lot of zeolite reactors for lager tanks that allow higher flow rate, except the Skimz Zar 127 that has a 0.3L zeolite setting but I'm not able to find a store where it's available. What reactor should I get for my tank? Is it possible to get the flow I need with a valve in the inlet of any reactor?

[jacky]

Welcome to ZeoVit

It seems really difficult to have a zeolite reactor corresponding to a small tank on the market. Maybe DIY a reactor might be good, with a ball valve to adjust the flow. I don't know much about the react model you're using and can't help you much, I'm sorry.

The water volume is 130L, the net water volume is about 104L (if I am right)

Zeolite material quantity: 0.26 liters
Through the outlet of the zeolite material reactor, the maximum flow rate is 104 liters/hour

KZ Activated Carbon Quantity: 0.1 liters/passive flight with mesh bag/change every 30 days

[G.Alexander]

Please post some additional information about your system:

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

Would make it easier to give you a startup recommendation.

G.Alexander

[Mirko93]

Here we are, I'm going to start Zeovit next week when I'll receive the zeo reactor.
I bought zeo, carbon, Zeobak, Zeostart 3, Zeofood plus, Sponge power, Pohl's Xtra, Pohl's Coral Vitalizer, and Amino Acid LPS (from what I've understood these are the foundations of Zeovit + coral food).

I'm not looking for extreme colorations, I want a tank with low nutrients and good coral grow/health.

1. Gross water volume of your complete system (incl. sump etc.) - 150 L
2. Net water volume (incl. sump etc.) - 130 L
3. Are you using a CaCO2 reactor or other technique - NO
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) - Deltec 400i (rated for 100-400 L tank)
8. What are your actual PO4 and NO3 levels - PO4 0.024 mg/L, NO3<1 mg/L
9. What are your actual Ca, Alk and Mg levels- Ca 445 mg/L, Kh 8.7 °dKH, Mg 1250 mg/L
10. What filtration method do you use (refugium, DSB, Miracle Mud, etc.) - NO
11. Type of light (Watt, color temp, how old, etc.) - Ceab Manta Marine 60W led
12. What corals do you keep - 2 soft corals, 5 lps corals, I'm going to add a few sps this week
13. Tissue color (light or dark) - Cannot judge I'm a newbie
14. How long has the tank been running - 11 months
15. Why do you want to use the ZEOvit system - keep nutriens low whithout compromise coral feeding
16. Any supplemental dosing (type, amount, why, etc.) -Unica amino mix (aminoacids for corals)
17. Live rock (how much, how old, etc.) - 16 Kg, the rocks are coming from a tank running several years
18. Any present problems - Coral are growing slow, I think because I'm feeding the corals only with aminoacids
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.) - Red Sea for Ca, Mg and KH, Nyos for NO3, Elos for PO4, Sera for NO2
21. Present dosing, amounts and intervals (ZEOvit, ZEObak, ZEOfood, ZEOstart, ZEOspur2, etc.) - None, I'm going to start using Zeovit next week when I'll receive the zeo reactor
22. Other water parameters and water stability (salinity, temp, etc.) - temp 26°, salinity 35PSU
23. Which salt brand do you use - Royal Nature ion balanced pro since tank startup, Fauna Marin professional since two weeks

[G.Alexander]

Hello Mirko, I would recommend you to start as follows:

First start with the basics products to decrease nutrients:

1. Place 0,3 liter zeovit in a Zeo Reactor. Water flow around 130 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 0.13 liters 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.

3. Dose 1 drop ZeoBac daily for the first 2 weeks, flowed by a 3 x weekly dosage of 1 drop. Dose 0.13 ml ZeoStart 2 x daily (morning & evening). Dose those in front of the Zeo reactor pump while it is switched on.

4. The additional 2 drops SpongePower in the first two weeks, later 1 drop every other day will improve the systems biology additional. The additional products you already have can be used later once the system runs nutrient poor solid.

Later on you could use the additional products for coral coloration. When you start with ZeoVit also stop dosing the AminoAcid product you use at the moment and just dose supplements to keep Ca / KH and Mg levels solid within the recommended ranges, they should not contain additional trace elements. 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.

Basic water parameters are not 100% ideal, adjust them slowly and try to keep them 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.

G.Alexander

[Mirko93]

1. I have to cycle the zeo reactor 3h on/3h off through all the 24h? Is it because I'm converting the tank to zeovit, and later I have to leave it on all the 24h? I have to clean the zeo 1x or 2x a day?

2. Can I put the activated carbon in a filter sock inside the zeo reactor? In this way I shake it when I clean the zeo, or the flow is too slow?. If yes how mutch liters of activated carbon I have to use in this way?

3. Can I dose Zeobak and Zeostart inside the zeo reactor? It has a dose port on top.

4. 2 drops of Sponge power every day for the first two weeks or 2 drops every two days in the first two weeks?

As you suggested I'll buy the K+ test and post the result.

Do I have to dose zeofood or I have to wait?

What are the water parameters I have to reach to start dosing coral food? For PO4 I use Elos test and 0.024 mg/l is the lower value before 0, also for NO3 I use Nyos test and 1 mg/l is the lower value before 0 and the color I get is between 0 and 1. What tests have a better precision?

Thank your for the help,

Mirko.

[jacky]

1.Daily - with an on and off interval of every 3 hours, this can speed up the process，Clean 2 times a day in the morning and evening

2.Yes, 0.05 liters - 25 US gallons - 3 weeks replacement

3.okay, no problem. Make sure to stay away from the skimmer entrance

4.SpongePower every day for the first 2 weeks (14 days total). After 2 weeks - every other day

Zeo Food is reserved for later use to fine-tune the coral appearance

For now, temporarily add coral food for a while

[G.Alexander]

The reactor on / off interval is recommended for system which are stocked with corals already, this phase usually lasts about 6 weeks. If the six weeks have passed and if corals are doing well you can switch the reactor to continuous flow about 2 weeks after the first ZeoVit exchange.

I would recommend you to run the carbon in a mash bag, especially at the beginning as suggested. Later you can put the carbon inside your reactor but therefore just use 50% of the recommended quantity and replace it every 3 weeks.

SpongePower every other day means every two days, for example if you start dosing on Monday skip on Tuesday dose on Thursday and so one.

Water parameters are not the ideal monitor to decide to feed the coals additional. The coral itself, growth / coloration / tissue / polyp expansion are the best parameter therefore.

G.Alexander

[Mirko93]

After the first week with the suggested dosage all seems fine. I have yet to receive the K+ test.

[G.Alexander]

Thank you for your update, make sure that the KH and the Ca level is solid within the recommended ranges, K+ is a important parameter also.

G.Alexander

[Mirko93]

Tomorrow will be one mounth since I started using Zeovit so I'll change the zeolite and the activated carbon. I have to change all the zeolite or I have to keep a few of the old one? Can I start switching on the zeo reactor all 24 hours? I also got the Korallen K+ test and it's hard to read the correct value, I think It's around 370 mg/l.

Mirko.

[jacky]

If the first 4 weeks have passed, and if the coral is doing well, you can switch the reactor to continuous flow about 2 weeks after the first ZeoVit replacement (retaining the old 50% zeolite material).

After each change of zeolite material - Zeo Bac x10 days
(1 drop = 25 US gallons)

If the replacement cycle is encountered together (zeolite material and KZ carbon), let us extend the carbon by one week to avoid replacing both at the same time in the same week.

Let's increase the potassium a little more slowly to 380g

[Mirko93]

Yes the corals are doing fine, I'll post some pics.
Ok thanks, so I have to replace only 50% of Zeovit every mounth? Or is only 50% for the first change?
When can I start dosing zeofood?

Thanks,
Mirko.

[jacky]

50% each time, the material after this exchange can be kept for 6 weeks, with the low nutrition and barrenness, the cycle of the next exchange can be 7-8 weeks

With time and low nutrition, the biology is getting stronger, coral appearance is a good indicator, the coral tissue becomes lighter, and the polyps expand. (Coral looks comfortable and relaxed, stress-free and looks vibrant). Usually 2 times a week - 1 drop/25 US gallons, works great.

[G.Alexander]

As it is a already established system I would recommend to replace 90% of the ZeoVit material if the first 4 weeks have passed, replace the carbon one week later, both should not be replaced at the same time.

Keep the on/off interval for the reactor for additional two weeks and if your corals are doing fine after this time switch the reactor to continuous flow.

Next ZeoVit exchanges can be lengthen to 6 weeks, always replace 90% of the material while keeping ~ 10% of the old material in the reactor, this will speed up the process to colonize the fresh material with bacteria.

After each ZeoVit exchange dose ZeoBac for 10 days daily.

G.Alexander