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Please post up if you ARE using "Zeovit" and tell us how it has effected your tank. If you arent using it please keep your thoughts to yourself.

I thought some of the newcomers to the site might like some imput from users.

Me I started Zeovit in April 04 & within about 2 months noticed an increase in color in my SPS corals my records tell me i made NO other changes except I did smaller waterchanges as per the Zeovit guide.

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I was using ZEOVIT for several months before I moved, somewhere on this forum is a thread with what exactly I was doing, what was happening and photos of my progress.

I am currently not using it, as my tank has not been 'display worthy' for 6 months.

I have not decided if I will continue to use it in my new tank. I am confident it does work and is a good product, it can get very expenisve to run on a tank as large as mine (2500 litres all up). So if I stop using, cost will be the leading factor.

From my limited experance and from what I have read, its a good option for people with SPS dominated tanks who are looking for ways to improve coral colour and coral growth speeds, if SPS colour is not your primary goal however it may not be worth the time or hastle.

It worked well for me, and I did get some great coral colour from it and I would not be put off from continuing to use it, it just may be too expensive for me in the longe term.

Pie

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I too have used zeovit. I too found that it did start to positively affect coral colours. But I stopped due to some tissue recession in acros as well as my seriatopora partially bleaching. Once I stopped, the recession stopped. Coincidence... maybe.

Since using it, I have been following the threads on other forums, and some things have come up related to it's use.

First was a recommendation to run the tanks salinity at less than NSW, because it tended to cause recession problems. (This was recommended by a German man closely involved with the developer of the system.)

Then there is the warning to keep your alkalinity below 8, because it has been linked to rtn.

There are warnings about maximum flow rates of water through the zeolite media. Too high leads to tissue loss again.

There are numerous reports of people losing both hard and soft corals when using the system (even when used as instructed).

The system seems to be very sensitive and dependant on individual tanks and situations.

If you read the zeovit instruction "booklet" now, there are a lot more do's and don't and warnings, and modifications in dosing amounts than when I tried it.

So yes it will work, but yes be careful, there is a risk associated with using it, to my mind it's too high.

Layton

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I guess i should have said people who followed zeovitnz's instructions as i did. I have no recession my acros cover over as fast as i snap em.

I followed the instructions provided on http://www.korallen-zucht.de at that time, (being the creators website, i though this information must have been accurate). It was a single page, maybe two at the most. This has now morphed into a 23 page booklet, along with many changes to the recommendations on using the system.

Like I said there are many reports of people following the instructions to the letter, and still had losses.

I you have good results with it then fine, but for people who are reading this and want another experience with it they have got it. Just be careful with it. The instructions may not always be appropriate for your tank.

Layton

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There has been a few people who said they have contacted me with no reply. I am at a loss as why, so please feel free to try again at

[email protected]

Before and after photo's. I wish i had done them when i started but thought that the product might not work so didn't bother. Wish i had now :(

When i started the product zeostart wasn't available. This is the one product to watch as it can bring down PO4 and NO3 too quickly resulting in tissue loss in some corals. I advise all my customers to dose only half what is recommended on the bottle.I see now in the zeovit instructions that the German guys say the same thing. Zeostart is a really good product but you need to be carefull. The 3 main components are fine with no problems attatched. Thats why i recommend people to stick with these 3 main components first while getting used to dosing the system.

Brendan

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Layton,

Yes the instructions are now quite long. They are constantly developing the system so they are changing slightly now and again. The best way for new clients is to ask my advice and i can modify the instructions to suit their tanks.

3 years ago when i started it was all in german and i quessed my way through the system with out any losses. It was only the 3 main components tho without the zeostart.

The zeovit, zeofood and zeobac are quite easy to get the hang of with no real problems. Of course everyone wants to see real quick results so go hard out on the zeostart and then run into problems. Not saying you did this but alot of people do.

Brendan

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True, after the first two of three days of adding the zeostart, I could tell it was potent. The water turned ultra clear.

I noticed that they have extended the product range dramatically recently. Any experiences with these other addatives? Zeospur and others?

Layton

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Zeospur2 is the most potent. I used it in my tank and after 24 hours it turned the corals to a brighter colour. A new brown coral i had went purple in 24 hours, i don't know how it works and don't want to. After using it for 5 weeks i could see if i kept using it, i might run into trouble with the corals becoming too light in colour. So I do not use it anymore, I don't sell it or promote either, as it could be dangerous for non experienced users.

The other additives to fine tune the corals colours are very good especially the floride/iodate additive. This one colours up blue accro's really nice and there is no danger in using these.

The real potent ones are zeostart and zeospur2, the others really good.

Brendan

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It's both, The bacteria that is added is used by the corals as a food as well has been able to help drop nitrates and phoshates. The zeovit is a filtering media that absorbs ammonia directly stopping the process that ends in nitrates.

The zeofood that is added is a food also for the corals as it contains amminio acids and vitimins. It also gives a food for the zeobac (teria) that is added ( see above) to help multiply the bacteria that either is eaten by the corals or absorbs phosphates and nitrates and then is skimmed out by protein skimmers.

By doing this, nutrients are removed so much ,that the sps corals are given water conditions similar to on the reef and they resort back to their normal colours.

Have a look at this site as it has a lot of awesome pictures as well as info.

www.captiveoceans.com

Brendan

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Brendan, what about the Amino Acids High Concentrate? I have some of this and once I get my camera back, I will start dosing it. I will start a thread and do the whole before and after photo thing properly. I had some promising signs with the Salifert Amino Acids, (until I ran out of it), and thought I would give the zeovit version a go.

Have you had any experience with it?

Layton

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Yes, I use it. It seems good but is more for use in tanks with real low nutrients. I could see it darkening the corals a tad if used too much. If the nutrients in a tank were detectable using normal test kits i can see it causing the corals to stay brown rather than colouring to another more natural colour. Its really good for coral growth tho and this would be the main advantage.

Hope this makes sense.

Brendan

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Firstly I have never had any problems contacting Brendan at Zeovit NZ,

I email and Brendan replies the same day, the service is A1.Thank you Brendan.

I think everyone one knows by now I'm running Zeovit with absolutely no problems at all.

I have a soft coral tank with heaps of leathers and had no problems, I think every thing is very happy and I have noticed better extention on my stoney softies. I have one hard coral that has coloured and plumped up nicely and within a short time of starting Zeovit.

Zeovit is bringing down my nitrates slowly which I think is a good thing, not to fast is the rule. It has been hard to give it a fair judgement at this stage, because I have done so much work on my tank over the past few months since I started with Zeovit. (added 2nd tank which runs off the same sump as the big tank lots more rock and sand etc.) all in all still

held the tank stable I was quite amazed, I was exspecting some movement.

I feel if you are going to use the product, you must follow instruction, I have seen others using it without stirring which is recommended twice daily which I don't find a problem ( I don't miss scrubbing my teeth twice a day it's just the same routine, like other aspects of marine keeping you can't be lazy) I also have purchased the recommended filter to make life easier you just pull the handle up and down and it turns the rock.

Also it is recommended to do a 5% water change weekly, which I find easier than doing a big one once a month, made easy from living by the sea ( I wander if this is causing problems when people don't do it.)

I don't need to post photos as your've all seen my tank and I am using

Zeovit to improve water qaulity.

I hope this helps anyone wishing to try Zeovit just ask Brendan if your not sure.

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Hmmm.... Well I better admit it, I'm a user.

A little slow coming forward because of the current climate around here, guys trying to kill each other and everything.

All I'll say is it is working well for me, but that does not mean I'm going to disparage miracle mud, which is also a fine method when done right.

There's other users also, I suspect if people can lighten up a bit they may feel free to come forward. It is said there is more than one way to skin a cat, and there is also more than one way to keep a reef.

Peace and love, a zeovit user.

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Results after using as directed for four months:

Nitrates:was 20 down to 15

Phosphates:was 3 down to 2

So as you can see I'm not having a quick fix, having a soft coral tank my reason for using Zeovit was to fix my water problems.

Slow response could be adding new rock and sand to tanks.

Feeding heavy to help sick fish.

Just started using Zeovit recommend filter December 2004.

Will post once a month results to see if I have movement now I have stopped mucking around with the tanks

Brendan any other suggestions;

Approx 650ltr in tanks running off same sump

adding 2.5ml Zeostart daily

6 drops of Zeobak twice a week

6 drops of Zeofood twice a week

running 2 litres Zeovit rock in filter

Cleaning rock twice daily

changing 5% water weekly

not using any other means of removing Phosphates as recommened

Running carbon changing weekly

Reef I don't know why my Anemone split if you need clean water can't get much worse than this.

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