Converting to Zeolight

[dr.dator]

Hi! My first post on R2R...

I have an established 540 liter tank that has been running for 2 years and for the last year I have been using vodka and vinegar to control nitrates and phosphates. The tank is bare bottom and I'm using balling light to maintain the basic three.

I just recently bought a zeolite reactor (not zeomatic) and some FM zeolight stones. I also got reef vitality, ultramins and the color additives.

So... I've just installed the reactor and put the stones in it 2 days ago. Can I start dosing reef vitality, ultramins and color elements right away or should I wait until my nitrates drop to zero? Or what are the general advice when converting an already established tank?

My current nutrient levels are:
Nitrate: 4ppm
Phosphate: 0.08ppm

Another question; I normally feed my corals quite a bit of different coral foods (zoplan, reef pearls etc). Should I stop when I start dosing reef vitality?

 

[Fauna Marin]

Hi,

Congrats on making the switch!

Since you have an established tank, it is best to start at 50% of the recommended dose and slowly work your way up. This not only allows you to make it easier on the corals, but also lets you see how much of each product your tank needs. Here's what you can start dosing:

Zeolight - 500g/stir every 2 days and replace 75% every 4 weeks.
Reef Vitality - Half capsule every 4 days
Ultra Min S - 0.5ml every 2 days
Color Elements - 2.5ml every 4 days for the first 3 weeks, then 0.5ml increases until results are noticed

***Reef Vitality and Color Elements should be dosed on separate days. There will be days when both products are scheduled to be dosed on the same day. When that happens, skip one day and dose the next day.

It is best to gradually increase the dosages of Ultra Min S and Color Elements so that you do not risk adding too much. You can find our full user manual on our website:

www.Faunamarin.de

You can continue feeding those foods, but do keep and eye on your NO3 and PO4.

 

[dr.dator]

Thanks! This is very helpful.

The reason I want to try zeolight is that, while some of my corals look pretty ok, some are not very impressive and I feel like they could do better. I know a guy from another forum that is running zeolight and he has the most incredible acros.

 

[dr.dator]

Here are some photos of my corals as of today. They are unedited except basic white balance. I will post updates on how they progress during the Zeolight regimen.

The above look ok I think, the following i'm hoping will improve by using Zeolight:

 

[Fauna Marin]

Nice colors! Take your time with the Zeolight system and results will show.

 

[dr.dator]

Thanks

 

[dr.dator]

Ok, so I have been running for a few days now and I have stopped with the vodka/vinegar and GFO as per the official guide. I just measured PO4 and it has gone up to 0.14 which I think is a bit too high. Should I just wait it out and hope it drops soon or is it ok to use some GFO to lower it until the zeolites start doing their job fully? NO3 is still hovering around 5 ppm.

 

[Fauna Marin]

You can add a bit of PO4 removing media to get it down to a desirable range.

 

[revhtree]

Hi! My first post on R2R...

I have an established 540 liter tank that has been running for 2 years and for the last year I have been using vodka and vinegar to control nitrates and phosphates. The tank is bare bottom and I'm using balling light to maintain the basic three.

I just recently bought a zeolite reactor (not zeomatic) and some FM zeolight stones. I also got reef vitality, ultramins and the color additives.

So... I've just installed the reactor and put the stones in it 2 days ago. Can I start dosing reef vitality, ultramins and color elements right away or should I wait until my nitrates drop to zero? Or what are the general advice when converting an already established tank?

My current nutrient levels are:
Nitrate: 4ppm
Phosphate: 0.08ppm

Another question; I normally feed my corals quite a bit of different coral foods (zoplan, reef pearls etc). Should I stop when I start dosing reef vitality?

Welcome to R2R!

Would love to have you start a tank journal thread and show off your reef!

 

[Chris Ferrell]

Dr.Dator, your corals look great. I just wanted to ask why did you switch, I just started the carbon dosing thing and was just wondering why the switch. Thanks Chris

 

[dr.dator]

You can add a bit of PO4 removing media to get it down to a desirable range.

Ok i've added a small amount of your aluminum based remover in a filter sock now. Po4 is still a bit high at the moment.

Anyhow, I already notice some positive results! Definitely more growth than normal and I think some corals are getting more colorful. So far, so good

 

[dr.dator]

Welcome to R2R!

Would love to have you start a tank journal thread and show off your reef!

Thank you!

 

[dr.dator]

Dr.Dator, your corals look great. I just wanted to ask why did you switch, I just started the carbon dosing thing and was just wondering why the switch. Thanks Chris

Thanks! Carbon dosing did work very well for me but I felt that I was struggling with a few corals. And looking at how incredible some zeo-based tanks are just made me want to try it. That, and I guess it's always fun to try something new...

Just a tip on carbon dosing: once you reach low no3 and po4 it's important to feed your tank well. It's very easy to starve your corals in a ULNS tank.

 

[Chris Ferrell]

Thanks for the advise. Since my levels dropped I started adding Red Sea reef energy and coral colors. They are starting grow well but starting getting pale before I started adding the Red Sea additives. Would to see your progress with your tank.

 

[dr.dator]

@Fauna Marin It's been almost 2 weeks now since I started running the Zeolight system according to your schedule and my nutrient levels are still high... No3 is currently at 10 ppm and po4 0.1 ppm even with phosphate remover. Should I adjust any of the additives or amount of zeolites to increase nutrient reduction?

 

[Fauna Marin]

2 weeks is still very early into the Zeolight system

The goal is to make the transition from Vodka dosing to Zeolight as easy as possible for your livestock and avoid shock. The Vodka dosages were enough to keep NO3 low enough and support the amount of food that goes into the tank. At the start of the Zeolight system, we have to start at lower dosages and slowly increase until we find the dosage amounts that your tank needs without making much changes to your feeding amounts.

If your NO3 does not fall after one more week, bump up the RV dosage to 5/8 capsule.

You can also, swap out the PO4 media and add the recommended amount.

 

[dr.dator]

I'm about a month into the system now and I'm starting to see some real improvements. My green acros and montiporas as are really popping. Even my normally blue Acropora tortuosa has a slight green shimmer now... Is this a sign of overdosing the color elements?

 

[Chris Ferrell]

Great, do you have some before and after pics?

 

[dr.dator]

Great, do you have some before and after pics?

I tried to recreate a photo from January 15. It's most noticeable on my green Montipora, especially the two patches on the rock in the lower right corner. The photos are taken using the same white balance setting on my camera.

January 15:

Two weeks later:

 

[dr.dator]

Here you can clearly see the green shimmer on my blue Tortuosa