Hey guys and gals,
As I know there are now a few of us that are running full ZEOvit systems and some of us dosing specifics or on the side, I thought it might be a good idea to have a thread specifically for any users of zeo or people with any questions or looking for any particular information I'll go through a bit of a brief overview of the system and some of the different aspects of it so that people can have a rough idea what it's about Feel free to ask any questions including how we think our tanks are going with it, guys don't be shy to post plenty of zeo photo's or coral shots to show it all off
What Does ZEOvit Do?
Let’s start off with what the ZEOvit system actually does. Zeovit is a system that incorporates bacterial sources to help rid an aquarium of excess nutrients and then continues to further reduce any nutrients beyond what is normally obtainable without such tinkering. This is most commonly referred to as an Ultre Low Nutrient System or ULNS, this is a system or tank that has nutrients well below normal standards and are almost virtually undetectable to quite a small accuracy. Much lower than what is commonly found in NSW anywhere bar the most pristine of reefs. The nutrients specifically targeted are ammonia (NH[SUB]3[/SUB]) and phosphate (PO[SUB]4[/SUB]). Due to the targetting of ammonia it therefore also very efficiently removes nitrite and nitrates from the water as there is no ammonia present to feed off.
The best way that I understand this is a two step process:
1.) The system removes nutrients (ammonia and phosphate) through the bacteria that is grown on the zeolites in the reactor and then throughout the tank which is then skimmed and also through the zeolites adsorbing them.
2.) Once ULN has been achieved different things can be done to effect different aspects of corals and their colours through the addition of different zeovit additives. It is also critically important to maintain correct calcium, alkalinity and magnesium levels and then potassium once ULN has been achieved.
Well isn’t that what you are suppose to accomplish in a reef system? Is it achievable with a high-end skimmer and frequent water changes of a high quality and other maintenance routines or tinkering? Well yes it is, bio-pellets for instance can help achieve a state of ULN coupled with some husbandry but there are other aspects of the zeovit system that cannot be achieved without externally help and the level of nutrient reduction that can be reached with zeo is unmatched, at least as far as I have seen, while still having healthy and well feed corals that are dying off due to lack o nutrients.
The Basic Four
The basic four consists of the bare minimum of additives and products that is required to have a functioning ZEOvit system that is balanced correctly. There are numerous other ZEOvit products available, each with a different use for a specific aim and are 'as needed' additives and supplements to help improve, fine tune or tweak your system to how you want it to be running and having the corals at their happiest. In addition to the basic four, you will also need a zeovit reactor (for the zeolites) and to use activated carbon, 24/7, in a passive state.
Zeolites
Zeolites are a group of natural occurring minerals that exist worldwide. Their chemical composition can vary greatly and therefore exhibit different properties of adsorption, ion exchange or molecular retention. Today’s modern industrial applications require very specific properties and therefore most of the zeolites used are either modified natural
zeolites or completely synthetically manufactured. The Korallen-Zucht, KZ, mix consists of three different zeolites. These zeolites were chosen because of their ability to reduce certain toxins in a balanced manner.
"The material does not directly remove nitrite (NO2), nitrate (NO3), or phosphate (PO4) from the tank water. It permanently absorbs ammonium (NH4+) and ammonia (NH3), the first two chemicals in the nitrification cycle, thus preventing the formation of nitrite (NO2) and nitrate (NO3)."
Pretty much, the zeolites are a naturally occurring mineral that has been specifically tailored for the use in reef tanks to adsorb specific toxins and nutrients and grow bacteria.The zeolites are housed in a zeolite reactor, these look like standard media chambers but with a section that is capable of being pumped to allow the zeolite to be freed of their bacteria growth in a mulm, this mulm is released into the tank upon which the corals can feed on. The Zeolites are placed in the inner chamber and then twice a day the inner chamber is pumped/disturbed to clean the zeolites of the mulm.
Zeobak
Zeobak is a concentrate bacteria source containing several different strains that are used to colonize the zeolites and tank which help reduce nutrients. Through the direct introduction of these varying strains of bacteria they will out compete the existing colonies of different bacteria's already present in the tank which is what you want. It means that you have a correct mix of balanced bacteria being added to the tank, while some my die and others survive it also means that it stops a specific bacteria growing into a monopoly and therefore reducing the efficiency of the tank to process. Yes your tank will still grow the right bacteria without any zeo It takes a little longer as the bacteria will need to re-establish and then grow to a processing capacity whereas there is a constant source due to zeovit dosing, this means a faster time to have aspects processed.
Zeofood
Zeofood is, as the name suggests, a food source for the bacteria and also for your corals. Since the aim of a ZEOvit system is to essentially starve the tank of nearly all nutrients and therefore food for corals and other micro-organisms you will need to put something back into the tank to replace this reduction. Due to the nature of zeofood and it being a concetrated 'nutrient' source it's not recommended dosing it until you reach the ULN status as it can cause cyano and algae blooms if your nutrients haven't been reduced yet. KZ also has many other food products available but they aren't as specifically geared towards feeding the bacteria, some of them are Coral Vitalizer (a direct coral food), Amino Acids and Phol's Xtra. Care does need to be taken with zeofood but once you reach a point of needing it you will know the signs and what to look for.
ZeoStart
Zeostart is the carbon source, it smells like vinegar and could very well be an adjusted vinegar or vinegar-sugar mix but KZ are secret squirrel about all of their products so it's anyone's guess "Zeostart is a liquid food source and promotes the reproduction of all nitrifying bacteria in the aquarium. It is therefore very effective in reducing phosphate (PO4) and nitrate (NO3.)" due to the increased growth of the bacteria strains that consume the nutrients. Zeostart works in conjunction with zeofood (the food for the bacteria once ULN has been reached) and then zeobak works in conjunction with the zeolites and it all forms the wonderful system that is ZEOvit.
Additionally, zeovit incorporates activated carbon that is run 24 hours a day, which is exchanged at 30 day intervals. It is highly recommended that the carbon is run passively in the tank. This is due to the fact that if it is too aggressive in removal of toxins it can have a negative effect on the tank and zeo system. Using a non-aggressive carbon is highly recommended as well. Zeovit have their own brand and recommend it (obviously haha) but I have also heard of Seachem matrix being used with good results. You don't want to use aggressive carbons such as ROX or CPE as it will have a negative effect due to the increased amount of it's removal abilities.
It is also assumed in the Zeovit method that you are using strong lighting for the corals to be able to photosynthesise to their required levels, also as the zeovit system is geared towards running an sps tank which require high levels of lighting anyway. A good protein skimmer that is skimming wet is also a necessity to remove the nutrients in their final stages and the other toxins and outputs that are formed due to running a zeo system. Regular water changes should not be skimped on either, sticking with the 5%-10% change per week will give the best results with a high quality salt of source of NSW, the most commonly used ASW with zeo that I've seen are Red Sea Coral (blue bucket) and the Brightwell salt.
Refugiums, phosphate reactors & removers, denitrification reactors and additives, algae/turf scrubbers, ozone and UV filters are not needed or recommeneded and should be removed before you start the zeovit setup. This is due to the clashes that they can cause with the zeovit system and the different bacterial growth and food sources that are required once the system is running.
Finally, in order to effectively use zeovit you need to run your system as close to natural seawater levels as possible. This means:
Alkalinity of 7-8 dKh (It is critically important you don't go above a dKh of 8 or corals will start to burn and die)
Calcium 410-430 mg
Magnesium 1250-1300 mg
Salinity 35ppt
Potassium (K+) 380-400 mg (This isn't super important till you reach the ULN stage but it helps even when not there)
Hope everyone enjoys the read and learns a little something here and there Feel free to add whatever you'd like, ask any questions or discuss whatever you'd like that has to do with the wonderful system that is ZEOvit
*DISCLAIMER*
I don't claim to be an expert but this is my take and thoughts on the system, some of the information has been take from the instruction manual for the ZEOvit system but I have quoted those parts. All other information is my thoughts and from my readings around the web
As I know there are now a few of us that are running full ZEOvit systems and some of us dosing specifics or on the side, I thought it might be a good idea to have a thread specifically for any users of zeo or people with any questions or looking for any particular information I'll go through a bit of a brief overview of the system and some of the different aspects of it so that people can have a rough idea what it's about Feel free to ask any questions including how we think our tanks are going with it, guys don't be shy to post plenty of zeo photo's or coral shots to show it all off
What Does ZEOvit Do?
Let’s start off with what the ZEOvit system actually does. Zeovit is a system that incorporates bacterial sources to help rid an aquarium of excess nutrients and then continues to further reduce any nutrients beyond what is normally obtainable without such tinkering. This is most commonly referred to as an Ultre Low Nutrient System or ULNS, this is a system or tank that has nutrients well below normal standards and are almost virtually undetectable to quite a small accuracy. Much lower than what is commonly found in NSW anywhere bar the most pristine of reefs. The nutrients specifically targeted are ammonia (NH[SUB]3[/SUB]) and phosphate (PO[SUB]4[/SUB]). Due to the targetting of ammonia it therefore also very efficiently removes nitrite and nitrates from the water as there is no ammonia present to feed off.
The best way that I understand this is a two step process:
1.) The system removes nutrients (ammonia and phosphate) through the bacteria that is grown on the zeolites in the reactor and then throughout the tank which is then skimmed and also through the zeolites adsorbing them.
2.) Once ULN has been achieved different things can be done to effect different aspects of corals and their colours through the addition of different zeovit additives. It is also critically important to maintain correct calcium, alkalinity and magnesium levels and then potassium once ULN has been achieved.
Well isn’t that what you are suppose to accomplish in a reef system? Is it achievable with a high-end skimmer and frequent water changes of a high quality and other maintenance routines or tinkering? Well yes it is, bio-pellets for instance can help achieve a state of ULN coupled with some husbandry but there are other aspects of the zeovit system that cannot be achieved without externally help and the level of nutrient reduction that can be reached with zeo is unmatched, at least as far as I have seen, while still having healthy and well feed corals that are dying off due to lack o nutrients.
The Basic Four
The basic four consists of the bare minimum of additives and products that is required to have a functioning ZEOvit system that is balanced correctly. There are numerous other ZEOvit products available, each with a different use for a specific aim and are 'as needed' additives and supplements to help improve, fine tune or tweak your system to how you want it to be running and having the corals at their happiest. In addition to the basic four, you will also need a zeovit reactor (for the zeolites) and to use activated carbon, 24/7, in a passive state.
Zeolites
Zeolites are a group of natural occurring minerals that exist worldwide. Their chemical composition can vary greatly and therefore exhibit different properties of adsorption, ion exchange or molecular retention. Today’s modern industrial applications require very specific properties and therefore most of the zeolites used are either modified natural
zeolites or completely synthetically manufactured. The Korallen-Zucht, KZ, mix consists of three different zeolites. These zeolites were chosen because of their ability to reduce certain toxins in a balanced manner.
"The material does not directly remove nitrite (NO2), nitrate (NO3), or phosphate (PO4) from the tank water. It permanently absorbs ammonium (NH4+) and ammonia (NH3), the first two chemicals in the nitrification cycle, thus preventing the formation of nitrite (NO2) and nitrate (NO3)."
Pretty much, the zeolites are a naturally occurring mineral that has been specifically tailored for the use in reef tanks to adsorb specific toxins and nutrients and grow bacteria.The zeolites are housed in a zeolite reactor, these look like standard media chambers but with a section that is capable of being pumped to allow the zeolite to be freed of their bacteria growth in a mulm, this mulm is released into the tank upon which the corals can feed on. The Zeolites are placed in the inner chamber and then twice a day the inner chamber is pumped/disturbed to clean the zeolites of the mulm.
Zeobak
Zeobak is a concentrate bacteria source containing several different strains that are used to colonize the zeolites and tank which help reduce nutrients. Through the direct introduction of these varying strains of bacteria they will out compete the existing colonies of different bacteria's already present in the tank which is what you want. It means that you have a correct mix of balanced bacteria being added to the tank, while some my die and others survive it also means that it stops a specific bacteria growing into a monopoly and therefore reducing the efficiency of the tank to process. Yes your tank will still grow the right bacteria without any zeo It takes a little longer as the bacteria will need to re-establish and then grow to a processing capacity whereas there is a constant source due to zeovit dosing, this means a faster time to have aspects processed.
Zeofood
Zeofood is, as the name suggests, a food source for the bacteria and also for your corals. Since the aim of a ZEOvit system is to essentially starve the tank of nearly all nutrients and therefore food for corals and other micro-organisms you will need to put something back into the tank to replace this reduction. Due to the nature of zeofood and it being a concetrated 'nutrient' source it's not recommended dosing it until you reach the ULN status as it can cause cyano and algae blooms if your nutrients haven't been reduced yet. KZ also has many other food products available but they aren't as specifically geared towards feeding the bacteria, some of them are Coral Vitalizer (a direct coral food), Amino Acids and Phol's Xtra. Care does need to be taken with zeofood but once you reach a point of needing it you will know the signs and what to look for.
ZeoStart
Zeostart is the carbon source, it smells like vinegar and could very well be an adjusted vinegar or vinegar-sugar mix but KZ are secret squirrel about all of their products so it's anyone's guess "Zeostart is a liquid food source and promotes the reproduction of all nitrifying bacteria in the aquarium. It is therefore very effective in reducing phosphate (PO4) and nitrate (NO3.)" due to the increased growth of the bacteria strains that consume the nutrients. Zeostart works in conjunction with zeofood (the food for the bacteria once ULN has been reached) and then zeobak works in conjunction with the zeolites and it all forms the wonderful system that is ZEOvit.
Additionally, zeovit incorporates activated carbon that is run 24 hours a day, which is exchanged at 30 day intervals. It is highly recommended that the carbon is run passively in the tank. This is due to the fact that if it is too aggressive in removal of toxins it can have a negative effect on the tank and zeo system. Using a non-aggressive carbon is highly recommended as well. Zeovit have their own brand and recommend it (obviously haha) but I have also heard of Seachem matrix being used with good results. You don't want to use aggressive carbons such as ROX or CPE as it will have a negative effect due to the increased amount of it's removal abilities.
It is also assumed in the Zeovit method that you are using strong lighting for the corals to be able to photosynthesise to their required levels, also as the zeovit system is geared towards running an sps tank which require high levels of lighting anyway. A good protein skimmer that is skimming wet is also a necessity to remove the nutrients in their final stages and the other toxins and outputs that are formed due to running a zeo system. Regular water changes should not be skimped on either, sticking with the 5%-10% change per week will give the best results with a high quality salt of source of NSW, the most commonly used ASW with zeo that I've seen are Red Sea Coral (blue bucket) and the Brightwell salt.
Refugiums, phosphate reactors & removers, denitrification reactors and additives, algae/turf scrubbers, ozone and UV filters are not needed or recommeneded and should be removed before you start the zeovit setup. This is due to the clashes that they can cause with the zeovit system and the different bacterial growth and food sources that are required once the system is running.
Finally, in order to effectively use zeovit you need to run your system as close to natural seawater levels as possible. This means:
Alkalinity of 7-8 dKh (It is critically important you don't go above a dKh of 8 or corals will start to burn and die)
Calcium 410-430 mg
Magnesium 1250-1300 mg
Salinity 35ppt
Potassium (K+) 380-400 mg (This isn't super important till you reach the ULN stage but it helps even when not there)
Hope everyone enjoys the read and learns a little something here and there Feel free to add whatever you'd like, ask any questions or discuss whatever you'd like that has to do with the wonderful system that is ZEOvit
*DISCLAIMER*
I don't claim to be an expert but this is my take and thoughts on the system, some of the information has been take from the instruction manual for the ZEOvit system but I have quoted those parts. All other information is my thoughts and from my readings around the web