Switching to FM zeo lightsystem

[AB_Reefer]

I have finally decided to pull the trigger and go ahead with your zeo light regime on my 120 gallon sps dominant reef.. The tank is approx 1.5 year old and was running on Bio pellets for past 6 months however I have taken in offline since last few weeks already and plan to implement the zeo light system starting next week onwards.
My parameters are as follows: Alk - 9 , CA - 420 , MG - 1280, NO3- 10-25 , Phos- 0.006 (hannah checker)
Now my question for you are as follows:
1. As my Nitrates seems to be creeping up once I look the Biopellets offline, should I do something about this No before starting with the zeo light system or will your system take care of this and bring this down on its own?
2. Even though Hannah checker is giving a low Phos reading I am pretty convinced its not accurate as i have a decent amount of algae growing on my rocks and back glass wall. I was running GFO in the past but now I have stopped that already. Do I need to run any phos controlling supplement with Zeo light system?
3. I read that you suggest ALK level of 6.8-8 DKH for this system. Will I be fine with ALK of 9DKH or do i need to bring it down?
4. How import is it to run carb L ? Will the system perform well without this particular component.?
5. I dose Amino acids and reef roids to to the tank on weekly basis is there is a need or any additonal benefit in continuing with this after the implementation of zeo light or will the Ultra Min S and RV & CB will be sufficient food source for all the sps colonies.
6. lastly, is there a benefit in shaking the zeo light rocks several times a day ? Also how long of a break can we take from this without really having a negative impact on the tank. ?

Sorry for my long list of questions as I am unable to find all this info elsewhere and thanks in advance.

 

[Fauna Marin]

1. Nitrates going up after taking the biopellet reactor offline is to be expected due to the lessened nutrient export. Once you begin Zeo-Light, products such as Reef Vitality and Coral Balance will help with NO3 reduction. The effect of the NO3 reduction will depend on how much nutrients are going in vs. what is coming out.

2. PO4 removers can be used as needed. If PO4 climbs above 0.05mg/L, a PO4 remover should be used until the level drops within the acceptable range: 0.03-0.05mg/L

3. Alkalinity should be within the Zeo-Light's acceptable range: 6.5-8dkH. It would be best to reduce your Alk dosage to begin lowering this parameter.

4. Ultra Carb L will help maintain water clarity and remove any coloring compounds from the water column. We recommend using it so that you can get the most benefit out of the full system.

5. Ultra Min S will provide vitamins and food to all types of coral. You can continue using Amino Acids if you wish. If you're looking for a dedicated SPS food, we will have a new product arriving in the states very soon.

6. 2-3 shakes per day is okay. Doing so will keep the stones cleaner.

 

[AB_Reefer]

So the zeo light system itself is capable of bringing down the Nitrates from 20 ppm range to a more ideal range of 3-5 ppm by itself?? (along with weekly 10-15% water changes)
Also what is the recommended flow rate through the reactor for zeolith stones?

 

[Fauna Marin]

In most cases, yes. Of course this will also depend on your skimmer's performance, regular maintenance schedule, amount of water flow, amount of food going into the tank, etc.

50-100gph per 1 liter of Zeo-Light is recommended.

 

[AB_Reefer]

So when you say 50-100 gph per 1 liter do I need to reduce this into half when I am only using 500 ml of zeo lite..
My system volume is around 450 liters so I am thinking of starting with 200 ml zeo lite and then increasing up to 500 ml in 2 -3 weeks. what do you think?

 

[Fauna Marin]

Yes, that is correct.

You can use the full recommended amount from the start, 1000g Zeo-Light per 1000L (260 gal). In your case, you can use 450-500g and have 95-190 lph running through the zeolite reactor.

 

[AB_Reefer]

my zeo light starter kit came with the product coral balance as well however while reading your manual I see there is no mention of using this in the zeo light system..
so could you give me some more details on how to use this product effectively in the zeo light system.. when and how much should be dosed etc.
Also how important is it to dose potassium when following this system ?

 

[AB_Reefer]

tried using CB as per the instructions on the bottle.. few observations
1. the spoon provided is really big so 1 spoon per 100 l seems like a lot.. is this correct dosage ?
2. the powder dosent mix in the water even with my best effort. there is lot of residue left and it turns the tank water very cloudy for a few hours. Is this going to cause any problem to the health of my fish and corals ?

 

[Fauna Marin]

Coral Balance is now part of the Zeo-Light system.

You can find the more recent version of the manual here:
http://cm-distributors.com/brands/fauna-marin/product-manuals/

1. When you take a full spoon, press it up against the side of the container. A full spoon should not be a mound of CB. A flat amount of CB is sufficient.
2. Most of the powder will dissolve. If you're ending up with quite a bit of undissolved CB, add more tank water to the sample cup and shake. The cloudiness is normal and will not harm your fish or coral.

 

[AB_Reefer]

Thanks for the updated manual.. usually a Google search shows only the older version..
The only difference I can tell apart from inclusion of Ultra K+ is the fact that new manual states that carb l and zeo light shouldn't be changed in same week.. whereas the older version said 14 days apart.. any other points I missed out on ?

Also can you advice me if there is a difference between Carb l and ultra carb l as I am looking to stock up for some supplies for a few month. thanks.

 

[Fauna Marin]

As long as you don't change both Carb L and Zeo-Light in the same week, you'll be fine. Also keep in mind that if you're adding both RV and CB, the dosage for both should be cut in half.

Carb L and Ultra Carb L is the same product. We just shortened the name.

 

[AB_Reefer]

SOS..

I am running into just 2nd week of my dosage and I just noticed that 3 of my acro colonies are losing tissue from the tips !! It started a few days ago and at first I thought maybe it's just new growth but it's definitely loss of tissue.. I haven't made any other changes except starting the zeo light system.. My parameters all check out and i started dosing very small amounts only.
My tank net volume is roughly 500 liters.
I added 500 ML zeo lites.
2 dosage of RV ( half capsule at a time )
2 dosage of CB ( only 1 spoon at a time)
1 dosage of CE ( 2.5 ml per color)

Tank Paramters :
Alk: 7.6
CA : 440
N03: 10 PPM
Salinity: 1.025
Temp : 77-78

Side notes : My Nitrate were around 25 PPM a few weeks before starting the zeo light regime.. I am not sure how they came down so quickly with just 2 dosage of RV.
I haven't added carbon yet as I wanted to keep a 2 weeks interval with zeo lith stones.
I did a 15% WC yesterday.

What should I do now to ensure my sps colonies don't end up dead..

 

[AB_Reefer]

oh and phos reading at .015 as per Hannah checker ulr.

 

[AB_Reefer]

@Fauna Marin
Situation is still the same.. One sps colony is rtn ing other 2 are still only showing signs of tissue loss on some tips only.. other corals seem fine for now.. what should I do ? continue with the dosage as mentioned above or cut down more ?

 

[Fauna Marin]

Hi,

Since you are using RV and CB together, these dosages should only be half of the recommended amount. The tissue loss is likely from the overdose of RV. Please add 1/2 capsule of RV, every 4 days and 2 spoons of CB, every 4 days.

 

[AB_Reefer]

Hi @Fauna Marin .

My Nitrates are down to 5 ppm and phosphate is reading at .01 as per Hannah ULR. However still there is lot of algae in tank with all exposed parts of live rock looking brown in color. Even the sandbed is full of diatoms. And the sps corals look quiet dull specially my green monti cap colony which is turning pale brown ..
2 sps colonies of acro had STN and died since I started using this method.
Any suggestions or inputs??

I know you recommend 10% WC weekly I am currently doing a 15- 17% WC once every 2 weeks. Other than this following the system to the dot.. I know it's only been a month but shouldn't there be some sort of improvement by now ?

 

[Fauna Marin]

Hi,

If nutrients dropped too quickly, corals will react in this manner. The STN was likely caused by the RV overdose.

Are you currently running any GFO media? If not, then I would suggest reducing your CB dose by 25% to allow your PO4 to steadily rise between the 0.02 - 0.05mg/L range.

Excess algae and diatoms can be caused from stored nutrients within the sand and rock. Can you please post a photo of these diatoms?

The length of time it will take for a system to show positive results will depend on current nutrient levels, maintenance schedules, and the kind of previous nutrient management method that was used beforehand. In your case, you were running Bio-pellets for 6 months. At the 1 month mark, your system is still adjusting to the Zeo-Light system. Enough time needs to be given so that the system slowly transitions into the new system. On the meantime, it is also important to look towards other possible variables which can alter coral coloration; light schedule change, spectrum change, etc.

Are you currently adding any bacteria-based product?

 

[AB_Reefer]

Hi.
I am dosing RV @ 1/2 capsule every 4 days and 2 spoon of CB every 4 days.
CE @ 2.5 ml every days ( same day as CB). Ultra min S @ 0.5 ml 3 times a week. In addition to this I am dosing around 20 ml of MB7 weekly and 2.5 ml of Ultra 2- 3 times weekly. should I make any changes to this dosage?

I am not running any GFO on my system at present. And do dose Phosphate RX in very small dose from time to time. Should I start using GFO?

If you see the rockwork it's completely brown due to the algae, cant even see any coraline.. same algae present on pumps and back wall.. I will try to get some pictures of the sandbed later and post as well.. front glass also needs cleaning every alternative day as well.

My light is ATI t5 8x54 w. which has been on my tank for past 6 months.. just added a reefbrite xho actinc led for additional pop a few days ago.. no other changes were made to system..

My alk has been stable at 8.2 for last 3 weeks. when I started the system it was around 7.8 dkh. should I try to bring it down to the 7ish range?

 

[AB_Reefer]

updating pic of sand bed from today..

 

[Fauna Marin]

Can you post the complete list of your current water parameters?
- pH, NO2, NO3, Ca, Alk, Mg, Po4

Please discontinue MB7 as it may be contributing to the diatom growth.