Zeovit - Enough talk, show some pics
 

Ok, so my LFS is trying to sell me on Zeovit, and gave me a brochure with lots of pretty colored SPS. He promises my tank will look just like that if I use Zeovit.
Now, I've been to the zeovit forums, and overall, I don't see lots of pics like the brochure. In fact, I've seen nicer tanks from members here that don't use Zeovit (or don't admit it:)).

So, I've been seeing lots of people here jumping on the wagon, and I figure we should start seeing some of these purdy SPS pics from these users. Can I see them? I can get a good price on the system and will consider it if I believe it will work, just need to see the pics of people's successes.

Also, for those of you that have just as nice or nicer SPS without Zeovit, let's hear how you do it. (Jamie and Marc could jump in here :))

So, as the title says, enough talk about how great it is, let's see it posted!!

Hope this is not out of place, but i found if you can manage sps growth without zeo you get richer/darker colors. Zeo seem to make your tank look like a box of pastels you get from the art store. Mind you this is strictly from observing other peoples tanks :) I would like to see some pictures to.

I see a lot of pastel colors on the zeovit site, but the ones I noticed were using T5 lighting. The brochure has pics of rich deep colors.

one word..."PHOTOSHOP" :lol: Do you think they would put out a brochure that shows the wonderful results that can be achieved WITHOUT being sure that the picture is "perfect?" I don't think so...
Maybe I'll photoshop a pic of one of my corals...tell me which is real (untouched) and which is p'shopped...I'll post pics soon.

Ya, maybe some editing is involved, but I've seen these colors in person without Zeo. So the colors are possible. I'm asking to see real photos from people that are touting the system as a great thing.
So let's see what Zeo has done for you, or pics of why you don't need it and how you got there.

Never mind

http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thu...ng_the_pot.jpg

I can post some pics of my tank but I am a horrible photographer. I'm now 7 weeks in and have seen major changes, right now mainly in water clarity and reduction of Nitrates/Phosphates and in turn the bad algae.

I am starting to see colours in SPS. The best example so far is a scroll that I purchased totally brown and is now turning green and purple.

Jumping on to see some of these photos. I too have wandered around the Zeo forums, and have seen similar things.

I found I could get lots of nice deep and varied colors myself with no additives, just a large bioload (its all about the fish poop!), and maintaining my Ca, dKH, and Mg levels with reactors.

photoshop vs zeovit
 

Ok....just some playing in photoshop...don't believe what you see in ANY ad or brochure:idea:

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/dat...-giggles-4.jpg

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/dat...-giggles-2.jpg

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/dat...-giggles-3.jpg


And of course...some nice pastels :biggrin:..Rushed doing this, so it's not the cleanest work I have ever done (actually, some of the poorest) but you can get the idea

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/dat...-giggles-1.jpg

Jason, you're using this, right? I'm interested in your thoughts so far. Are the claims accurate? Or at least worth the almost $400 to get going?

Are you seeing your SPS coloring up, or are you seeing new colors?

All i can say is that I did have beautiful colors (Green, Red, Blue and Pink) with T5 and ZEO, right until I decided to give it “a little bit more flow” .
The result is Dead SPS colonies within 3 days. Only one pink colony survived, but blues, reds and greens are gone fast !
The ones that survived are recovering now , but this was about $300 lesson
:sad:

When i switched from PC lights to T5 and Zeo. I had a brown green SPS that used to be pink (got from Chin Lee long time ago),it was brown for two years (!) this thing turned pink in three month and it was beautifull deep pink color.
Zeo works but follow the instructions precisely.
Well after my flow experiment this frag is now light green and recovering , not sure what color it will be but its still alive !

At least for me it is colouring up, as I did not have much SPS before I went the T5/zeo route so I don't have any long lasting SPS comparisions.

Im my LPS (frogspawn,torch, brain) that I had before the swtich I have noted more extension and plumpness with the brain.. I even see feeding tentacles during the daylight hours.

You NEED Zeo products to have colorful SPS - it's a fact.

:question: While I respectfully disagree with your statement, do you have any photos of your own system? Do you even have and SPS system on Zeo at this time?

LOL!! I hear ya ;)

Zeovit are for people who haven't master the art of maintaining a stable system naturally. There is a chemical and biological balance that needs to be meet and kept as constant as possible to achieve the colorful stony corals. IMO, most hobbiests lack the true understand of a the biological filtration process and how ph, alkalinity, magnesium affect one another. Once you master how to manipulate these factors and keep them as a constant level, you will see your coral grow with a smile. By no means I've mastered it, but by keeping these levels constant, my corals can give zeoheads a run for their money. My secret weapon was getting my Ca reactor effluent as stable as possible and running the biggest skimmer that can fit into my sump.

I disagree, as I don't think that is a fair assesment. Even with zeo you still need to have an understanding of NSW and the ability to keep in line Ca/Alk/PH. You cannot just buy a reactor and a bunch of bottles of zeo goodies and expect to have a "show tank"

Each time a Thread on Zeovit and it's results is started. It turns into this

Like I would actually take part in this thread.

Sorry Brad. Next time you jump over to the mainland PM me. I'm about 5 minutes from the ferry

J

I'll rephrase that. With a good understanding and the ability to keep ph,alk,cal,mag, and nutrient levels balanced, you will achieve good colors. You don't need zeovit to achieve that, it's just a poor excuse that cost money and time that you don't need.

Zeovit isn't necessary, but it's fun.

I will say this: the water clarity I got with Zeo was unparalleled with anything previous I tried, including denitrators and ozone. The difference in water clarity truly caught me off guard. I feel the water was far more polished looking than with anything I've tried previously.

The use of Zeo allows me to increase my margins: I can feed more to my livestock than I would be able to without, and not hopefully not worry about NO3 or PO4 running away on me. And I don't need to run GFO, so that helps. And it has the benefit of feeding the corals as well.

So, I'm happy with Zeo, and plan to continue with it. I'm a total newb at Zeo though, I'm only one month in.

But, it's not a limiting factor by any stretch. There are nice SPS tanks with Zeo, there are nice SPS tanks without Zeo. It is therefore not a critical path or limiting factor, but just one tool that one can employ out of an arsenal of tools or methodologies. As with many other things, it's not what's right, but what's right for you that counts in the end. :)

Well put Tony.

I've Never used zeo :mrgreen:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../puacro001.jpg

Hmm...I have to respectfully disagree with this statement as well. It is certainly NOT a fact. "It's a fact" may be just an expression people throw around a bit casually.

There are two aspects to Zeo that would probably stop me from ever getting fully involved.

The first is that they won't tell me what is in their little bottles. "Add 1 drop of this per 25 gallons per day"...What am I putting in there? OK, it is their secret to keep...but it just doesn't feel right to me. (Note that I am currently adding sponge power and one other one....so it's not like I won't do it...just that it doesn't quite sit right with me)

The second is that it feels a bit like following someone else's instructions. Do exactly this...do exactly that...achieve exactly the same thing as everyone else. My tank is too much an expression of my individuality to just follow an instruction manual.

The system seems to produce the results as promised...but that in itself doesn't provide me reason to use it.

i'm starting this wednesday :mrgreen:
gonna just start off with K-balance for growth and color and get some coral snow and see how it works out

edited for bitter and disgruntled content.....;)

I agree with Tony as well.
I have seen nice looking sps tanks that use zeo and plenty that don't. IMO colourful sps has several variables, one many people don't discuss is genetics. Not all corals of the same species will look exactly the same so don't expect it. Although you can often get lucky with unknowns I generally prefer to get pieces that are from known good parent colonies because over the years I have bought my fair share of duds that I thought might have potential but never lived up to my expectations. That said, low nitrates, minimal alk & ph spikes are key. Proper flow, lighting and skimming are also major parts of the equation. I personally don't use zeo and for the most part have managed to achieve pretty reasonable colour. Using zeo or not is a personal preference and good results are not guaranteed with any husbandry method unless proper care is provided.
Because I tend to over stock my tank with both fish & corals I use an oversized skimmer and dose with AA's to help lower my nitrates. Some may call it a lack of skill or cheating on my part which is fine but I only do a 10% water change every 5-8 weeks so for me it's worth it.:wink:

For the "that's a fact" comment here is an example from my tank that I think has colour due to genetics and a healthy environment, not zeo or even AA's. Who knows, with zeo it may get better colour? I don't know but in reality this picture although bright doesn't really do it justice.
(I disturbed it before the picture so the polyps would retract to better show the coralites)
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...supergrape.jpg

Oh my. That thing is insane!!!

I'm not sure but I thought Canadian might have been pulling a fast one with the "need" comment, because Brad had said something a couple weeks ago about needing halides (which I think was also in jest). Maybe I'm off base and maybe I shouldn't be speculating what others mean.

To me, you don't need halides but you do need good light. You don't need a skimmer but you do need careful management of nutrient import vs. nutrient export. You don't need Tunzes or Vortechs but you do need adequate water movement. Etc. Etc.

For the record.. the "It's fact comment" is a friendly jab against Brad's own comments regarding MH when compared against T5 in these two threads where he loving says that "you NEED MH.. it's a fact" :p

http://canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=40826

http://canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=40940

Zactly!! :)

I thought this was supposed to be a picture thread of tanks/corals using Zeo??? I was also interested to see these corals, but all I see are pics of people saying "I don't use it, and see what I have!". Maybe we need a new thread...

Zeovit is like your tank having its own personal trainer.

bv_reefer: I would get a kalium test kit before dosing K-Balance. Depending on which salt your using and how old your tank is, the levels may be fine.

Hey, here's what I KNOW:

1) In the 2 weeks since I set up my first reef tank my SPS have never looked better than they have in the last 3 days since starting dosing.

2) The people who posted pics of their SPS to show off how much color they have without ZEO cheated and photoshopped their pics - that's a fact!

3) There have been 11 randomized controlled trials that have conclusively shown that ZEO products were able to completely eliminate malignant melanoma. Incidentally, those patients who underwent the ZEO treatment also developed incredible tans and perfect complexions.






















Wow! Impressive over-reaction from a lot of people - well done! Tony, Greg and Brad hit the nail on the head.

From an aesthetic standpoint I actually like the "pastel" colors that some people criticize Zeo users of getting when used in conjunction with T5s in a lot of tanks. If I could affordably automate the dosing of Zeo products I would most likely give it a try. But given the weekly travel that I have to do I just can't try it until the end of the summer when my schedule settles down.

snappy you dose AAs,what are they amino acids and how much do you dose?

Well geez, if comments like that are made, then a road map to all relevant posts would be nice to have BEFORE I feel a need to respond

OK I will chime in.

I ran an SPS dominated tank for 5 years prior to going with a larger tank and starting Zeovit.
My colour prior to using Zeovit was great. I had pieces from many local reefers that actually became way better than in others tanks. I was very happy with my results.
but I always battled nuance algae like calerpa in my main tank.
So I had a choice build a Refugium or look for alternative nitrate and phosphate removal.
This took place the exact time we started seeing Zeovit in Canada.
After weighing the options I converted my refugium plans into a Frag tank and strated Zeovit after week 2 of my main systems cycle.
I watched as my cycle finished and watched as I had only a small new tank algea bloom.

Things I've observed while on Zeovit
1. My great looking pieces still look great (no major changes)
2. My average pieces have improved colour
3. My boring pieces are now a whole ton nicer

General observations
1. Colour tips of all corals have become richer and the tips colour stretch further down the coral branch
2. using salifert Nitrate test kits there is no nitrates in the water column
3. Using Deltec Phosphate test kits there is less than 0.03 phosphates

Cautions
Unlike what is stated above Zeovit is much more sensitive to improper balance of CA, ALK, Mag. Elevated levels that are used by many is not advised as RTN or bleaching can occur (trust me I know)

Not ever supplement is for everyone. I have found that there are 2 supplements certain corals react poorly to Spur2 and Stylo-Pocci Glow. While others have seen great results form these.

My choice to run Zeo was to aid in Nitrate and Phosphate removal. The Bactria that is responsible for the removal is then used as food for your corals. At times my polyp extension is so good the beauty of the coral is lost.

I typically do not take part in this type of thread because it quickly turns into a witch hunt fuelled by ignorance. but in the spirit of the origin of the thread

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...o/IMG_0952.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...o/IMG_0907.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...Picture017.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...0181Medium.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...0170Medium.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...0173Medium.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...0165Medium.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...DSCF0004-3.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...DSCF0003-3.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...DSCF0002-2.jpg

To ramble on further. the basic elements of Zeovit (ZeoLith, ZeoBac, ZeoStart2, and ZeoFood7) are all part of the nitrate and phosphate removal system.
This will help bring out better colour in coral tissue to a certain extent. but to truly debate the effectiveness of 'Zeo supplements' one should break down the additional additives in the Zeovit system as to their benefits or lack there of.

J

Much like Jason, my justification for going with zeo was to reduce bad algae. No matter what I was doing I could just not seem to kick hair algae and green film algae. As I did not have a lot of coral (and even though I have been adding a few pieces my tank is still very lightly stocked) I had read and seen the benefits of zeo and gave it a shot.

I have been running for 7 weeks now and I have zero GHA (just a little remaining on powerheads but a good vinegar cleaning should take care of that) I have very little green film, just a bit on the glass ever couple days I sweep off, mainly in lower flow areas (which I am going to try to remedy by adding a vortech for wave action)

My water clarity now is amazing, my water no longer looks yellow and is crisp and clear, my waste water coming out of the tank on water changes is almost the same colour as the new water coming in.

I am sure everyones experience will be different but I bought in hook line and sinker.. I am currently using :

Reefers Best Salt
Basic 3 (Start/Bac/Food)
Amino Acid Concentrate
Sponge Power
Coral Snow
Phols Coral Vitaizer

I am considering:
Spur
K-balance
Stylo Pocci-Grow

My coral current stocklist is :

4 Montiporia Colonies
4 Acro Colonies
1 Pocilipora Colony
1 Monti Frag
2 Acro Frag
Ricordia
Zoos
Open Brain
Crocea Clam
Frogspawn
Torch

Purple Tang
Regal Tang
2xPercula
6xChromis
Sleeper Goby
Sixline Wrasse
Firefish