ZEOVIT test thread!

[rihanssu]

well i decided i'm gonna be the first to do it! i'm going to use Zeovit on my new 40 gal breeder and i'm gonna post pics 1 time per week and we will see if this is fact or fiction. i will do this for 1 year, so prepare for a big thread =)

I'll get pics up on wedensday but here is my system specs

40 gal breeder BB
40 gal sump
mag 7 return

Filter:
RS 80 Euroreef Skimmer.
about 100 lbs of LR

Lights:
2 250 watt XM 15k and 2 3 foot super actinic VHOs
Tunze Moon light.

Suplimental:
Geo duel chamber calcium reactor with a 10 lb Co2 tank and milwaulke regulator with selenoid.
Reef Mania Kalk reactor for top off controlled by a tunze osmolator (on order =)

Flow:
2 tunze 6100's on a 7095 multi controler.

Control:
Reefkeeper 2:

i have all these items except for the osmolater so this isn't a "wish list" this is what i got! i'm pretty excited! i'll be picking up the Zeo reactor on tuesday along with some corals and the ZeoVit startup! we figured out it would cost about 70$ every 4 months to run it on the 40 gal the correct way so i do not think that it is too pricy !
ssssoooo in closing this first post i would like to say don't ask for pics i'll have some on wedensday =) and don't be a negative nancy until a few months go by. i wanna give this a real positive try =)

go me!

-matt

[christensonjes]

Sweet this should be interesting!

[mtfatwork]

Yeah, I will be taging along as well. I will be interested to see a local try it, so we can see the result. :)

Yay Matt!

[mattb]

For all who don't know what is entailed.... ZEOGuide 1.02 (http://www.captiveoceans.com/pdfs/ZEOguide1.02.pdf) This describes more about the system. Depending at what level of results, what the system does is lower nutrients N and P to NSW levels. By reducing N, you are able to reduce the amount of zoox density in the coral and show the pigments of the coral better ( prettier).

I had a 120 running with this and it works but there are a few caveats (which Matt and I discussed). You gotta maintain NSW levels of alk, there is anecdotal experience (first hand as well, like when trying to tune a Ca Rx) that elevated levels of alk combined with low nutrient level results in burned tips and TN. A second, potassium levels. Again, anecdontal experience (first hand), potassium does become depleted (whether done by bacterial activity or ion-exchange with the zeolithe) and the result is that Montipora's become pale, and their health suffers. Obviously, these conditions are easy to control.

Nitrogen limitation may also cause corals to appear pale. This is easily solved by feeding more, again, I've seen this first hand.

Sorry, didn't mean to hyjack this thread.

[Sizzlersonthebrain]

how about some pics?:lol_hitting:


if it sorks out pretty good mabye I'll try it in the future too.

[rihanssu]

I don't have pics yet =( but the dosing has commenced! i can't figure out how to get my stupid calcium reactor hooked up yet but i'm working on it.

[rihanssu]

i'll have pics this weekend.

[mattb]

Matt, if you need help let me know... I'm around...

[rihanssu]

oooohhhhkkkkkkkkkkk here are the pics! first, the tank!
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h76/rihanssu/fulltank.jpg

The Stand! i need to find heavy duty hinges to hold the door on.
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h76/rihanssu/sideview.jpg

next the sump that is the RS 80 and the Zeo Reactor you see =)
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h76/rihanssu/sump.jpg

My Reefmaina kalk reactor =) its gonna be hooked to a tunze osmolator.
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h76/rihanssu/kalk.jpg

my Geo Calcium reactor (gotta get a new john guest fitting, this one leaks!)
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h76/rihanssu/calcium.jpg

and without further ado, ZEOVit!
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h76/rihanssu/Zeovit.jpg

And now the first Coral pics!
ORA Chips
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h76/rihanssu/chips.jpg

ORA Scripps stag
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h76/rihanssu/scrippsstag.jpg

ORA german blue polyp
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h76/rihanssu/germanblue.jpg

Wild burgandy acro
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h76/rihanssu/redwild.jpg

and a colony i am REALLY happy with, it looked really brown in the tank i got it out of (using PCs) and i thought it had potential with ZEOVit so i got it at a real good price. its DDDDDDEEEEPPPPP purple in my tank. i think this is definatly gonna be one of those "Score" pieces!!! its about 5 inchs tall too!
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h76/rihanssu/unknownpurple.jpg

i have now been runnign Zeo for about 5 days. so far so good! within two days all the PO4 was ripped out of my tank. i was really suprised to see that. my skimmer pump died last night so i had no skimmer for about 20 hours and a little brown alge grew =(

allt he live things in the tank other then the SPS are 6 emerald crabs, and 2 pepermint shrimp and 1 false perc
i'll post more pics in one week!

GO ZEO!

[David Grigor]

They have photbucket blocked here at work so I can only see the description.

The Kalk reactor, are you wanting to use it with Zeovit? All the documentation/threads etc. I have read you are not supposed to use Kalk with zeovit system. I don't particularly remember the specific reason but there is a reason why you shouldn't.

[rihanssu]

They have photbucket blocked here at work so I can only see the description.

The Kalk reactor, are you wanting to use it with Zeovit? All the documentation/threads etc. I have read you are not supposed to use Kalk with zeovit system. I don't particularly remember the specific reason but there is a reason why you shouldn't.


i'mm have to look that up. i havn't heard that yet, but thanks alot for mentioning that before i fry anything =)

[mattb]

The zeo method says to not use kalk. The theory is that due to kalks precipitation of phosphates, these phosphates are sequestered and therefore at some time may leak back into the system. From what I've read, the phosphate bound precipitate only dissolves when the pH is lower than 7.6. If your pH is that low, you've got other problems than phosphates.

Any chemist able to comment?!?

I've used kalk with zeo... always had 0ppm phosphates on Deltec/Merck test kit....(though I understand that that doesn't mean it wasn't leaching but that export was higher than input).

[mattb]

One of the most important things is to not let alk get too high > 8.5 dkh. You may start to see tip burn, when nutrients are low....

[rihanssu]

i need input! i'm thinking of moving to a 120 cube. any thoughts? the reason i am thinking this is because i already ran out of romm in this thing and i have like 15 more corals on my list =(

what do you all think?
PS
I GOT MY BUBBLEKING TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
its sssssssooooooo sweet! pics this weekend!

[mattb]

Sweet... though if I could do it all over again... I wouldn't go AGA 120, that center brace pisses me off. Gotta any left over starfire to build one?

[rihanssu]

i just got done with my 4th round of tests, here are the values

NH4/NH3...0
NO2....0
NO3....0
PO4....0
Ca....380
Mg...1320
KH...8
PH... 7.92

say what you will about ZEOVit it keeps things LOW! all my brown alge was there for 3 days, no snails, and its already gone! (i do have 6 emerald crabs and 2 peppermint shrimp) and i have been runnign the VHOs for 12 hours and the 250W MH's for 8 hours. so far so good! tuesday will be my last daily dose, then i go to 3 times a week.

happy me!

[mattb]

Where are the BK pics?!? Time to test for K....

[rihanssu]

Ok i got some news!
i'm done with the first phase of daily dosing and now i'm down to 2-3x a week. every thing is going good. my calcium demand is CRAZY! i'm reall excited about how this is going. sorry for the bad pics!

Miami orchid
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h76/rihanssu/miamiorchid.jpg

Blue coral, possible a yongei:

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h76/rihanssu/bluestag.jpg

Oragon tort:

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h76/rihanssu/oragontort.jpg

Cali tort

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h76/rihanssu/calitort.jpg

Steve elias stag

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h76/rihanssu/SteveElias.jpg

ORA Purple Pillow

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h76/rihanssu/PurplePillow.jpg

Red milli, and actuall red milli!!

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h76/rihanssu/redMilli.jpg

a cool velvet wrasse i picked up at OD this guy eats alge and cleans coral all day long! i love this guy!

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h76/rihanssu/velvetwrasse.jpg

and finally my bubble king!! i added some pop cans for size compairison!

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h76/rihanssu/BubbleKing.jpg

sorry about the bad pics my camera suckls, if someone who is good at this wants to help me document this once per week i will pay with frags =)

and as a good by here is a full tank shot!

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h76/rihanssu/fulltank-1.jpg

[old_man_river]

looks good matt

[davidsreef]

I agree - looks great!

[wes]

looks great and I love that wrasse

[rihanssu]

the wrasse went carpet surfing, he had about a 4 inch whole and he found it. here is an updated pic! i caught red bugs and i won the battle so the colors are a little washed, also i added 400 watt 20k radium bulb on a pfo HQI ballast so that washed the colors a little!
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h76/rihanssu/fulltankshot.jpg

[coralreefer]

How's the tank coming? Haven't heard anything about it in a while.