I will be doing a new method for zeovit this time around.
Initial 14 day cycle by Korallenzucht
Day 0:
Install an appropriate sea water tank, install the sump, install necessary PVC tubing and make sure to give the glue enough time to dry !
Day 1:
1. Water
Fill the system with reverse osmosis water, if possible use the RO unit with a filter resin as last stage. Warm up the water to 20-25° C and install current pumps at the same time.
2. Current
We recommend a smooth and broad flow, about 20-30 times of the tank’s volume per hour. Also well approved is the combination with Osci-Motion – they create a very natural shifting streaming due to the pivoting pumps.
3. Sea salt
As soon as the water temperature is around 25 °C add salt slowly into the current and adopt the salinity around 34 %o. Live rock can be added as soon as the salt has dissolved completely and the water is clear.
4. Live rock
It is very important to use fresh and clear live rock, approx. 10 % of the tank’s contents After you bring in the live rock in the tank, the sand bed is next. At this time the skimmer is started as well as the ZEOvit® filter and the tank needs light now!
5. Sand bed
Now you can add a shallow sand bed. Use crushed Coral Sand or Aragonite. Do not use Live Sand in combination with the ZEOvit® system. Soak the material in reverse osmosis water for 3-4 days before use and replace osmosis water daily. If the PO4 level of the water is close to zero the sand is ideal.
6. Start the ZEOvit® filter and skimmer
Use 1 liter ZEOvit® for each net 400 liter (100 US gallons) of water tank volume. Do not exceed flow rate through the filter of 400 liter (100 US gallons) per hour maximum per each 1liter ZEOvit®. Start your protein skimmer.
7. Lighting and other technical equipment
Start the lighting min. 10 hours per day. Start also all other technical equipment now.
8. Dosage
The addition of ZEObak, ZEOstart and Sponge Power can be started now.
ZEObak: 5 ml per 100 liters/25 US gallons
ZEOstart: 10 ml per 100 liters/25 US gallons
Sponge Power: 3 ml per 100 liters/25 US gallons
Day 2 and Day 3
Dosing break.
Day 4:
Dose ZEObak, ZEOstart and Sponge Power as recommended on the products label:
ZeoBac 1 drop / 100 liters/25 US gallons
Sponge Power 1 drop / 100 liters/25 US gallons
ZeoStart2 0.1 ml / 100 liters/25 US gallons 2 x daily
Day 4-10:
Different algae phases can appear, like some brown slime algae followed by some healthy green algae. Use the same dosage like described for day 4 above. Double check Salinity.
Day 10:
First herbivore fish (max. 2 per 200 L) can be added, also sea urchins and turbo snails. You should also be able to add the first not to sensitive corals like branching Montipora. Add now the Activated Carbon.
Activated Carbon:
As soon as the first animals are stocked into the system, add the Activated Carbon: 0.5 – 1 Liter per 1000 liters as recommended. Replacement interval 30 days.
Day 11-14
Keep dosage as described for day 4. Test Carbonate Hardness and Salinity carefully. More corals can now be added into the system if the basic water parameters are in the recommended ranges. Additional fish can be added but should be done very slow. Also fish feeding has to be done very carefully in this phase as biology is not very stabile in this phase. Do not add more fish than 1-2 fish per 250 liters per week. After additional 4 weeks you can add the rest of the fish which where planed for the system.
Starting from day 14:
ZeoBac 1 drop / 100 liters/25 US gallons 2-3 x weekly
Sponge Power 1 drop / 100 liters/25 US gallons daily
ZeoStart2 0.1 ml / 100 liters/25 US gallons 2 x daily
The dosage needs than eventually be adjusted depending to the general look of the tank, the parameters or the corals. Later on, additional products can be used. We would recommend to start wit the regular water changes at week 4 – 6.
