Zeovit is actually the brand name of Korallin Zucht's zeolite product. It's what I use, though a variety of companies have their own zeolite products. A zeovit reactor uses naturally occurring zeolites (pebble and stone like minerals) in a reactor, as both a filtration media that can absorb nutrients, but mainly as a system to harbor anaerobic bacteria). The zeolites we use in reef aquariums, are manufactured, to help break down phosphate and nitrate, while harboring anaerobic bacteria, and enhancing a variety of additives. I prefer and recommend the Korallin Zeovit system, as it's the most complete system on the market, and when used in conjunction with a carbon reactor, using Korallin Zucht's carbon, you can achieve extremely clear water.
The goal is an ultra low nutrient system, where you have a lot of control over what is in your water, and how high the concentrations are. You start by adding the reactor, and zeolites, and using a very low flow (50 gph) dosing it several times weekly with a soluble carbon source (zeostart) and an aerobic bacteria booster (zeobak). It takes several weeks for anaerobic bacteria to fully colonize the reactor. Once that happens, phosphate and nitrate are slowly removed from the system. Zeovit also removes many trace elements, but seems to have little effect on calcium and alkalinity. Some claim it helps buffer them, but IME, I've not noticed that. Once the unit is cycled, you can begin using the host of other zeovit additives. I personally dose the LPS amino acid supplement, the SPS amino acid supplement, zeobak, sponge power, coral snow and zeozyme. Zeozyme wards off cyanobacteria and boosts protein skimmer performance, while coral snow polishes water.
To give you an idea how effective sponge power is, I ran zeovit for about 5 months before removing my GFO reactor. When I did, all the GFO material was stuck together, entirely colonized by sponge.
Daily, you have to use a built in handle to shake the zeovit material, removing bacteria colonies, which can be used as a food source by corals. Dosing is usually based on what you are trying to achieve, (i.e. coral growth, or color). Though, improper dosing will strip nutrients out of the tank so quickly, it will peel the skin right off your corals. Ask me how I know that.
I've been using zeovit, for the better part of a year, and really like the results. It has some caveats. The media, carbon and additives, are expensive. It requires daily manual shaking and dosing. Each month, both carbon and zeovit need replaced. The reactors are large and cumbersome.
In my system, I was running a 30 gallon refugium in my sump, full of rock and macro-algae, along with a GFO reactor and bio-pellet reactor, to keep nitrates and phosphates down. I have totally removed the refugium, turning it into my skimmer's chamber, removed the GFO reactor and bio-pellet reactor as well, and am running the 65 gallon on my 300 gallon system without a sand bed. My nitrates are undetectable by test kits, and my phosphates are 0.0 using a Hanna low range monitor. One reactor replaced about 60 pds of live sand, 30 pounds of live rock, a trash bag 1/2 full of cheato algae and two reactors. Now those are good results.
To give you an idea how nutrient free my system's water is, I installed Santa Monica filtration's Surf 2 upflow algae scrubber to grab any spare nutrients that the zeovit might miss. They advertise that normally growth occurs in 3-5 days, or less. It took 3 months for my surf2 to get any algae growth at all. They advertise you will need to clean it, every 3-5 days. I clean my every 3-5 months.
You can def see results in coral health, coloration and growth, if you stay on top of dosing. Plus, you can get rid of all the messy, particulate debris, that comes with running sand beds and refugiums. The only change I plan to make, is upgrading to AVAST marine's Vibe reactor, which automatically stirs the media for you.
) how the system functions and what's required? Thanks!
