Zeovit reef tanks of the world

[Rick5]

I've been doing Zeovit for a couple of months... it's not the cheapest method, but it's not stupid expensive, either.

Your calculation on blue bottles is pretty good, but it leaves out a couple of things...

Rocks. My system uses 1.5l zeolite every 6 weeks. 15.99 (price per liter) * 1.5 (liters used) * 8.3 (6wk periods in a year) / 12 (months) = $16.58 per month in rocks.

Oh... and GAC. I use half a pound of large particle lignite in a bag, change it out monthly. 0.5x12=6lb/year, $30 for 3lb=$60/year, / 12m $5/month.

So, your $9 a month for blue bottles, plus $16 for rocks and $5 for Carbon, $30 a month. A bargain, really, if it gives you the kind of tank you're looking for.

KZ recommends 10% weekly water changes... so there's some cost there, but you're going to be doing water changes anyway, with most reef methods.

That doesn't include 2pt, Calc RX, Kalkwasser, or whatever you're running for Calc/Alk maintenance.

Compare it to Red Sea's recipe, NoPo4x, Reef Foundation, Red Sea's colors, etc...

Or to Triton... $50 test kits quarterly, Core7, plus all of their little bottles...

I'd say Zeovit is somewhere in the middle of the pack.

I don't think @ycnibrc utilizes the entire Zeovit method, which is why he left some of the items out of his post.

 

[ycnibrc]

I don't think @ycnibrc utilizes the entire Zeovit method, which is why he left some of the items out of his post.

Yes u are correct for the First year I only dose zeobak , zeostart3 and sponge power to build up my bacteria diversity. These 3 are the core of zeovit. The rest are food and color enhancement. The one product I highly recommend is Flatworm stop. Dosing it help growing the base and make your coral stronger and much more slime which mean It can help the Coral feed much better.

 

[Surfzone]

I'm also running my new tank psudo-zeovit. I'm only dosing zeo start, zeo bak, sponge power, and zeo food. I'm not running the zeolite media. My tank is only 2 months old and so far so good. All my frags seem to be doing alright and growing (encrusting) this tank is only 30g.

 

[ycnibrc]

I'm also running my new tank psudo-zeovit. I'm only dosing zeo start, zeo bak, sponge power, and zeo food. I'm not running the zeolite media. My tank is only 2 months old and so far so good. All my frags seem to be doing alright and growing (encrusting) this tank is only 30g.

After 6 months then u can see your tank much cleaner aka lower nutrients

 

[Surfzone]

After 6 months then u can see your tank much cleaner aka lower nutrients

Right now I'm seeing my rocks covered in green algae. PO4 at 0.06 and NO3 at 16ppm. I just put in an order for my 2nd round of coral from Battlecorals. I'm also thinking of adding some coralline in a bottle to the tank. I haven't heard much about the product but willing to give it a go and see how things work out.

 

[Rick5]

Right now I'm seeing my rocks covered in green algae. PO4 at 0.06 and NO3 at 16ppm. I just put in an order for my 2nd round of coral from Battlecorals. I'm also thinking of adding some coralline in a bottle to the tank. I haven't heard much about the product but willing to give it a go and see how things work out.

Avoid Purple Up and the like. Are you referring to ARC’s Purple Fusion and Pink Fusion? (I think that’s what they’re calling it)

You’ll get coralline when you add a cleanup crew and frags, which you likely know.

 

[Surfzone]

Avoid Purple Up and the like. Are you referring to ARC’s Purple Fusion and Pink Fusion? (I think that’s what they’re calling it)

You’ll get coralline when you add a cleanup crew and frags, which you likely know.

yes the ARC products are the ones that i'm talking about. I have some coralline on snail shells and a ton on my frags, but I want to give it a boost on the rocks.

 

[Rick5]

yes the ARC products are the ones that i'm talking about. I have some coralline on snail shells and a ton on my frags, but I want to give it a boost on the rocks.

Fair enough. Do you have any urchins? In my experience, urchins decimate coralline algae, at least when the urchins are placed in the tank immediately post-cycle and you start with dry rock.

 

[Surfzone]

Fair enough. Do you have any urchins? In my experience, urchins decimate coralline algae, at least when the urchins are placed in the tank immediately post-cycle and you start with dry rock.

no urchins. i know about their eating habits and didn't want to start a dry rock tank with them.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Was running zeovit on all my old systems.

Did try to start my new tank on zeovit, but this system just dident want to go full Zeovit.

My old reefs ( by old I meen over 10 years )

Very nice!

 

[ycnibrc]

Since I don't do water change I decide to try the zeovit color system 1, 2 and 4. Looking at the ingredients it contains most of trace elements I will keep update if any changes. I already have the amino acid so I skip #3

 

[greg 45]

ycnibrc /Anthony
A little bit of advice please / System is 1000 gallons of water . I have used a different brand of bacteria killed some algae and now a different algae appeared . I am going to start dosing back and start . How much should I start out with . Also going to order the flatworn product. System is 90% sps ,clams , magnifica anemones . There is also a refugium with red dragons breath in it .

 

[ckalupa]

I have two zeovit systems. 140 gal using the Skimz 127 and a 200 gal using the Skims 157. No issues with the Skimz on either. The smaller system is all LPS and the big system is SPS. What I like about the Zeovit is that it not only talks of low nutrients it actually has the mechanisms to maintain them. So I use the “heavy in / heavy out” mindset. Cycle on both tanks was very fast- like 14 days to coral additions with no losses. I have found Aquaforest zeolites to be better for the Skimz. The KZ have too many small pieces in the bag that end up out in the refuge During shake down whereas the AQuaForest Zeolites are more similar and larger in size. And a lot lower costs. I do feed Live phyto almost daily but other than that use the line of ZV products. Yes the bottles are pricey but you use drops at a time on most. Overall there is Very little algae growth in the display tank.

I like how coral colors seem to pop (Zeo not the only way, I get that). Buy some cheap brown frag and in a few months it is red/yellow/blue etc.

 

[ycnibrc]

Zeobak is 1 drop per 26g so roughly 1000/26=38
Dosing 2x a week is 76 drops so 11 drops per day. I will start 5 drops per day for 4 months then increase 2 drops each month after until full dose.

Zeostart3 2ml per 260g so about 8ml per day
U can do 4ml per day for 4 months then increase 1ml each month until full dose.

The key to dose zeovit is 50% of what your full dose is for 4 months then add more later.i found this way your tank less likely to overdose and have algae problem.

 

[ckalupa]

Greg- dosage is one drop Zeobak per 25 gallons added along with same on spongepower. Start up dosage is much higher but maybe just start with the manit dose? Others can chime in.

That is a good size system. Smaller systems can add zeolites in a bag in sump and just hand shake them daily.

Flatworm Stop is 1ml per 25 gallons total volume. It’s good stuff for corals and flatworms. Coral snow (different than two little fishes stuff with same name) is also good.

 

[ckalupa]

If you are doing a transition to zeovit (over a fresh start) follow what @ycnibrc says and start low on additions. Being too aggressive with the products can cause issues that are avoidable with a conservative approach.

 

[LARedstickreefer]

Does coral snow reduce nutrients enough to be a concern or does it just polish up the water?

 

[ycnibrc]

Coral snow only polish the water. Coral snow plus also reduce phosphate

 

[LARedstickreefer]

Coral snow only polish the water. Coral snow plus also reduce phosphate

What does the Plus add?

Edit: I dont want to reduce either nitrate or phosphate, just polish the water. I’m considering the diy coral snow.

 

[ycnibrc]

What does the Plus add?

Edit: I dont want to reduce either nitrate or phosphate, just polish the water. I’m considering the diy coral snow.

Coral snow plus is replacing Coral snow it polish water and also reduce phosphate