Too aggressive with Zeolites - the result

[d-crazy]

This is my first time on here!!! not quite shure how it works yet.Moving to Kamloops from Vernon, going to be taking down and re-setting up my 40 gallon cube.

In regards to the thread, would the high levels of phosphates/nitrates that you wer originally trying to remove not be the cause of your corals demise? and you are just seeing the result later on, and then eventually they will heal up wen the levels of phos/nitr are removed? Its not like the levels suddenly dropped over night right? how long had you had the corals for, last water change??
Darin.

[Myka]

Thanks for all the condolences guys! I think the corals are still savable, which is why I'm calling it quits at this point because I think a few more days and it will be at the point of no return.

In regards to Darin's question (welcome to the board btw!!), my phosphate and nitrate were both undetectable using Salifert and Elos kits before the introduction of the Zeolites. I didn't check phosphate with a D-D kit beforehand though, so I'm not sure what the actual level was. The Zeovit system is designed with SPS in mind mainly, and is to produce an ultra low nutrient system for incredible SPS coloration. The system is actually quite remarkable.

Thanks for your comment Naesco (and everyone else who remarked about the nice corals). My LPS were all doing very well before going to the full Zeo system. I used Coral Vitalizer and Sponge Power for about 6 months before starting to get further into the Zeovit system. The LPS responded very well to these additives. I wanted to start using the full Zeovit system as my SPS had decent color, but not SHEZAM!! So I am attempting to get better coloration via Zeovit by lowering nitrate and phosphate to "near zero", which is much lower than Salifert or Elos kits can detect.

For those asking about the corals' future...I believe they are still savable at this point provided I can figure out how to reduce their stress without creating more in the process! I have put up some new questions regarding this to the Zeovit forums, so hopefully I will have an answer. I think either removing or reducing the amount of the Zeolites should do the trick.

As far as the rest of the Zeovit additives go in regards to Delphinus' question about adjusting dosing... I have increased dosing of Coral Vitalizer, Xtra, and Sponge Power in hopes to provide the LPS with enough food to recover. I have suspended dosing of Bak, and have stopped kneading the Zeolites and carbon twice daily in hopes of slowing down the nutrient export. Although I continue to dose Start to feed the existing bacteria.

I have been doing 12% weekly water changes, and have started to watch my calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium closer with daily dosings. SPS growth is exploding since the addition of the Zeolites even though some colonies have browned a bit, and some colonies have really increased color.

I really didn't realise the scope of the effects of the Zeolites. I under estimated them. I figured I would post this to warn others to be careful.

[lobsterboy]

i might have missed this, but have you tried the amino acid for LPS. they sugguest you use this when starting your zeo system as it allows for some xtra foods to be the water coloum.

[naesco]

Still missing something, Myka.
If the beautify coral pictures were taken before you started the zeo thing, why did you decide to try the zeo route. Was it just a matter of trying something new?
It appears there have been some successes but a lot of failures too and I understand the zeo are very expensive. Is that true?

[Myka]

And the plot thickens...

~ End of July buy new Salifert calcium test kit, and notice new kit is reading just about 100 ppm higher than the old kit. Old kit was expired, so I assume the new one is closer to accurate. At this point, calcium is reading 520 ppm on the new kit.

~ Mid-August have calcium lowered to 420 ppm with new kit.

~ Yesterday I get my water tested at the LFS with an Elos kit. This is an older Elos kit with only 50 ppm increments. The color change is slight at 300 ppm, and very clear at 350 ppm, so it is likely around 325 ppm with the Elos kit. My Salifert calcium kit reads 420 ppm using the same water.

~ Today I remember that my old Salifert kit read 100 ppm lower than my new one. So...I'm starting to think my new Salifert kit really is reading 100 ppm higher than my actual calcium reading which means my calcium may be as low as 320 ppm since mid-August.

I am going to email the batch number into Salifert and find out if there are any complaints.

----------------------------------------

Naesco, I started using a few of the Zeo additives last March (CV and SP). I saw really amazing results. I recently started collecting many SPS and the colors are good, but not great, so I figured why not try out the complete Zeo system? Zeo is expensive to startup, cheap to maintain. So far, the only "additive" I have had any trouble with is the Zeolites. The rest as really quite impressive. The Zeolites are impressive too...but in a different way right now!!

Lobsterboy, I haven't tried the AALPS. Mostly because I'm feeling a budget cramp with Christmas coming on and having to pay someone to look after my dog and tank for 2 weeks. I will go today, and pick up a bottle. *sigh*

Mr Wilson, I was waiting for a definite response from the Zeoheads to confirm that removing the Zeolites won't further increase stress on the corals, but I'm going to go ahead and remove the Zeolites right now.

[lobsterboy]

thats cool, the bottle will go along way with helping those corals out.

they are just hungry,

and what about removing half of the zeolites now and then half later...? its just a thought if you havent done it already.

[lobsterboy]

i guess i am out of the loop abit, i just checked the date on your post.

anyways, so what happened? hows things doing?

[bowkry]

I started zeo 8 weeks ago and I removed some of my things (sun coral and some other) but my other lps (frogspawn favia trupet and a bunch other) are doing great. But I also ran my reactor 3h on 3h off for the first 3 weeks at low flow so not to shock my corals. And WOW I now have some corals that look like the ones I used to drool over online. You prob. hit it way way to hard.

[Myka]

I have a bunch of Euphyllia, they are all doing well. Even a Palau Nepthea is doing really well as with a photosynthetic gorgonian. Ricordea, Cyphastrea, clams, Galaxea, GSP, Trumpet, they are all doing well too. The only ones affected are 5 out of 7 brain corals, the Duncan, and the Acans (only one frag).

I think it was a mistake to add the Zeolites without a reactor to monitor the actual flow (instead of guessing with the passive flow). When I try to reintroduce the Zeolites I will start with a smaller amount, do the 3 hours on 3 off cycle, and I will wait until my reactor is built. I don't foresee any issues with a more conservative approach. I really under estimated the power of the Zeolites.

[mr.wilson]

I don't see any signs of tissue necrosis or infection of any sort in the photos. Your corals are healthy. They just aren't opening to feed due to the lack of nutrients in the water. SPS and LPS aren't usually found together in nature due to their varying requirements. In other words, you can't please all of the corals all of the time. If you feed the tank phytoplankton it will promote the growth of microfauna that will in turn feed your corals. Bioavailable nutrients will get your corals to open again. Target feeding will speed things along.

The favia lost some of its zooxanthellae by the looks of it. This doesn't fit with a low nutrient problem. It is however something that is caused by other Zeovit products that bleach corals for better colours. I'm not too familiar with their product line, so I'm not sure which ones nave this effect, but zeovit media is not one of them. What else are you putting in the tank?