Reef Discussion

[ezza]

I've been using some Zeovit Supplements for a little while. Maybe just under a year, I don't recall when I started exactly. My tank is in the realms of ultra low nutrients and it is a mixed reef, so I'm obviously needing to feed both LPS and SPS concurrently.

My general supplement stash consists of:
ZeoVit ZeoBak

Zeovit Bio-Mate

ZeoVit Sponge Power
ZeoVit Coral Vitalizer
ZeoVit Amino Acid
Pohl's Xtra or Xtra Special (depending on what was available at the time).

I usually just buy them from Fish Street. I have definitely noticed polyp extension and growth in SPS particularly while using the vitalizer and aminos. I have seen a variety of sponge colonies crop up on the rocks, I assume from the sponge power. My tank has always been very "mulmy", the bio-mate seems to impact that. Finally, the zeo-bak I bought to see if I could get any improvement with introduction of "good bacteria".

Am I imagining things? Is it worth the cost to buy these products? Is there anything else that does the same kind of job that might be cheaper? Replacing each of these 10mL bottles costs close to $100 every few months... My Abrolhos Pocci is growing well, but any Acro I add struggles (which I think was because of the biopellets pumping high volumes of bacteria into the system and the skimmer not removing it all). So the reactor is off, the skimmer upsized and I am just trying to guarantee success without making my husband worry about excessive spending.

Halp? tips? best products?

 

[Buddy]

I used Zeovit for a couple of years and honestly I found that it did bugger all for the cost. It is good at getting low nutrients but it is a lot of work dosing every day and shaking the stones.
I am having really good results just having Seachem Matrix sitting in the sump and shaking it once per week. I never need to change it either!
If you wanted to stop zeovit then I suggest you do its really slowly because I did it too quickly and I had a bit of a tank crash.

 

[ezza]

i don't do the full system at all. i have matrix in the sump, i just use the supplements because i wanted to see if they worked the way they're meant to and obviously have read about successes people have. it's funny, as each of my current bottles has run out, i notice little things... like since tyhe bio-mate ran out, i have had a build up of the mulm on some surfaces that had previously cleaned up.

 

[Sam Parker]

I reckon you can give the sponge power the flick, replace bio mate and zee-bak with Aquaforest Pro-Bio S, vitaliser with Aquaforest Vitality and the amino with any other locally available amino. Sustainable reefs do a good one. I wouldn't bother about the pohls extra or extra special.

But to be completely honest, I personally think the best thing you (or anyone else) could do is to get a Triton test done on their tank water. It will identify any trace elements that are out of whack and rectifying them will give you amazing results. Otherwise your adding stuff you might not need and potentially wasting money

 

[RobbieMVFC]

Hey Ezza, I can only speak from my experience. Switching to Zeo was one of the best thing I had ever done.
The growth is out of control and the colour not bad either.
However.......our/my hand has been tied a little with the increasing difficulty in where to buy it (supply).
I have already switched the AF pro bio S instead of zeobac. Trace elements has been replaced with reef essentials (B&C). I will run the course with everything else i have left. But not sure what to do next.

 

[gtrxu1]

I changed from Zeo to a combo of Matrix and No3po4x, which has been amazing, maybe even a little too good at nutrient control.
Still using Sponge Power daily at least until this bottle runs out. Also started using Ultimate Aquacare Bio-Enhance (Aminos/Vitamins) with great results so far.
For trace I have always just used Seachem Trace with good results but I will get onto the reef essentials train due to all the hype.