The Zeovit Thread - SA Style

[dallasg]

Hi All!

This is one of the 2 threads i am going to start about my journeys into Zeovit,thanks for the idea Leslie.
Since starting in '92 i have mostly stuck to the Berlin Method and had great success, but i have decided to try a well established "Snake Oil" and post findings for those interested in going this route.

I have always had a fascination for the biology behind keeping fish, being salt or fresh and decided many years ago i would keep this a hobby and passion instead of a job, sometime i think i was wrong but will see where time and the future takes us.

While the science is pretty easy behind it, i hope to bring some real SA exprience of it to the forums and advise where i can, and issues i cant help with in the beginning i have some fellow reefers who can assist.

so here i start

"Some believe the results but believe the system is just much too complicated and too expensive", i hope to change this and show a detailed practical, real-life scenario, i even got a camera for this , so remember this is a work in progress...


This is in no way meant to explain scientifically how the system works, in the beginning anyway or convert you to the ZeoVit way or knock DSB's etc, i am going to explain and expand on the Zeo Guide in laymen's terms what the system is about for those that are interested in knowing about ZeoVit, and getting a nice Zeovit community going here at MASA.

I wanted to find out more about zeovit since I was already using NeoZeo from Brightwell and experimenting in Amino Acids. So while searching the internet and forums I found very mixed results, the scientific community seem to frown on the system, primiarly because the designer, Thomas Pohl, would not release the ingredients of what is in the additives. I thought in the beginning this would be bad, but logic convinced me the proof is in trying and as a hobbiest how would knowing the ingredients help me????

So while the results can be achieved through various other methods, i chose to explore this avenue as there was very little margin for error. Having said this, your system is not running on a knifes edge and i hope to experience this

so lets comment and chat and debate about this and at the end of it, i will convert this to an article

some reading

What Does ZeoVit Do?

Zeovit is not a one-size fits all system, since every system is different and has different needs, the dosage and products used of zeovit will vary from one tank to another. Although itss a very precise system, you will get your best results by watching your corals and letting them tell you what is needed.

The purpose of the ZEOvit system is to easily and reliably create, and maintain, a poor nutrient environment or Low Nutrient System (LNS) in the reef tank similar to the natural reef environment. The goal is to reduce nutrients like nitrate and phosphate without lowering the levels of important minerals, like calcium and magnesium, and carbonate hardness.

In order for the ZEOvit method to be successful, a few fundamental husbandry techniques and equipment components must also be included in your design and operation. These are strong and efficient skimming, lighting sufficient for the intended corals and livestock, regular weekly water changes, addition of elements at low levels, controlled addition of nutrients to create stabile water parameters (Ca, Mg, KH, Salinity).

The five basic components are:
1. A Balanced Mix of zeolites (ZEOvit).
2. A Microorganism Solution (ZEObak).
3. A combination of Bacteria and Coral Food (ZEOfood)
4. Bacteria Food (ZEOstart)
5. Constant Filtration with Activated Carbon

The reduction of nutrients and the establishment of a poor nutrient system results from the interaction between ZEObak, ZEOfood, ZEOstart, and the zeolite filter media (ZEOvit).The three different zeolites of the media were chosen because of their ability to reduce certain toxins in a balanced manner. It is important to "clean" the ZEOvit filter media daily to maintain optimum performance.

The interaction between ZEObak, ZEOfood, ZEOstart, and the zeolite filter media (ZEOvit) produces a "mulm". The "mulm", released from the ZEOvit material, contains bacteria that is used as food by the corals. This is very important because it provides nutrients to the animals, and has a very positive impact on the colors, polyp extension and vitality of the corals. Large Polyped Corals (LPS) react with fully expanded tissue.

THIS IS NOT ONLY A SYSTEM FOR SPS!

Certain elements are adsorbed as well, and require replacement to counteract depletion.

The ZEOvit method can be successfully used with bare-bottom (BB), shallow sand bed (SSB), deep sand bed (DSB), and Berlin-style system designs. The use of live rock (LR) is not required. UV sterilizers, ozonizers, and nutrient exporting macroalgae are not compatible with the ZEOvit method.

 

[Tremayn]

Sounds great uncle Dallas .. Will be watching this thread and the other.. I have been thinking of going Zeo for a while now .. Some of the best tanks use zeo.. well most of the best tanks on reef central use zeo

 

[dallasg]

Thanks to TSR and @Submariner for making this a new viable route in SA.
While some will think its expensive for larger tanks, is providing a stable beneficial habitat for our corals worth it? As for fish there is no real benefit other than prestine waters

 

[pXius]

Very interesting!

Definitely tagging along! And thanks for taking the leap for SA reefers.

 

[Tremayn]

@dallasg whats the system vol on your new tank?

 

[dallasg]

Made it a 100g or 400L so the dosing is easier

 

[ScottK]

Tagging along.

I have just started with Zeovit in a reactor but haven't purchased all of the components.

At this point I am substituting some of the components only due to having them already. Maybe you can comment on whether my assumptions/substitutions are correct.

1. zeolites i am using ZEOvit
2. Instead ZEObak I am currently using Bio digest/Stability
3. I am not using anything to substitute ZEOfood at the moment. I have no SPS just softies, is this necesarry for my system?
4. Instead ZEOstart I am using Reef Biofuel. Could any carbon source be used here?
5. I am running a combination of Activated Carbon and Purigen

I will most likely move over to the recommended components once my current stock runs out just for simplicity sake. A lot of reefers may be in my position with similar components from other methods such as the NeoZeo which may be compatible with the Zeovit method, this could drop the initial outlay and make it easier to move over.

 

[Tremayn]

Tagging along.

I have just started with Zeovit in a reactor but haven't purchased all of the components.

At this point I am substituting some of the components only due to having them already. Maybe you can comment on whether my assumptions/substitutions are correct.

1. zeolites i am using ZEOvit
2. Instead ZEObak I am currently using Bio digest/Stability
3. I am not using anything to substitute ZEOfood at the moment. I have no SPS just softies, is this necesarry for my system?
4. Instead ZEOstart I am using Reef Biofuel. Could any carbon source be used here?
5. I am running a combination of Activated Carbon and Purigen

I will most likely move over to the recommended components once my current stock runs out just for simplicity sake. A lot of reefers may be in my position with similar components from other methods such as the NeoZeo which may be compatible with the Zeovit method, this could drop the initial outlay and make it easier to move over.

Good questions! I also am interested in the answers

 

[Arries]

Hmmm tagging along as im still very confused on my filtration for my 1.2m in progress...How is the maintenace on these systems and how often do u have 2 change the media ect...

 

[Michael B]

Great thread & will be tagging along the journey - all the best dallasg

 

[dallasg]

Tagging along.

I have just started with Zeovit in a reactor but haven't purchased all of the components.

At this point I am substituting some of the components only due to having them already. Maybe you can comment on whether my assumptions/substitutions are correct.

1. zeolites i am using ZEOvit
2. Instead ZEObak I am currently using Bio digest/Stability
3. I am not using anything to substitute ZEOfood at the moment. I have no SPS just softies, is this necesarry for my system?
4. Instead ZEOstart I am using Reef Biofuel. Could any carbon source be used here?
5. I am running a combination of Activated Carbon and Purigen

I will most likely move over to the recommended components once my current stock runs out just for simplicity sake. A lot of reefers may be in my position with similar components from other methods such as the NeoZeo which may be compatible with the Zeovit method, this could drop the initial outlay and make it easier to move over.

Will answer shortly

Great thread & will be tagging along the journey - all the best dallasg

Thanks, its going to be a good one

 

[irie ivan]

Wrt mixing other methologies with zeo: it can and will work, its just that the addition of bacterial quantities, their food, etc. Etc has all been worked out, well sort of.
Some food for thought:
- why zeo recommends so much less liverocK?
- why do they advise against the use of live sand?
- heavily focussed on nutrient removal and then adding them back...
- and those colour enhancers.... The ability of additions of metals like copper, iron, manganese,etc to each enhance different clades of flourescent pigments in such small quantities... What colurs do gold and silver enhance......?

 

[dallasg]

Wrt mixing other methologies with zeo: it can and will work, its just that the addition of bacterial quantities, their food, etc. Etc has all been worked out, well sort of.
Some food for thought:
- why zeo recommends so much less liverocK? all they say is that its not required, but one can use as much or as little as one wants
- why do they advise against the use of live sand? the short answer, is the live-sand contains different bacteria from the innoculating type we try to establish with ZeoBak

- heavily focussed on nutrient removal and then adding them back... sorry i disagree, but nutrients they focus on nitrates, phosphates without removing calcium, mag and alk, thats the goal of the system, the regular water changes keep things in check, and if needed one can add. the only nutrient removed in excess is Potassium, K+, due to the zeolites
- and those colour enhancers.... The ability of additions of metals like copper, iron, manganese,etc to each enhance different clades of flourescent pigments in such small quantities... What colurs do gold and silver enhance......?
so whats wrong with them? we all like to tweek and using the natural gas burning colours of the elements to colour the zoozanthallae is just a different way, Brightwell's KoralKolor and PhytoChrom so the same

To add to my first post, the only required test kit to own is a potassium/Kalium , K+, test kit. Potassium is removed be the zeolites naturally, not every system is perfect, so we need to monitor its consumption so that it can be replaced properly

 

[dallasg]

what Questions do you reefers have? what are your reservations?

Dosing Regime
Yes this seems like a difficult and time consuming section, but it take about 10min in the morning and 10min at night... and for those worried about missing a day etc one can miss a few days provided the system methods as a whole are followed

 

[dallasg]

Mug Shots

The Fantastic 4

 

[irie ivan]

You're talking to long time zeo user \abuser . Got no beef with the products or system.
Trying to establish some food for thought and give the tempted ones a good understanding as to the why this system works so well for popping colours... Not referring to the zeo stones sucks ammonia and gives place for bacteria blah blah blah,,,.. There's more to it.... Overstanding

So I ask again, why do we not want the different bacteria from live sand!
If we can add as much lr as we want, does this not add different strains than what we are inocculating with?
Are the products we are adding back not nutrients?
K, Mg, Ca are not nutrients, they are elements.
We are not colouring the zooxanthellae, as they are algae, we are enhancing the flourescent and non flourescent colour pigments which are chroma proteins produced by corals, which function to (amongst other things) protect zooxanthellae, reflect light to zoox and perhaps provide optimal spectral output to optimise efficiency of energy nutrient production in zooxanthellae....

Mouthfull..

 

[archiecrain]

Ive often thought of going the Zeo route, but never seriously until submariner came along.....

time consuming section, but it take about 10min in the morning and 10min at night... and for those worried about missing a day etc one can miss a few days provided the system methods as a whole are followed

This has always been my put off with this system....what If I forget? what if I go on holiday?

what Questions do you reefers have? what are your reservations?

1)What are the running costs?....for a 100l system....certain additives arn't too cheap, niether is a good potassium test kit!!

2)I do a bi-weekly water change....would that not almost be counter productive as Im removing and re-adding.....both water change and additives?

3)What If I forget to pump the mulm off the Zeo stones? Just slows their performance? Or other adverse affects?

4)what about my other bacteria such as Special Blend?

 

[dallasg]

You're talking to long time zeo user \abuser . Got no beef with the products or system.
Trying to establish some food for thought and give the tempted ones a good understanding as to the why this system works so well for popping colours... Not referring to the zeo stones sucks ammonia and gives place for bacteria blah blah blah,,,.. There's more to it.... Overstanding

So I ask again, why do we not want the different bacteria from live sand!
If we can add as much lr as we want, does this not add different strains than what we are inocculating with?
Are the products we are adding back not nutrients?
K, Mg, Ca are not nutrients, they are elements.
We are not colouring the zooxanthellae, as they are algae, we are enhancing the flourescent and non flourescent colour pigments which are chroma proteins produced by corals, which function to (amongst other things) protect zooxanthellae, reflect light to zoox and perhaps provide optimal spectral output to optimise efficiency of energy nutrient production in zooxanthellae....

Mouthfull..

while i am still getting to the advanced testing, i am thinking that its to do with adding the unknown and while zeovit bactering are multi-strain they are function specific. there are numerous users using live sand and no issues but every system is unique, its also limiting "pollutants" so that its easier to measure the points of error

 

[dallasg]

1)What are the running costs?....for a 100l system....certain additives arn't too cheap, niether is a good potassium test kit!!
while the product is actually not that much more than brightwell, on a 100L system you should get 5-7months out of the basic 4, and up to 30 months with the other products. so it is extremely affordable

2)I do a bi-weekly water change....would that not almost be counter productive as Im removing and re-adding.....both water change and additives?
you only need to use the basic 4, so water changes weekly are not a waste, as for the other additives they are dosed weekly some daily and used up, remember we adding drops and mostly less than 10ml etc

3)What If I forget to pump the mulm off the Zeo stones? Just slows their performance? Or other adverse affects?
if you forget then you pump when you can, it just helps prolong the zeolites, which are changed every 6-8 weeks, but those are guidelines

4)what about my other bacteria such as Special Blend?
there is no need for it

 

[dallasg]

....
Trying to establish some food for thought and give the tempted ones a good understanding as to the why this system works so well for popping colours... Not referring to the zeo stones sucks ammonia and gives place for bacteria blah blah blah,,,.. There's more to it.... Overstanding

thats my reason for starting this little journey, i am hoping to empower reefers, with my experiences and others