This is a blog on the 14 day zeovit cycle. Using the zeovit guide as a template, I modified it to what was actually done.
Preparation
1. Fill the system with RO water and raise the water temperature to 78°F.
2. Smooth and broad flow, about 20-30 times of the tank’s volume per hour
3. When water temperature is around 78°F add Red Sea Blue salt slowly into the current with salinity around 35%. Add live rock as soon as the salt has dissolved completely and the water is clear.
4. Approximately 20% of the tank’s contents is live rock. 2/3 of the live rock is dry Pukani rock, “cured” for the past 2 months. The other 1/3 is live rock from from the old tank.
5. After the live rock is placed, I added 1-1/2” shallow aragonite sand bed. I soaked the sand in RO water for 3-4 weeks before use and changed RO water weekly to ensure no phosphates. No live sand was used.
6. Start the zeovit reactor and the skimmer. I used .75L of zeovit stones for 75 US gallons of water tank volume. (Do not exceed flow rate through the reactor of 100G / 1liter of zeovit). Make sure to run the reactor with a continuous flow.
7. Started the lighting 10 hours per day
Day 1: Initial high bacteria dosage, based on net water volume of 75G (tank and sump)
Zeovit Stones: 750mL of stones into the reactor, with a water flow of 75 gph. The reactor automatically shakes the zeovit stones 2 x day to release the bacteria (mulm) from the stones.
Zeobak: 15mL
Zeostart: 30mL
Sponge Power: 9mL
DAY 2 – 3 Dosing Break
No dosing was done on these days. Continued to shake the stones in the reactor.
Day 4-14 Dose ZEObak, ZEOstart and Sponge Power daily for the next 10 days.
Shake the stones daily.
Brown diatoms began to appear lightly by day 4.
Day 5
Diatoms turning darker brown, except in areas having coralline algae.
Day 6
Fine filament beginning to grow, especially in areas with diatom. Diatoms still brown, but not turning darker.
Day 7
The brown diatom color is becoming lighter and starting to recede. Fine filaments growing everywhere. Looks like short fine hair. The color is white to very light green tint.
Temp 25.8C
pH 8.3
Salinity 35
Ammonia < 0.01 (maybe closer to 0.005)
Nitrite untraceable
Nitrate untraceable
Phosphate 0.05
Day 10
Continue ZEObak, ZEOstart and Sponge Power daily / shake stones 2 x daily. The diatoms continue to diminish. Short fine hair algae in a very faint light green color on the live rock and sand bed.
Added several fish and many small snails.
Zeobak: 3 drops /day
Zeostart: 3 drops /day
Sponge Power: 0.3ml / 2 x day
Temp 25.9C
pH 8.31
Salinity 35
Ammonia < 0.10
Nitrite untraceable
Nitrate untraceable
Phosphate 0.07 (slight rise from 0.05 a few days ago)
Day 14
Fine hair algae still on live rock with slight signs of receding in spots. Hair algae receded about 50% on the sand surface.
Added remainder of fish from old tank.
Day 15
The recommended dosage for 75G net water volume going forward:
Zeobak: 3 drops / 3 x week
Zeostart: 3 drops / day
Sponge Power: 0.3ml / 2 x day
Test readings:
Temp 25.9C
pH 8.29
Salinity 34.6
Ammonia < 0.10
Nitrite untraceable
Nitrate untraceable
Phosphate 0.03 (down from 0.07 a few days ago)
Observations:
Fine hair algae still present on live rock and sand. The trend I see are several spots of algae receding or it is gone.
On day 10, I put in about 140 various snails to work on the algae. The clean up crew package was from Reef Cleaners in FL. Although it was overnight express mailed, I was very concerned about the clean up crew not surviving freezing night time temps. Amazingly, they survived.
When I bought the tank, it came with the overflow, drain and screen tops. I ran into a problem when I decided to go with light that mount on the rim. Now the screens had to be modified to fit. There is about the same amount of work to retrofit the screens, as to make them new.
On day 10, I put in about 140 various snails to work on the algae. The clean up crew package was from Reef Cleaners in FL. Although it was overnight express mailed, I was very concerned about the clean up crew not surviving freezing night time temps. Amazingly, they survived.
Even if they didn't the company is very good about replacing loses
Green hair algae is almost gone. 5 x SPS corals and 2 x bubble tip anemones.
Day 18
Green algae is mostly gone from the live rock and sand. Added a yellow tang. Concerned the algae in the tank is clearing up too quickly, so feeding heavier and started phytoplanktin.
Day 19
Transferred the rest of the LPS corals from the old tank, then broke it down. Also added a yellow tang and a wrasse.
Also added three different gorgonians as a back drop to the channel.
A small blue maxima clam and green star polyps on the sand.
After breaking down the other tank, I transferred the light to this tank. Instead of high power, I'm going to try lower power and more spread and see how the SPS do.
By adding the light, I have to modify the screen tops...again :[
Friday, I added a salinity and ORP probes. I don't know about the salinity probe - it's is bit finicky to calibrate.
Today, I finished up connecting the dosing pump lines to the sump and containers.
Lost animals
Last week I woke up to see a Vortech MP40 pump unattached and sitting on the rocks. Inside was the remains of the RBTA. I ended up finding this replacement.
Looks good. So, what are you dosing beyond the standard 2-part? Also, where did you get the holder for the dosing tubes (the acrylic thing on the sump)?
Bummer on the BTA. Perhaps the foam sleeves would prevent that from happening again?
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Originally Posted by choir
