I did the 3 on, 3 off and my sysytem is not SPS. I have only one Turbinaria. I think it's important regardless.

Oh I totally agree, it just wasn't feasible in my case and they (the zeovit peeps) suggested dialing back the output as an option

One of the experts on the ZEO board gave me this info:

cycling balance reduces the nutrients more effectively than continuous flow, although, it is not an absolute, & nutrients will gradually be depleted with continuous flow, albeit longer time needed. Generally, the cycling is recommended until all 'stored' nutrients within the live rock/sand is depleted...about 4-10 mos. with the avg. being 6 mos...this is considered latter Phase 2 or Phase 3[see Phase description in the sticky section]Cycling can be done indefinitely, if one so chooses.


So cycling 2 on and 3 off will actually remove nutrients faster. Something I am definitely going to do.

Just need to test the potassium now and if that is ok, I can start. Otherwise I will need to dose for potassium. My alk has dropped to an acceptable level for ZEO after a few days without the limewater dosing.

EDIT: No my alk is still a bit too high. I just went back to double check the acceptable level for alk and I am still too high. So more waiting. No rush anyways...

Was really hoping to start ZEO this weekend but my water is still all out of whack :(

Sg. 1.026
Temp. 79.5-80.4
NO3 15 (Salifert)
PO4 0.03 (Elos)
K+ 320 (Korallen Zucht)
Alk 14 (Elos)
Ca 440 (Elos)
Mg 1250 (Elos)

I am going to dose the ZEOvit K+ product to get potassium to 390 and stop all together with the alk part of my two part to try to get it down! I can't believe its still so high. Thats the one that is really stopping me from starting...maybe next week sometime.

Thanks for posting about the on/off cycling of the pump. I was misinformed on that and went with continuous flow after just two weeks. I'm just over 9 weeks in, now, and have gone back to 3/3. I hope I didn't screw things up 7 weeks ago.

Cheers,

I doubt it. It sounds like if you were seeing good results with it on all the time, there isn't really a problem. I think its a good idea to go back to 3/3 but I am not one to give you advice. I have just been reading and reading and reading so far.

The problem with having the reactor going all the time in the beginning was that it can be too much of a shock to the system. Apparently you can strip the water of all nutrients very quickly with ZEO and kill off your sps.

Many of the cases where reefers encountered RTN at start up was because they either used too much Zeolites, too much flow through the Zeolites, too much dosing, ect. Basically a huge shock to the tank.

Now if my darn alk would just go down!


FWIW, I have NO more faith in Salifert test kits! Elos all the way now. Someone over at the ZEO site messaged me saying to try testing alk three times in a row with the Salifert test...I thought it was weird but did it anyways. Hmmm...different every time. Tried the Elos 2 times in a row and exact same each time. Many people over there have been saying the Elos or LaMotte kits are really the way to go. My salifert nitrate kit seems off too.

Interesting. I have an Elos KH kit just sitting doing nothing, waiting for me to "use up" my Salifert kit. I think I'll consider the Salifert "used up" and give the Elos a go.

Thanx and cheers and good luck with that Alk,

How are you reading your elos test kit? Is it 1 drop=1dkh or 1 drop=.5dkh .
I followed the directions on the paper 1 drop= 1 dkh and had a reading of 15 dkh (salifert was reading 7.8 ) It took days for my alk to drop to 10 dkh and then someone on here posted that the instructions on the paper are wrong you have to follow the directions on the card which reads 1 drop = .5 dkh my alk was actually at 5dkh and the elos and salifert test kits agree with each other :lol:


http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=48135

Well...that would explain things! LOL

But I have been reading and checking around and found that the Salifert ones are suppose to be quite unreliable. If what you say about ELOS is right (and I do believe you) then my salifert and elos do not match.

By now my dkh should have dropped. Going by .5 dkh a drop, it has. Going by my salifert, it has stayed the same or gone up. I tested with salifert three times in a row and got different results each time.

I am not really sure what to think of it all but I will test with Elos again tomorrow with this new info and then see if I can start ZEO.

Marie, thanks so much for this info! If not for you mentioning this, I would have been going nuts wondering why my alk wasn't dropping!

Thanks! Give the Elos a try and let us know what you find compared to the Salifert. I am interested.