Any Zeovit or Probidio users ??

Hi Robyn

I actually use both products in kind of a hybrid method.

The whole idea behind this low nutient method is to create an extremely low nutrient environment so that the corals zooanthelia thins out and actually loses some of its color. Then because you have removed the nutrients from the water you control what nutrients are put back into the enviroment thus maximizing the corals ability to color up to its full potential.

The full Zeo method utilizes a reactor containing Zeolith rocks where the special bacterias grow. Bacterias are added almost daily. These rocks need to be stirred daily to release a mulm that goes through the tank and is a great source of food for the corals.
The bacterias on those rocks are what produce that mulm and they are what keeps the tank in a nutient poor condition.
The other Zeo products are what you add to feed those bacterias and maximize the corals colors.
Zeo is a long term commitment that yeilds amazing results if you go slow and let your tank move at its pace. If you are looking at Zeo to be a dump 'em in and color 'em up then dont even consider it.
Some tanks can take 6 to 9 months just to get to an exceptable nutient poor state where they can start the additives that really make colors go crazy.
I have not completely committed to the full Zeo system because I travel so much and I am not home every day to shake the Zeolith rocks and such.

Prodibio uses the same basic nutrient poor methodology but they require a sand bed in your tank which is where the bacteria colonize. Prodibio bacterias are added about every 14 to 15 days (as you can see this fits my schedule better)

So what I do is use the Prodibio bacterias to maintain a nutrient poor enviroment and then I supplement and feed the corals with the Zeovit additives for the color enhancement.

Fauna Marin is another low nutient system the works just like Zeo ....They are supposed to be coming out with an automated reactor that automatically flushes the rocks on a timer so you dont have to do it every day.
I might be lucky enough to be a beta tester for this reactor....I have heard good things about Fauna Marin.

I would spend some time at zeovit.com reading the forums so you can get a feel for this type of reefkeeping to ensure that you want to make the commitment to do it. I dont think you will be disappointed if you do.

Hope this helps...
we can talk more detail if you want to....just let me know

eins

 

I wonder if you could modify a kalk stirrer or paint shaker to stir your zeo rocks.... /site/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/_default/emoticons/biggrin.gif

 

Thanks for the detailed explanation Eins! It is a complex system that requires really good husbandry. I cannot commit myself to go all out. I know a lot of the advanced Zeo guys and they're always wanting me to do it but I know I would ultimately fail since I don't have the time to do it right.

Something else to consider is cost. The initial cost for a reactor, zeolites, zeobak, zeofood etc. can add up to a lot of money on the front end. That doesn't even include the variety of amino acids and different additives you can put into your system.