How do you add zeo additives?

[kien]

For those adding Zeo additives, do you add one product at a time or do you mix them all up into a little container and then dump the whole concoction in? Is that even safe to do? I'm talking about additives like Sponge Power, Coral Vitalizer, Amino Acids, and Xtra and maybe coral snow. I bought this stuff a while ago but am just now starting to think about adding it.

Part of the reason I'm asking is this.. I have to be honest, I am very lazy and I anticipate tiring of adding all these individual additives every day so I would like to dose them if I can. I realize that a very small amount is added each time but my dosing pump can handle that minute volume. Also, I'm wondering if maybe I can mix up a super concoction with some RO/DI water, put it into a 2 liter jug and dose this zeo stuff with my calc and alk. I know that Coral snow wouldn't work because it is a clay like fluid that needs to be shaken and stirred and would gunk up my doser, but all the other zeo stuff seems quite uniformly fluid.

Thoughts? Suggestions, comments? I should just suck it up and take my coral additives like a man?

[globaldesigns]

Originally Posted by kien

For those adding Zeo additives, do you add one product at a time or do you mix them all up into a little container and then dump the whole concoction in? Is that even safe to do? I'm talking about additives like Sponge Power, Coral Vitalizer, Amino Acids, and Xtra and maybe coral snow. I bought this stuff a while ago but am just now starting to think about adding it.

Part of the reason I'm asking is this.. I have to be honest, I am very lazy and I anticipate tiring of adding all these individual additives every day so I would like to dose them if I can. I realize that a very small amount is added each time but my dosing pump can handle that minute volume. Also, I'm wondering if maybe I can mix up a super concoction with some RO/DI water, put it into a 2 liter jug and dose this zeo stuff with my calc and alk. I know that Coral snow wouldn't work because it is a clay like fluid that needs to be shaken and stirred and would gunk up my doser, but all the other zeo stuff seems quite uniformly fluid.

Thoughts? Suggestions, comments? I should just suck it up and take my coral additives like a man?

I dose twice a day, both being the half dosage of the daily max...

Here is my dosage regime:

morning: MG, Str, Calcium, Trace elements with Coral Snow
Lunch when lights come on: 50% dosage of LPS Amino, Pohls Extra, Coral Vit, Amino Acids, k Balance, ZeoStart2
Dinner (6pmish): second dose of 50% of recommended amount

Twice a week (Wed & Sun) I do the dosage of ZeoFood and ZeoBac included with the lunch and dinner dosages. And on Sunday I usually include the same for ZeoSpur2

I hope this makes sense, pm me if you need more help.

Rick

[kien]

Thanks, and ya, that makes sense.. except... how do you dose? :-) do you do one product at a time or do you mix all the products that you are about to dose into a little container and dump them in all at once? Doesn't sound like you're using a doser? I would like to use a doser if possible.

[globaldesigns]

Originally Posted by kien

Thanks, and ya, that makes sense.. except... how do you dose? :-) do you do one product at a time or do you mix all the products that you are about to dose into a little container and dump them in all at once? Doesn't sound like you're using a doser? I would like to use a doser if possible.

Sorry forgot that part. I use a measuring cup with some tank water in it, add the dosages to it, stir it up and then add into my main tank area.

I don't use a doser, I guess you can, but be careful not to overdose.

[kien]

Originally Posted by globaldesigns

Sorry forgot that part. I use a measuring cup with some tank water in it, add the dosages to it, stir it up and then add into my main tank area.

I don't use a doser, I guess you can, but be careful not to overdose.

Ah cool. So it sounds like it is okay to mix all that stuff together prior to adding to the tank.

Thanks!

[hummer]

I only have Coral Snow and Coral Vitalizer to try out. I believe I read somewhere that it's recommended that you mix the two together before adding. So that's what I've been doing.

[Delphinus]

I add them one at a time. I'm lazy too, but dosing a few drops of this and a couple drops of that is completely inconsequential to me. I feed the fish everyday and do it at the same time. "Lazy" to me means bigger ticket items get slacked off on: like - I'll empty my skimmer collection cup tomorrow. I'll clean my glass tomorrow. It's too late in the day to start a water change. Etc.

Even if I automated the feeding aspect, I would only use it to increase frequency of feedings, I'd still do a once per day manual offering of food. That's "my time with the fish", I can see how they're doing, etc.etc. That's a big part of the joy for me, so I wouldn't give it up anyhow.

The main worry though is if I'm not home, ie, vacation or site trip or whatever. That's a little different. And yeah, automation would be nice in those cases but you can't automate absolutely everything anyhow, so I don't know what the answer is. My intuition says it's probably not worth it, but I can't enumerate any good reasons for why I feel that way.

[kien]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

.. but you can't automate absolutely everything anyhow..

that sounds like a challenge or a dare!

[Myka]

All the additives you listed in your original post can be added to each other and dosed as one. However, I'm not sure if you could use a doser as I don't know how these additives would react to each other when mixed together for such a long period. Also, CV needs to be refrigerated after opening. You will want to change the dosing as well as you go. You may decide you want to add more SP and less CV for example, and that would be difficult if you mixed it all together already.

Most people suggest and practice dosing most additives (especially food-type) at night after lights out. This gives the corals time to use the additives before the lights come on. I find I get the best daylight polyp extension when I dose Zeo at night as well. If added during the light hours algae may have a better chance to enjoy a portion of your additives.

When I dose, I have a small glass cup that I put everything (that is compatible) into, mix it up, let it sit for 5 minutes, then add it to the sump in one go. The CS will take some agitation to get the residue out.

Also, I would suggest you dose 1/2 of what the bottle says (the Zeo forums will suggest this as well, but in more words). For example, instead of dosing SP 1 drop per 25 gallons daily, dose SP 1 drop per 25 gallons 3x per week (or every second day). The dosing suggestions on the bottles is quite aggressive. You will find your tank may be sensitive to dosing of one product or another, and may use aggressive dosing of another. For example, my tank is sensitive to CV dosing I have to dose very gently or I will get cyano and diatoms. I can dose the heck out of PIF though.

[Delphinus]

PIF? Potassium Iodide Fluoride? Wow, you're really into the system! I never really went beyond Big 4, a couple amino acids and Sponge Power.

I just like saying "Sponge Power". You have to say it like a superhero though. "Now is it time for ... SPONGE POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!"