Nic's CadLight 45 Gallon Shallow Reef - New Pictures!

[Nic]

I hope you know I'm going to be leaning on you heavily for help when I start ZEOvit'in.

[Alex B]

I'll help as much as I can...I'm no expert though. I have only used it for about 4 months. There is a zeovit thread in one of the forums here also. Nanotopia is the resident zeo expert. She is great and knows her stuff!

[D Z]

I second that, Nanotopia is the KZ woMAN!

[Nic]

I've admired both of her aquariums, more like drooled for hours when I was supposed to be working.

[Nic]

 

Should be here Tuesday. Gonna run by Wal-Mart or Lowe's this evening after work and see if I can pick up a more powerful light for my fuge. The macros I have in there look terrible. That little fuge light that came with the sump from Cad couldn't light the interior of a Pepsi can, much less a fuge chamber.

[Alex B]

Lol...that fuge light is a joke!

[Psychosis]

Be prepared to receive a quick pack for a 180 gallon system. That's how John rolls.

[Nic]

With the amount of hair algae I've got, I could probably use a crew of undocumented workers outside of Home Depot, much less a 180 gallon quick pack! But that's awesome. I've read he's generous with his customers.

[Nic]

I went to the LFS this afternoon and found a steal of a deal that I just could not pass up. Purchased a 3.5" - 4" Tahitian Blue Tridacna Maxima clam for $125. I've got the old hood from my 14 gallon biocube resting over the fuge chamber in my sump until I pull the trigger on a Par38 bulb and gooseneck sometime this week or next.

 

 

Above

[Nic]

I was up last night until around 2 AM. I did manage to get quite a bit done on the tank:

• Took a toothbrush to each piece of live rock and LR rubble in the refugium
• Removed sump
• Cleaned pumps, protein skimmer, trays, heaters, etc.
• Removed accumulated detritus from sump chambers
• Removed top layer of sand/detritus from refugium
• Added live sand to refugium
• Removed approximately 30 gallons of water from the sump and replaced with new water
• Reattached sump and equipment

It took a while but it looks a thousand times better and will, hopefully, give the new clean up crew coming in from Reef Cleaners, a leg up once they get into the tank.

 

Also, sent NanoTopia a message describing some of the issues my tank has been going through as well as what I am eventually hoping to accomplish and after a little back and forth, she was able to help me with quite a detailed regimen to follow once I start the ZEOvit method.

 

 

 

So you're going to want to stick to the basic KZ products until the phosphate has completed leaching from rock and the tank stabilizes. This could take some time so your going to have to be patient with it all.

 

Download the KZ Guide if you haven't already done so.

 

If your running any other media (PO4 removers/ bio-pellets) you will need to remove 50% upon start up of Zeovit then slowly remove the balance over 4 weeks.

 

 

 

So, based on your original list...

 

KZ 1.5L Reactor with Starter Kit consisting of...

 

250 mL KZ ZEOstart 3 (dose 0.1mL x 2 daily, am/pm)

 

2 KZ ZEOvit Media 1000mL (soak 400mL of stones in RO water for 3 days changing the water every day. Then place the stones in the reactor. The reactor should be switch on/off in 3 hour intervals for the first 2 weeks of start up, then you can run the reactor continuously.) (FLOW RATE through the reactor should be 40GPH exactly).

 

, 50 mL KZ ZEOfood 7. (okay, ZEOfood7 needs to be refrigerated after opening. I would only dose 1 drop 3 times a week to start)

 

KZ Coral Snow 500 mL (Shake vigorously for 30 seconds each time before opening the bottle. You can mix 2 drops Zeobak with 2mL Coral Snow, wait 5 minutes then dose into display, turn skimmer off for 1 hour. )

 

KZ ZEOspur 2 250 mL (I would not buy this now, I recommend the tank be 1 year old and stable with 100% healthy corals before considering dosing this product)

 

KZ ZEOzym 500g (mix ~¼ tsp. in 500mL of tank water in a separate container and let sit covered for 8 hours, then dose into display. Turn your skimmer off for 2 hours after dosing, don't forget to turn it back on.)

 

ZEObak Microorganism Solution 50 mL ( consider buying 2 x 10mL bottles because once opened they tend to spoil within 6 months)

 

KZ Activated Carbon (place 100mL in a mesh bag and place in a LOW flow area of the sump, change every 3-4 weeks)

 

 

 

 

 

Consider adding to your list...

 

Biomate 10mL ( you can dose now 2 drops BM mixed with 2 mL Coral Snow 2 times a week)

 

Pohl's Xtra 250mL (I would wait until nutrients and algae are under control before dosing this product)

 

PIF 50mL (I would wait until nutrients and algae are under control before dosing this product)

 

Thought I would add that information up for anyone interested in starting the ZEOvit method. Keep in mind, it changes based on a number of variables, including tank size, tank maturity, types of corals kept, etc. so your ZEO regimen may not look exactly like the one listed here.

 

Photos from last night:

 

Empty Stand

 

Dirty Sump

 

Clean Sump

 

Cloudy Tank

 

Here's to hoping all this effort finally pays off and I can get my tank stable again.

[Nic]

Got a gift from Reef Cleaners today

 

[CrazyCarl]

Just FYI the smooth shelled clam in your first post is a derasa clam, not a crocea. It will get pretty large, but should be fine in your tank for a while.

 

Edit: sorry not your first post, but post 49. This one is a derasa

http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s413/nicharrelson/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps10bb3c63.jpg

[Nic]

Just FYI the smooth shelled clam in your first post is a derasa clam, not a crocea. It will get pretty large, but should be fine in your tank for a while.

 

Edit: sorry not your first post, but post 49. This one is a derasa

http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s413/nicharrelson/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps10bb3c63.jpg

 

Thanks! I tend to have trouble distinguishing the two (Crocea, Deresa) and have only kept Maximas before this.

[Lawnman]

Did a 25% water change and used this new nifty little guy to vacuum up detritus and loose sand without taking out additional water. I highly recommend this for anyone with a bare bottom.

Did a water test as well:

PH: 8.0-8.1

Ammonia: 0ppm

Nitrite: 0ppm

Nitrate: < 5.0ppm

All the fish and corals are looking good and coloring up. Hoping to have a friend come over and borrow their DLSR camera for a round of quality photos.

I thought about buying one of those but wondered if they work. Does it have good suction? Sweet tank following!

[Nic]

I thought about buying one of those but wondered if they work. Does it have good suction? Sweet tank following!

 

It is slightly underwhelming but ultimately serves it's purpose. I guess when I got it, I imagined it would suck up absolutely everything, which is not the case. It does, however, fill up really quick with all sorts of detritus and debris and does leave a definable path of cleanliness wherever it's used. Biggest complaint is that you must go directly over something if you went it to work. It won't, for instance, suck up detritus underneath baffle edges because it can't be set directly over it. I'd give it a 3.5/5. Thanks for the follow!

[Nic]

Just a brief update here. Did a full battery of tests today and I think I've discovered a couple of things:

• The system is having a mini cycle due to the drastic cleaning I did on the sump, addition of new live sand to the refugium sand bed, scrubbing the live rock and live rock rubble with a tooth brush and the addition of a giant clean up crew and changing 30 gallons of water
• I need to have a hands off method for a week or two and quit adding things and making drastic changes to the tank while everything settles

Tests

• PH: 8.0
• Ammonia: Slightly elevated (I forget now but it was one level above zero)
• Nitrites: 0
• Nitrates: 5,0
• Calcium: 450
• Alkalinity: 15!

I've been wondering why my water has remained a bit misty for several days and I am sure this, combined with the slightly elevated ammonia and nitrates is the cause. I definitely think this is due to having my proverbial hands in the tank way too much lately. I'm gonna sit back and let things settle and unless the nitrates or ammonia spike drastically, try to let it settle down before I introduce the ZEO reactor and ZEO additives. I know the only way to decrease alkalinity is either through large water changes (which I am not doing considering a just changed nearly half the water with the sump cleaning) and letting the corals/inhabitants slowly use up the calcium and decrease the alkalinity through the addition of acid by way of excrement. I'm gonna go with the latter route and unless anything goes completely haywire, steer clear of anything but routine maintenance and cleaning.

[Nic]

I left the tank for a day to go to my boss' Almost Annual Pig Roast. Decided to leave the lights off from the time we left Friday night until tomorrow evening. When we got back I turned them on for a moment to observe the tank. It looks like the cleanup crew is having some effect. There is definitely less hair algae and upon observation, it looks as if the corals that we're succumbing to whatever was wrong have stopped dying and some even look a bit better. I did a full test on the tank and things are looking MUCH better. I did, however, break the drain tube on my skimmer collection cup and had to rig it up by putting the plug from the tube into the new hole in the collection cup. Guess I'll be ordering a new collection cup from Cad tomorrow.

 

Test Results:

 

PH: 8.2

Ammonia: 0 ppm

Nitrite: 0 ppm

Nitrate: 5.0 ppm

Phosphate: 0.25 mg/L

Calcium: 460

Magnesium: 1400 mg

Alkalinity: 12.6 (MUCH improved)

Salinity: 1.026

 

Now for some random pictures.

 

My family (wife, mother, father) and me with my boss United States Senator Mark R. Warner (L to R: Me, my wife Alyssa, Senator Warner, my Mom, and my Dad)

 

My family and me with Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring (Who has been in the news a lot recently for pursuing the nullification of a Virginia law banning gay marriage in Federal courts)

 

The broken drain tube (which commensed to dumping 3/4 of a cup of skim mate back into th sump)

 

My wife, Alyssa and Maximus, our one eyed Pekingese

 

Max again

 

The Shitty Cat or Shitty Kitty or General Dwight D. Eisenhower Harrelson or just Ike; who has jumped into my tanks on multiple occasions. He's the only cat I've ever met that loves to be in and is fascinated by, water.

 

Ike again

[Nic]

Huge update!

 

I have purchased and am awaiting the following equipment:

 

Korallen-Zucht ZEOvit Starter Package with Vertex RX-Z 1.5L ZEOlite Reactor

Pacific Sun USA Kore 5th Doser

Oceans Wonders N52 v2 MAG Rack

Vertex Line-Mag Holder

14W PAR30 LED Refugium Grow Light

PAR38/PAR30 Lamp Clamp Fixture (White)

 

I have purchased the following ZEOvit and non-ZEOvit supplements:

 

500 mL Coral Snow

500g ZEOzym

10 mL Korallen-Zucht ZEObak Microorganism Solution

10 mL Bio-Mate

250 mL Korallen-Zucht Pohl’s Xtra Special

50 mL Korallen-Zucht Potassium Iodide Fluoride Concentrate

Korallen-Zucht Activated Carbon 1L

BRIGHTWELL AQUATICS REEF CODE B - BALANCED CALCIUM & ALKALINITY SYSTEM - PART B (ALK.) 2 L / 67.6OZ

BRIGHTWELL AQUATICS REEF CODE A - BALANCED CALCIUM & ALKALINITY SYSTEM - PART A (CALC) 2 L / 67.6OZ

BRIGHTWELL AQUATICS MAGNESION - LIQUID MAGNESIUM SUPPLEMENT FOR REEF AQUARIA 2L / 67.6OZ

 

I also purchased a huge group of frags. They are mainly SPS with a couple of LPS. Bought a nice sized frag rack to let them adjust to the tank before I attempt to place them anywhere permanently.

 

Blue Tip Branching Acro 3"

Acropora Tenius - Maricultured Bali "Super Green" Tenius Acro 2.5"

ORA "Green Planet" Acro 1.5"

ORA "Red Planet" Acro 1"

Acropora Exquisita - Exquisita Acro 2"

UC "Wild Orchid" Acro 1"

Montipora Undata - ORA "Jedi Mind Trick" 1.5"

Ultra Pink Millepora 1.25"

Ultra Green Tenius 1.25"

Toxic Table Acropora 1.5"

Aquamarine Acropora 1.5"

Ultra Tort Acropora 1.5"

Strawberry Shortcake Acropora 1.75"

Ultra Blue Gomezi 1.5"

Aquamarine Echinata 1.75"

Blue and Red Aussie Digitata Acropora 5"

CR's Flame On 2"
Goniopora sp. - UC Pink Goniopora 1.5"

Alveopora sp. - "Mean Green" Alveopora - 1.5"

 

I've got a few other assorted things on the way, including a Medium Hawaiian Yellow Tang to help with the last remnants of hair algae as well as 25 lbs. of LiveAquaria fully cured "Real Reef Rock." I'm purchasing my wife a few thousand dollars in furniture but I'm pretty excited about it as well because I'm getting a nice leather recliner and loveseat in front of my tank as a kind of "Man Cave." Looking forward to getting you guys and gals some new pictures.

 

The tank has finally stabilized after that terrible roller coaster of ups and downs. The water is crystal clear, calcium, magnesium, and alkalinity are all on the high end of acceptable; the corals that were not on a downward spiral are looking great, opening wide and coloring up; the PH, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and phosphorous are all holding perfectly. What, you ask, was the trick to bringing my tank back into some form of stability? Water changes. A small to medium sized water change (10-15 gallons out of a system with total capacity of 75 gallons). I did that for a week coupled with turning the lights out for three days and then adjusting time and intensity of lighting.

[Alex B]

Awesome update!

 

Did you get spongepower, zeostart, and coral vitalizer??

 

Those in my opinion are the most important additives when starting zeovit. Your going to only use the stones, zeostart3, spongepower, and zeobak the first couple months. Don't rush it and start adding all those additives from the get. It took me about 4 months to get into any secondary additives. You can do a couple drops of coral vitalizer 2-3 times a week, but that's all that I would recommend until you hit ulns and the tank stabilizes. Good luck!

[Nic]

Awesome update!

Did you get spongepower, zeostart, and coral vitalizer??

Those in my opinion are the most important additives when starting zeovit. Your going to only use the stones, zeostart3, spongepower, and zeobak the first couple months. Don't rush it and start adding all those additives from the get. It took me about 4 months to get into any secondary additives. You can do a couple drops of coral vitalizer 2-3 times a week, but that's all that I would recommend until you hit ulns and the tank stabilizes. Good luck!

 

Alex, Take a look 5-6 posts up at the instructions I was given. I got in touch with Christine and she gave me this as a means of starting my ZEOvit reactor. Do you think I should add spongepower and coral vitalizer to this? Also, quick opinion, my ph is 8.2, ammonia 0 ppm, nitrite 0 ppm, and Nitrate 0 ppm, however, my calcium is up around 500, my alkalinity is a little above 14, and I didn't check my magnesium but I'm sure it is likely a little bit above what is considered suitable. I'm assuming this is a repercussion of having only a few corals and a couple of clams in the tank. Is it okay for me to place this large group of frags in there? I'm assuming once I put them in they will quickly deplete all three back into the normal range without any harm coming to them. Would you agree? If not, is there anything I can do besides water changes to bring this down a bit before I introduce them?

 

 

[Alex B]

I'll touch a few points and hopefully it helps!

 

On the zeovit. Download the guide. It will give you full instructions on how to start the zeovit method on a tank that's already running. Zeovit is not a easy method of reef keeping. It is the total opposite. It's a very complex method, and in my opinion, should be left to people with experience and a strong understanding of Stoney coral behavior. At the end of the day, zeovit is a form of carbon dosing. Just like bio pellets, vinegar, vodka, ect. Zeostart3 is the carbon source in the zeovit method.

 

You need 4 things to start. The reactor and stones, zeostart, zeobak, and sponge power. Those are the main additives used when starting a zeovit tank. Your going to have to read the guide, figure out your dosing size, and plan your routine. For the first 2-3 months I don't recommend anything other then the basic additives. Save the xtra, pif, ect, and all other additives until the tank has reached ulns status.

 

Your parameters are really elevated also. Not good for a sps tank, especially a zeovit tank. When carbon dosing, high alk levels cause tissue necrosis. Your going to want param close to the following.

 

Alk 6.5-8

Calcium 380-400

Mag 1280-1300

 

Alk is a big factor in carbon dosing, and yours is very high. Zeovit requires NSW parameters. What salt are you using? With levels so high, a couple frags will not bring it down quickly. Neither will water changes if your salt has high levels to begin with. You need a salt

Close to NSW.

 

I think the best thing you can do is read the zeovit guide a couple times. Try and get your head around the system. If you don't understand the system and methodology, it will be hard for you to run the tank. Good luck!!

 

Hope this helps some.

[Nic]

I'm using Instant Ocean Reef Crystals. Is there a salt you recommend other than that? I'm going to place the frags in the tank and monitor the parameters, read through the ZEOvit guide and not even attempt to start until my parameters match what's needed. Hopefully, things will start coming down. To be honest, I've never had the problem of my calc, all, and mag being too high, it's usually the reverse.

[Nic]

Alex, I went back, cleaned all my test tubes and syringes with ro water and took samples from the middle of the tank instead of the surface. I did this twice and my readings came out the same and a little better though nowhere near what's needed for ZEOvit.

 

Alk: 11.8

Calcium: 500

Magnesium: 1600

 

What salt do you recommend over reef crystals to achieve nsw?

[chironerd21]

Great start so far!

 

I broke the plug on my Cadlights too. I just super glued it back. If you look at the way its design its stupid. Its easy to be broken over and over again. Just need to be careful.

[D Z]

Alex, I went back, cleaned all my test tubes and syringes with ro water and took samples from the middle of the tank instead of the surface. I did this twice and my readings came out the same and a little better though nowhere near what's needed for ZEOvit. Alk: 11.8 Calcium: 500 Magnesium: 1600 What salt do you recommend over reef crystals to achieve nsw?

Most of the guys using the full zeovit system are using either blue bucket red sea(not red sea coral pro) or ESV. I believe some also use tropic marine. I am not running the full system, only addatives, but I use blue bucket and like it.

 

BTW, if you are using reef crystals, your Alk/Calcium/Mag should have gotten that high just from the salt mix. Were you dosing?