Thoughts on zeovit

asylumdown · #1 05-31-2011, 12:09 AM

Just wondering how far people here go with the zeovit system, and for those who don't do it at all, how they maintain ULN systems.

I like the idea behind zeovit, or, I should say, I like the zeo tanks that I've seen posted online. Then I go on the zeovit forums and read people's daily dosing schedules and I get dizzy. I'm gone for at least a week out of every month, sometimes more, but even if I never left my house the manual dosing schedules true zeoheads adhere to simply do not mesh with my lifestyle or personality.

So, as an open question, how far do you go with it. And if you don't, how do you keep your tank looking as good as all the zeotanks I keep seeing everywhere?

spawn · #2 05-31-2011, 12:31 AM

I like the zeo theory & results as well. But the full system with the reactor does not fit in my current tank or with my lifestyle either. I've gotten fairly good results by dosing some of their products & doing 10% weekly water changes. As well providing as absolutely stable as an environment for the inhabitants as possible. I dose vodka & have for 6-7 months & in the last couple of months have started to use zeo's start3 in combination with the vodka on alternating days & slightly different amounts. based on what my tank has started to show. I try to stay as consistent with alternating supplements & dosing what on different days, but know that with out keeping record on paper, I personaly make some mistakes or forget some stuff. Just dose less than the bottle says & pay attention to the results. Look closely. Here is a link for vodka dosing http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/index.php

marie · #3 05-31-2011, 01:16 AM

I've had good results with sps without using zeo. A good skimmer and water changes is all you need

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=45755

*edit* and you'll also need a ton of calcium and alk when all the corals start to grow

reefermadness · #4 05-31-2011, 01:57 AM

I gotta ask why when people ask about zeovit. Yes it has proven to work but I've seen just as nice of tanks with simpler systems.

Dez · #5 05-31-2011, 02:02 AM

I've been on the system since day one. I'm slowly weaning the tank off of all of the additives and just sticking with the basic Bak/food and reactor as this is what gets it to ULNS. I haven't seen any change in the colouration of the corals yet. Only time will tell. I'm only weaning it off to save money cause those additives are expensive, not cause I'm not happy with it. The basic zeo system is quite simple. I've seen lots of gorgeous tanks not on zeo as well.

whatcaneyedo · #6 05-31-2011, 02:26 AM

No zeo here. I don't like the fact that they don't list what is actually in the bottles. Aggressive skimming, regular water changes and GFO works for me.

globaldesigns · #7 05-31-2011, 03:42 PM

I ran the full system for a couple years, now off of it... Never got the results like others. Trying the KISS method (KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID). Now just doing good water changes and running a bit of pellets. Still using Coral Vitalizer and Food7 with the odd dose of Coral Snow.

asylumdown · #8 05-31-2011, 04:03 PM

Its nice to hear that it's not necessary to use the entire system. I like the idea of having the zeolites and the basic stuff, but if you read the zeo forums they make it seem like you're just going to starve your tank if you don't also use thousands of other things as well.

Has anyone been able to automate the dosing of the basic components?

cwatkins · #9 06-01-2011, 10:50 PM

I only use a few of the Zeo products daily (Coral Vit, AA concentrate, Xtra). I dose Bak once per week, but I think my bottle is expired

I couldn't even imagine how much it would cost to automate dosing of several Zeo components unless you could mix them into a solution.

P.S. I try to run ULNS via Bio pellets but I know my PO4 is higher than it should be. So it's not a full ULNS yet. But you should see the crazy polyp extension I get!

mike31154 · #10 06-02-2011, 03:51 AM

Don't know much about it except that it seems pretty costly & as others have posted, complex to the point of sillyness if you go whole hog. Daily dosing to chain you to your system? I'm not interested in a ULN system anyhow. A marketers dream, get you buying something you think you can't do without. Nice steady income for the producer, and what, no info on the ingredients. Again, a marketers dream, since it's not for human consumption, you pretty well have free rein as to what you put in there since there are no repercussions if you lose your livestock other than perhaps a refund or care package.