ZeoVit System discussion.

[leicaguy]

I used it for nearly seven years on a 500G ! you have to be consistent, I used all zeovit skimmers/reactors/lighting Beautiful colors, great growth, but it is expensive, and you really have to watch your corals and know the nature of everything you dose. I can recommend it, however today on my "nano" tank (125G) my smallest tank yet I am using Triton with a large algae refugium, and one of my favorite skimmers, deltec sc2060, fully automated with ecotech and Neptune and DOS So much easier I am liking it so far ! I do however still use coral vitalizer!

 

[reeftilldie]

I used it for nearly seven years on a 500G ! you have to be consistent, I used all zeovit skimmers/reactors/lighting Beautiful colors, great growth, but it is expensive, and you really have to watch your corals and know the nature of everything you dose. I can recommend it, however today on my "nano" tank (125G) my smallest tank yet I am using Triton with a large algae refugium, and one of my favorite skimmers, deltec sc2060, fully automated with ecotech and Neptune and DOS So much easier I am liking it so far ! I do however still use coral vitalizer!

this is exactly what my next system will be, triton!!!

 

[1stNoel]

I was just impatient. Either my system was too young or my sps frags were still new but they definitely need time to adapt in my system. I have great color now.

I'm experiencing the coral bleaching as well. However, I think that was self-inflicted because I've caused instability in my tank over the last month.

• First, I tried to set-up a refugium (before I decided on zeovit) in conjunction with NoPOX (which was already in use for about 8 months). Unfortunately, the refugium started growing a mixture of chaeto and cyano. The cyano was stinking up the room and was an immediate dealbreaker for my wife, so I cleaned out the sump.
• Second, I bought some live rock (about 150 lbs) and added it to my already established system. The rock sat out for a week before I was able to 'scape it into my tank (This wasn't true live rock. It was man-made rock that was sitting in saltwater for a few weeks before I bought it.) After a week of not seeing a NO3 or PO4 pike, I started the zeovit.
• Third, for about 2 to 3 weeks before starting zeovit...I completely stopped the NoPOX (thinking it might compete with the zeo).

I started with about 60% of the zeolites, as recommended when first starting. I also ran the reactor 3 hours on and off over the first weekend, then switched to 8 hours on and off as my schedule allowed. I placed a ball valve on the reactor to ensure it was pushing out about 50 gallons per hour. And I've been dosing the recommended amounts of zeobak, zeofood, and zeostart.

The corals bleached at the very start of the zeovit switch. Softies and a few SPS are doing great (the colors are really popping), but most SPS faded. For example, I have a green birdsnest and a purple birdsnest. The green one has turned into a cool neon green, but the purple one has turned completely white (as in the green stem is white and the purple polyps are still extended but completely white). Other corals that have bleached still show a hue of their original color.

I'm guessing they will come back in time, but wanted to see if others have expereienced this or can offer any helpful suggestions.

 

[reeftilldie]

I'm experiencing the coral bleaching as well. However, I think that was self-inflicted because I've caused instability in my tank over the last month.

• First, I tried to set-up a refugium (before I decided on zeovit) in conjunction with NoPOX (which was already in use for about 8 months). Unfortunately, the refugium started growing a mixture of chaeto and cyano. The cyano was stinking up the room and was an immediate dealbreaker for my wife, so I cleaned out the sump.
• Second, I bought some live rock (about 150 lbs) and added it to my already established system. The rock sat out for a week before I was able to 'scape it into my tank (This wasn't true live rock. It was man-made rock that was sitting in saltwater for a few weeks before I bought it.) After a week of not seeing a NO3 or PO4 pike, I started the zeovit.
• Third, for about 2 to 3 weeks before starting zeovit...I completely stopped the NoPOX (thinking it might compete with the zeo).

I started with about 60% of the zeolites, as recommended when first starting. I also ran the reactor 3 hours on and off over the first weekend, then switched to 8 hours on and off as my schedule allowed. I placed a ball valve on the reactor to ensure it was pushing out about 50 gallons per hour. And I've been dosing the recommended amounts of zeobak, zeofood, and zeostart.

The corals bleached at the very start of the zeovit switch. Softies and a few SPS are doing great (the colors are really popping), but most SPS faded. For example, I have a green birdsnest and a purple birdsnest. The green one has turned into a cool neon green, but the purple one has turned completely white (as in the green stem is white and the purple polyps are still extended but completely white). Other corals that have bleached still show a hue of their original color.

I'm guessing they will come back in time, but wanted to see if others have expereienced this or can offer any helpful suggestions.

As other always said number is not really matter ( of course it has to be in range) , stability is, I learned from this by not touching my tank for months ( i mean not changing anything such as addictives, saltmix, lighting, chasing ph, and many other things but still do regular water change and maintenance) and I started to see my sps growing and coloring very nice.
Some certain SPS are hardy than others, thats why u see some bleaching some doing well. Zeovit takes time to settle in ur system as well. The only thing i can recommend you to do is try ur best to keep your water parameters stable, not changing or switch to anything , and after few months even years u will see result for sure.
On the other hand, you may not want to introduce any more sps in ur system until u find the stability in ur tank. ( i had not introduced anything to my tank for like 5 months till i find my sweet spot for my water parameters)
Good luck.

 

[revhtree]

Bump for this great topic today!

 

[nick0206]

Hello to all.
I am a big fan of korallen-zucht. The most beautiful SPS tanks that I have seen are on the KZ system.
5 years ago I was in Germany and drove into a KZ store near the city of Coburg in Bavaria.
After that, I started and 3 years of failures followed.
As a result, I switched to the Tropic Marine system, but this did not help either.
The problem was eventually found (I talked about it on the forum), the leakage of electricity into the water.
After 1.5 years in T.M. I felt that I want to try KZ again.
On the advice of a friend and dealer of KZ, for about a month, in addition to Tropic Marine , I additionally added Zeobak, Zeostart, Zeofood and Sponge Power.
80 gallon system.
This is not a full-cycle launch, but an upgrade of the existing system, where there are a lot of SPS, LPS, 8 fish, 8 shrimp, Brittle star (15 y.o.) , rose bulb anemone and turbo snails.
Yesterday I installed a zeolite reactor with a very low level of flow, (about 8 gal. Per hour).
I will be glad to read any recommendations from your personal experience.
Water parameters before start
Salinity - 1,025 (Tropic Marine)
Alkalinity - 7 (Tropic Marine)
Phosphate - 0.00 (Hannah)
Nitrate - 0.5 (Tropic Marine)
Calcium 412 (Tropic Marin)
Magnesium - 1340 (Tropic Marine)

 

[Silent]

It is recommended to maintain 100gph for 1 liter of zeolites. 8gph is way too slow to be effective. Are you on the zeovit forum? G. Alexander over there can help with any issues you may encounter.

 

[nick0206]

Thanks.
For 8 gallons per hour, this is a recommendation from the corallensuht website for a smooth transition from one system to another

https://cms.korallen-zucht.de/files/korallenzucht_guide_easy_reefing_engl.pdf

on the second page.

I slightly increased the flow to 12 - 13 gallons per hour.

 

[Silent]

I see that but I have never heard of the pros on the zeovit forum recommend that low of flow for the zeolites. I believe that is not what is currently recommended.

Forums - zeovit.com

forum zeovit acropora bacteria korallenzucht zeolite sps coral nutrient uln montipora coloration tank additive supplement PO4 algae flatworm reactor skimmer

forum.zeovit.com

Good information.

 

[HPfunk]

Here is the FAQ from the Zeovit forum so that you can understand the basic's of the system.

ZeoVit Basic Information by Shadowramy


Refugiums, phosban reactors, phosphate removers, denitrification reactors, algae/turf scrubbers, ozone and UV filters are not needed and should be removed before you start the zeovit setup.

Conclusion
Since this is just a basic understanding of what the ZeoVit system is, it is diffuclt to come to conclusion other than from my own experiences. For me, zeovit has been a great system that allows me to tweak colors to my liking. The cost is neglible considering you would probably spend about the same amount trying to reduce nutriets through other means. The system is also a very easy system to maintain as long as you pay attention to what your tank is tell you.

References
Zeovit.com - http://www.zeovit.com/
Zeovit Guide version 1.03 - http://www.korallen-zucht.de/files/z..._english-1.pdf


Zeovit Tank Examples

I’m starting some new setups and I’m very interested in the Zeovit method. My question is in regards to the UV, and Ozone issues.
Why are these a problem?
Ozone appears to be a good stabilizer of ORP. I was planning on using UV for fish not water clarity.
Is there any issues with using a Co2 scrubber?
Was hoping to stabilize Ph with that.
With the controllers out today could you just shut down a few of these systems while dosing?
Thanks for any input.

 

[nick0206]

I’m starting some new setups and I’m very interested in the Zeovit method. My question is in regards to the UV, and Ozone issues.
Why are these a problem?
Ozone appears to be a good stabilizer of ORP. I was planning on using UV for fish not water clarity.
Is there any issues with using a Co2 scrubber?
Was hoping to stabilize Ph with that.
With the controllers out today could you just shut down a few of these systems while dosing?
Thanks for any input.

There is no problem with UV, I know a lot of people who use it. In principle, UV will kill all bacteria that pass through it, including denitrifying bacteria.
My fish have never had any disease in 6 years of using zeolites.
The use of a scrubber is absolutely not necessary, because after the correct start, zeolites perfectly remove all organic matter. So good that I know people dosing organics, because even with the increase in fish and their feeding, their tests for nitrite-nitrate-phosphate show 0.
I don't use controllers.

 

[Lividfanatica]

I’m starting some new setups and I’m very interested in the Zeovit method. My question is in regards to the UV, and Ozone issues.
Why are these a problem?
Ozone appears to be a good stabilizer of ORP. I was planning on using UV for fish not water clarity.
Is there any issues with using a Co2 scrubber?
Was hoping to stabilize Ph with that.
With the controllers out today could you just shut down a few of these systems while dosing?
Thanks for any input.

I have the same question about Ozone as I too am planning on using the zeovit method, but I don't like the idea of using carbon. Curious on what direction you took and how your results look.

 

[k2-]

Hey Guys, I know a little late on this thread but - I am switching from a regular system (I do 2 part Dosing and run Phosphate reactor and a 40G refugium to support 200G tank) to zeovit system.

My question is - Once i install the system do i need to

1) Continue 2 part dosing ?
2) is refugium needed ?

 

[Lividfanatica]

Hey Guys, I know a little late on this thread but - I am switching from a regular system (I do 2 part Dosing and run Phosphate reactor and a 40G refugium to support 200G tank) to zeovit system.

My question is - Once i install the system do i need to

1) Continue 2 part dosing ?
2) is refugium needed ?

ZeoVit system does not recommend other forms of nutrient export (fuge/algae reactor/etc). You DO still need to do something for minerals (CA/Alk/Mag). I believe they generally recommend a CA reactor, but kalk or two-part are fine. My only word of warning is to convert SLOWLY. Pull out some of your macro algae, start a little carbon dosing, rinse repeat. Also, monitor NO3 and PO4 closely as bottoming them out with ZeoStart3 or whatever carbon source you choose will result in shock to your corals as well as an opportunity for Cyano to bloom/take over.

 

[k2-]

Thank you - I am currently dosing carbon and Phosphate-E / Phosphate RX - 1) My Green Algae died and is gone but CYano bloom is visible. Did the treatment and stopped the GFO reactor.

Thanks for the info regarding Dosing. Dosing is continuing and I will soon switch over to Ca Reactor by winter.