Zeovit, potassium, and venturi skimmers

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 1, 2015

I'm not sure it matters if it isn't leaching enough iron to actually detect via Triton.

UK_Pete · Mar 1, 2015

I know what you mean but thinking back to your iron articles and a couple of questions you answered here - iron is really extremely insoluble in aerated seawater isent it? Far less that the triton LOD of 0.3 ppb iirc, unless its chelated (although I can't really find a straight figure for it, I guess because its a complex question). So I guess the only way iron would show up in a tritin test would be if it was chelated in the tank by something? I remember that you mentioned that organics in the tank can chelate iron but I thought you concluded that there was unlikely to be much residual iron in a tank if it was dosed in a non chelated form so I assume that any chelation that happens in tank would be insignificant.

So if iron is precipitated faster than its leached, iron levels would not build up to significant measurable levels, despite a significant 'flux' of iron passing through the tank during the stones immersion. Its the 'flux' of iron that is interesting because it seems possible that it could act to remove phosphate in the process.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 1, 2015

Iron in a reef tank will likely be bound to organics, helping it remain soluble, but possibly reducing the potential to precipitate phosphate.

UK_Pete · Mar 2, 2015

It sounds very complex to try to understand how iron would be 'processed' in a tank, what with chelation and precipitation.

Do you think the only way to approach this would be to measure the iron lost from the stones or would you choose to try to test the water one way or another, if you wanted to determine the iron lost from zeolite in a tank? I wondered about pulverising some stones, mixing the powder well, and splitting it in two samples, one for soaking in a tank, one for analysis as is. But the powdering step would probably make leaching more effective that with solid stones I imagine.

Scuba sue · Jan 10, 2017

Very interesting guys.i just realized i have a lot of reading to do.the knowledge you both have acquired leaves my head spinning.taken an excedrin.going to sleep on this topic and definitely dive into the books tomorrow.. haaaa. enjoyed your discussion .just getting started my last tank was 5 years ago and i am researching all the info i can absorb.definitely will be following you two for sure.looking for tried and true information on equipment .The aquatic market is over whelming ..

Diesel · Jan 10, 2017

Scuba sue said:
Very interesting guys.i just realized i have a lot of reading to do.the knowledge you both have acquired leaves my head spinning.taken an excedrin.going to sleep on this topic and definitely dive into the books tomorrow.. haaaa. enjoyed your discussion .just getting started my last tank was 5 years ago and i am researching all the info i can absorb.definitely will be following you two for sure.looking for tried and true information on equipment .The aquatic market is over whelming ..

Wow, you pulled a almost dead thread back to life.
Good for having you around Sue.

Reefdom · Oct 25, 2020

I can revive it again.....
I am planning on doing a few icp tests soon on my Zeovit tank.

this is/was the best thread on Zeovit I’ve read and I’d love more discussions like this.
I also considered a few drops of the more conspicuous supplements such as a balance and extra to see what elements these contain.

I just changed my zeolites yesterday so I may run an icp after a week, and then another in 6-7 weeks.

I have noticed towards the 6-8 weeks of running a batch, I will see dirty glass more often and algae slowly make its presence.
Zeovit advise not too high a flow rate to avoid stressing corals. Could this be that too high a flow rate too soon drops po4 too quickly? Something we know SPS don’t like? I don’t know. What I do know is this thread has given me lots to think about

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 26, 2020

Reefdom said:
Could this be that too high a flow rate too soon drops po4 too quickly? Something we know SPS don’t like? I don’t know.

I cannot see how a high flow rate would cause an increase in phosphate depletion.

Reefdom · Oct 26, 2020

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I cannot see how a high flow rate would cause an increase in phosphate depletion.

I guess I was considering the theory in the thread that new zeolites potentially leached iron and in turn dropped phosphate quickly? Not saying this is or isn’t valid, just trying to make sense of it all, if that’s even possible

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 26, 2020

Reefdom said:
I guess I was considering the theory in the thread that new zeolites potentially leached iron and in turn dropped phosphate quickly? Not saying this is or isn’t valid, just trying to make sense of it all, if that’s even possible

Zeolites don't bind phosphate, nor do they typically leach iron.

Reefdom · Oct 26, 2020

You tested it?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 26, 2020

Reefdom said:
You tested it?

Me? No. But I am very familiar with zeolites and what types binds phosphate under what conditions.

I've never seen anyone claim the zeovit zeolites bind phosphate. They claim it binds ammonia. Not a useful attribute, IMO, but that is their claim. Iron is not a significant component of ordinary zeolites.

Reefdom · Oct 27, 2020

Not sure I said it binds phosphate. It wa some one earlier in the post that said in theory it could release iron or a form of it (I’m not a chemistry whizz) via different possible mechanisms and that in turn is what is causing the phosphate to be taken out of the water. I’m just trying to make sense of is all and wondered if that theory is along the right lines could that be why Kz advise a slow introduction.

it would be good understand how it works but I’m not sure anyone’s got there yet. They must do something, multiple large manufacturers still use them and in their coral farms.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 27, 2020

Reefdom said:
Not sure I said it binds phosphate. It wa some one earlier in the post that said in theory it could release iron or a form of it (I’m not a chemistry whizz) via different possible mechanisms and that in turn is what is causing the phosphate to be taken out of the water. I’m just trying to make sense of is all and wondered if that theory is along the right lines could that be why Kz advise a slow introduction.

it would be good understand how it works but I’m not sure anyone’s got there yet. They must do something, multiple large manufacturers still use them and in their coral farms.

Just a good place for bacteria to grow, IMO.