Maybe quitting Zeovit

[Brent F]

Originally Posted by Oceanic

It is very easy with Zeo to over dose any of the basic four suppliments, the algae could be the result of the start2, zeofood7, or AAHC. Everyones tank is differant and you can't just go by what the label on the bottle says for dosing instructions. You may also have a latent PO4 build up in the tank sand, rock etc, that is being pulled out by the zeo system. Sometimes results take some time to be achieved, however, given some time and tweaking of the suppliments the tank will become nutrient poor using the zeovit method.

I found I was getting some hair algae until I started cycling th zeo reactor 3 hours on 3 hours off. Give it some time and tweek your dosing amounts and it will get better.

This touches on why I stopped dosing. It is too much work and a bit of a black art to do it right.

The simplicity of fish as a nutrient supply, skimming, and dosing only consumed elements (Calcuim and Alkalinity) seems to be providing better results for me.

[Delphinus]

I ran reef tanks for 10 years before I ever started Zeovit, and there were times those tanks didn't look too bad. I'm still only about a half believer in the zeo.

I'm really not a fan of daily manual dosings. It's not a big deal for me but I hate asking people to do it when I have to go away for whatever - if it's too complicated a process, they'll never tanksit again. And never mind the "oh and pump this handle 15 times in the morning, and again 15 times in the evening, if you would, please and thank you."

I had the cyano thing too. I did get a marginal improvement after I dosed red slime remover. No more cyano and no signs of it reappearing. However, the film algae on the glass is out of control. Although it's weird, it must be the sand because the 40g carpet tank (same sump == same water) does not have a film buildup on it at all - I clean it about once every 6 weeks or so. But the 75g main display - needs the glass cleaned on a daily basis. If I let it go beyond 2 days, the magfloat doesn't clean it anymore - I have to use a razor blade at that point.

I think the difference though is that the 40g has a large stomatella population but the 75g has a small population. I'm not sure who's picking them off but I suspect someone probably has a taste for them. At any rate, point being, I'm not so sure my 40g clean glass is really attributable to the zeo.

So basically I just use zeo for the water clarity and as a substitute for GFO. ... Can't really say I ever saw the crayon-box colours come out of my corals that you see on all the zeovit pictures.

[Der_Iron_Chef]

This is the back side, 2 days after being scraped clean:


This is the front side, after one day:

[Patrick1]

I went through the same thing with my tank when I started Zeo I was not a happy guy. I stopped dosing for a few weeks I scrubbed out the hair alge and cut my zeo start dose in half. I changed from running carbon to running phosban media and with in days I had the tank I wanted. Been running so smoothly every since and even if I miss a few days of dosing all is well.

[Oceanic]

Originally Posted by Der_Iron_Chef

This is the back side, 2 days after being scraped clean:


This is the front side, after one day:

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD BATMAN! I have never had anything like that before with my tank and my fish load is pretty heavy, I would be looking at your nutrient load very closely, ie. your RO/DI water, food, dosing amounts. Below is a list I would look into if this was happening to my tank.

1. - Check your make up and top off RO/DI water, it HAS to be ZERO.

2. - Test your PO4 level, if higher than .05 you will have to run GFO or equvilant until lower than .05 otherwise the Zeo method won't work.

3. - Your DKH must be between 6.5 and 8 nothing higher (not sure of the science behind this but it is important! If using Seachem Reef Salt DKH should be at about 9.3.

4. - Check how old your lights are, replace if older than recommended.

5. - Up your water change schedule if you can, I do about 5% or so a week.

6. - reduce your photo period if on for longer than 8 hours (halides)

7. - lower your temp if above 82, the slime algae on the glass likes warm water. My tank runs at about 79-80

8. - Up your Bak dosage slightly, cut your start2 dosage in half and only dose twice per week. Also lower your Zeofood7 and only dose twice per week. Stop dosing AAHC if you are using it.

9. - Change Carbon if more than 30 days old. run slightly more if possible.


Could you please tell me your dosing schedule?

How much Zeolite stones your are running
How much Carbon and wheather you are you using a reactor for the Carbon or running it in a filter sock passivly
You complete dosing schedule and what ZEO elements you are using
The salt you are using
The flow rate through your ZEO reactor
your Zeolite rock exchange schedule

I might be able to help with that crazy algae issue!

[Der_Iron_Chef]

1. - Check your make up and top off RO/DI water, it HAS to be ZERO.
Strange. I just tested my RO/DI water and it had a TDS of 40. Two weeks ago, it was 2. I'll flush the RO membrane for 30 minutes and test it again.

2. - Test your PO4 level, if higher than .05 you will have to run GFO or equvilant until lower than .05 otherwise the Zeo method won't work.
I don't actually have a PO4 test kit. I know, bad reefer. Maybe it's time.

3. - Your DKH must be between 6.5 and 8 nothing higher (not sure of the science behind this but it is important! If using Seachem Reef Salt DKH should be at about 9.3.
I just tested my water: dKH=6.4, Ca=440, Mg=1220.

4. - Check how old your lights are, replace if older than recommended.
I just replaced 5 of my T5 bulbs a few weeks ago. The other three are less than 2 months old.

5. - Up your water change schedule if you can, I do about 5% or so a week.
I do 10% every week-week and a half.

6. - reduce your photo period if on for longer than 8 hours (halides)
I only run HO T5's (8x39w). Four come on at 10:30am, the other four at 11:00am....then off again at 10:30pm and 11:00pm.

7. - lower your temp if above 82, the slime algae on the glass likes warm water. My tank runs at about 79-80.
Unorthodox, I know, but I don't use a heater in my tank, lol. They make me very nervous, and my apartment is never cold (I have nice floor heating).

8. - Up your Bak dosage slightly, cut your start2 dosage in half and only dose twice per week. Also lower your Zeofood7 and only dose twice per week. Stop dosing AAHC if you are using it.
I'll answer this below...

9. - Change Carbon if more than 30 days old. run slightly more if possible.
I'm using Aqua Connect Silicarbon, changed it after 5 weeks.


Could you please tell me your dosing schedule?

How much Zeolite stones your are running .75L
How much Carbon and wheather you are you using a reactor for the Carbon or running it in a filter sock passivly 3/4 C Aqua Connect Silicarb, run passively in a filter sock.
You complete dosing schedule and what ZEO elements you are using ZEOback = 2 drop twice a week, ZEOfood = 2 drops twice a week, ZEOstart = 0.4 ml daily.
The salt you are using Kent
The flow rate through your ZEO reactor Somewhere between 50-75gph, alternating three hours on, three hours off.
your Zeolite rock exchange schedule I've only exchanged it once, after 4 weeks; kept 15%-ish to seed new Zeolites.

[Oceanic]

Strange. I just tested my RO/DI water and it had a TDS of 40. Two weeks ago, it was 2. I'll flush the RO membrane for 30 minutes and test it again. This is the most important step you can take to control your problems, flushing the filter is fine but replace the DI canister if you cannot get it to zero, infact you should replace all filters at least once a year.

2. - Test your PO4 level, if higher than .05 you will have to run GFO or equvilant until lower than .05 otherwise the Zeo method won't work.
I don't actually have a PO4 test kit. I know, bad reefer. Maybe it's time.
It is REALLY time to know what this level is at, it must be below .05 but preferably lower. If above run some GFO in a Phosban reactor until it drops.

3. - Your DKH must be between 6.5 and 8 nothing higher (not sure of the science behind this but it is important! If using Seachem Reef Salt DKH should be at about 9.3.
I just tested my water: dKH=6.4, Ca=440, Mg=1220.
This is good but raise your MAG to 1325 or better.

4. - Check how old your lights are, replace if older than recommended.
I just replaced 5 of my T5 bulbs a few weeks ago. The other three are less than 2 months old.
Excellent

5. - Up your water change schedule if you can, I do about 5% or so a week.
I do 10% every week-week and a half.
Excellent! But realize that your new saltwater is using that substandard RO/DI water. Adding fuel to the fire no doubt.

6. - reduce your photo period if on for longer than 8 hours (halides)
I only run HO T5's (8x39w). Four come on at 10:30am, the other four at 11:00am....then off again at 10:30pm and 11:00pm.
Tune your photoperiod down to 8 hrs, have the lights come on at 12:30 and 1:00pm instead. This will make a differance.

7. - lower your temp if above 82, the slime algae on the glass likes warm water. My tank runs at about 79-80.
Unorthodox, I know, but I don't use a heater in my tank, lol. They make me very nervous, and my apartment is never cold (I have nice floor heating).
Hmm, okay. The last this you want is swings in temp, buy yourself a good heater if it drops more than a few degrees by morning. Ebo Jagor/Marineland Stealth...


9. - Change Carbon if more than 30 days old. run slightly more if possible.
I'm using Aqua Connect Silicarbon, changed it after 5 weeks.
Change once every 30 days, use regular high grade Carbon, by using the silicarbon you may be competing with the bacteria for something they may need to metabolize the phosphate or other nutrients in your tank that no doubt attribute to the algae film, hair algae, etc..


Could you please tell me your dosing schedule?

How much Zeolite stones your are running .75L
This is good, change every 6 weekss or so, follow the instructions once changed.

How much Carbon and wheather you are you using a reactor for the Carbon or running it in a filter sock passivly 3/4 C Aqua Connect Silicarb, run passively in a filter sock.
Explained above re; carbon

You complete dosing schedule and what ZEO elements you are using
ZEOback = 2 drop twice a week, ZEOfood = 2 drops twice a week, ZEOstart = 0.4 ml daily.
Try dosing three drops bak 2x per week / zeofood 1 drop 3x per week / zeostart .2ml 2x per week. Stop the Zeostart until the film on glass improves then start again as recommended.

The salt you are using Kent
Okay

The flow rate through your ZEO reactor Somewhere between 50-75gph, alternating three hours on, three hours off.
Up the flow rate to 75-100 GPH keeping the on/off schedule

your Zeolite rock exchange schedule I've only exchanged it once, after 4 weeks; kept 15%-ish to seed new Zeolites.
As above

I really think these things will work for you, I would recommend this before attempting the VsV method.


__________________
~Drew

55G Mixed Reef * 15G Sump * Deltec MCE 600 Skimmer * Tek 8x39W HO T5 * Zeovit * Vortech MP40W

Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon. ~S. Ertz

[Aquattro]

Well, this thread answers my question last month about whether I should consider zeo...

I'll just stick with tried & true.

[michika]

I say go for the VSV method, and don't forget about yourself and that first V! I am really glad I held off and avoided all the nutrient poor systems. My gut just told me that there had to be some sort of downside to it.

The photos are super helpful, and I'm sorry it didn't work out for you.

[Oceanic]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Well, this thread answers my question last month about whether I should consider zeo...

I'll just stick with tried & true.

Not so fast! This is likely a result of a nutrient problem associated with the RO/DI water among other contibutors.

Zeovit works, but you must commit to doing it exactly as instructed. I have been using the Fauna Marin and now Zeovit with great results.