ZEOvit/200G Build Journal - 34G Solana

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

FWIW, here is a pre-ZEO picture of the tank. The tank is a room divider and makes picture taking very tough for me as light on the other side interferes. I took this one at night which helps a bit, otherwise the windows in the other room glare through the tank. I am no good with the camera and this pic looks like the exposure is a little off. I am trying to get better though!

I know the tank is not even close to as brilliant as some of the ZEO tanks I see but thats why I am starting!

I will also take some pics of individual corals to document growth and coloration but I will warn you now, I have nothing rare or special in my tank! Just the usual suspects!



EDIT: The reason for the black bars is that my stand/canopy are still not done and UGLY! LOL

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

One thing ZEO doesn't ask that maybe useful is fish load/list. I guess they don't really care as it doesn't directly impact ZEO but of course the nutrients caused by the fish matter

I will post it anyways...

6" Naso Tang
7" Hippo Tang
4" Yellow Tang
5.5" Blue Spotted Rabbitfish
3" Mandarin
2" Pair of Clowns
6- 3" Scissor Gobies
9- 1.5-2" Blue Chromis
2" Fang Blenny
2" Cleaner Wrasse

Thats 24 fish! Definitely about the max I can go

Feed 3-6 times a day. Mostly pellets. Every two days I feed Mysis soaked in Tropic Marin vitamins and garlic. Nori daily for the tangs and rabbit. Only tang that does not eat nori is the Naso. He nibbles if the pieces are free floating but otherwise he doesn't care for nori.

The mandarin is hard to feed with all the tangs being so aggressive. He seems to know to wait in the corner though and I will target feed him. I am debating finding him a home in a much less "aggressive" tank but so far haven't made up my mind. I really like him and he is eating very well.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

So Jason has helped me a bit over the phone today (Thanks Jason!) and this is the other advice I have received over at the ZEO forum:

Wecome GSP, yea, the window-dressing that the corals provide are a lot of fun Read & download the ZEOvit Guide as it's contains info on the components used in ZEOvit. You're correct in not starting ZEOvit method until all parmeters are inline, including K+[potassium] as you'll need a KZ Kalium test kit & if low[< 380ppm] dose K-Balance Strong@0.5ml/25g net 3-4x's/day daily. Allow the alk. to gradually drop into range[mid-7's] over the next 10-14 days. The recommended guideline parameters are as follows:

Ca 380-420
Mg 1200-1350
dKH 6.5-8.0
K+ ~ 380ppm
salinity 33-35ppt.

With ZEOvit, P04-removers are not needed & counter-productive to the bacterial guilds that process these nutrients. It's best to pull this offline when you eventually begin ZEOvit. For your reef, I suggest the following:

1) place 1 1/4 Cup of well rinsed/soaked activated carbon in a filter bag, passively in your sump. Knead this carbon bag daily & replace monthly.

2) place 1.25ltrs[1 1/4 bags zeolites] in a zeo-rx. with the flow rate of 100-125gph.[~30 seconds to fill a one gal container from the zeo-rx pump] Cycle the rx. on & off at 3hr. intervals, being sure the stones remain submerged when the rx. is off. Clean the zeolites 2x's/day daily with 10-15 reps of the plunger each time while the rx. is on. Initially, the zeolites are exchanged at 4wks. thereafter, the time frame is 6-8wks. Always use 10-20% 'old' stones to seed the new.

3) dose 5 drops Bak & Food7 daily for the 1st 2wks. then dose these 2x's/wk, near the rx. when it's on. ZeoBak can be refrigerated.

4) dose 0.5ml Start2 2x's/day daily near the rx. Dose these basics immediately after tumbling the stones for the best effect.

5) optional: dose 3 drops CV[coral vitalizer]daily into the display for coral nourishment. Later, after zeolite exchange[s] other supplements can gradually be added.

Be sure to post at your 1st exchange, as some dosing adjustments maybe necessary. Bob

Basically what Jason had already advised and the way I am going to approach this. Slowly.

So first off I think is getting all params in check. I have a feeling it could be a week or so until I get the ZEO reactor going as my ALK is way too high. I have stopped with the kalk (for many reasons) and this should help. I was going to stop with kalk in my top off regardless because lately I have just heard of way too many tanks being wiped out due to overdosing!

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Actually here is a shot of the stand/canopy (some of it anyways). What I am still working on is the canopy filling/painting and a stand addition. The stand addition is for a storage area and also a small counter top/table beside the tank. The tank divides the kitchen and living area.

The addition as you can see needs to be topped with plywood and then either tiled or painted. The plan was to use the glass tile you see there in the picture but we have since decided to just use sealed and painted MDF to match the rest of the stand and keep things simple.

I think the glass tile would have gone very well with the tank and our modern furniture but it was also quite expensive.

[lobsterboy]

Hey

I too was freaking out to start the zeovit, hearing that the tank could crash, etc.

anyways I started it up, and its nothing but amazing. I am now three months in. so far so good. Dont try to rush anything.
I am not sure if you are using KZ salt, but I found it hard to keep the tank buffered.
maybe if someone reads this, and knows a solution, PM me.
Great aquascape you got there.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by lobsterboy

Hey

I too was freaking out to start the zeovit, hearing that the tank could crash, etc.

anyways I started it up, and its nothing but amazing. I am now three months in. so far so good. Dont try to rush anything.
I am not sure if you are using KZ salt, but I found it hard to keep the tank buffered.
maybe if someone reads this, and knows a solution, PM me.
Great aquascape you got there.

Hey thanks for the reassurance!

I plan to go very slow. I have had the rector and everything just sitting around for a few days now while I figure it all out. I actually have been reading for a few months now to figure out if this was the right thing for my tank but still feel nervous. After all the reading, this is certainly a great idea for my tank...high bioload and sps dominated. You know what I am really scared to do...take my refugium off line! I know it does a lot for the tank! So I am expecting a nitrate spike for a few weeks while the tank adjusts to no macro algae and the ZEO bacteria gets going.

I am using Tropic Marin salt at the moment but am switching to Reefers Best since it is made to work with the ZEO system. What are you finding hard to keep buffered while using it? It has a low alk right?

Some of the more successful ZEOvit tanks I have seen in Europe seem to be using the Balling method to keep everything else in line. I am going this way as soon as I can find the money to buy a proper doser and the salts.

I am going to test my tanks levels again today and see if the alk has dropped yet. I really hope so.

I also have to get the K+ test since potassium is one of the major elements that is depleted in a low nutrient ZEO system. I have actually never tested potassium before so that should be interesting.


EDIT: From all the reading I have done on ZEOvit.com last night and various other sites, it seems that most of the problems have occurred when people have rushed into ZEO without testing their water parameters and adjusting them to suit the ZEO system OR because they thought adding more than the recommended doses would speed the process up. Then there seems to be some problems when people start using the entire line right from the start instead of starting slow, testing and using the additives that suit their system.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

I have been told that once I get the reactor going, I should begin by cycling it on and off in 3 hour intervals. So 3 hours on, 3 hours off, 3 hours on, ect.

From what I gather, its to be sure the tank is not starved of nutrients all at once which leads to sps problems.

Just wondering how many of you actually did this? I am going to go ahead and do it since I can just set up my controller to turn it on and off for me but I had never heard of this before until some of the guys on the ZEO forum told me its very important to do.