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Allmost
07/05/2010, 10:12 AM
Hello all.

so my system has been on Zeo for a while now about 3 months. nothing but amazing surprises daily. now recently in my seahorse tank and Fuge I noticed a new and kinda ugly bacteria/algea growing ! started with hair algea and now it looks kinda slimy and traps air bubbles inside !! hmmm, I dont want to call it cyanobacteria just yet :)

the no3 in system is about 0.5 PPM at the end of the week when it comes to water changes. liquid po4 testers read zero po4.

so after looking at Zeo counter again this weekend, I started reading about Zeo Zym and Zeovit Coral Snow.

so as I understand ZZ will break down proteins, which are basically the fuel for this algea, and the broken down proteins have the chance to become balanced with Zeo operation via removing the excess via skimmer and operation of Zeobak (bacteria).

PCS on the other hand (calcium magnesium mix) looks like a basic solution which will eventually bond with acids in the tank and remove them, and lower the chance for unwanted algea

is my understanding correct ?
I dose Zeobak 2 times a week now, so from what I understand, it would be best to add ZeoBAk on monday with conjuction with ZZ, and add Zeobak on thursdays with cojunction of PCS ? this would enable me to fight the hair algea and the slime better right ?


or should I try one at a time ? if so, which one should I give a shot first ?

I add following zeo additives :
ZB
start2
SP
AAHC
CV
Xtra
K+

lastly, what is everyones view on the zeovits Potassium iodine floride ... ? does it actually work on blues ? or would water changes cover those ?

Allmost
07/05/2010, 01:13 PM
reason for asking is that my sand has turned into cement for a while now, and I hear that using ZZ will increase PO$ and CA, so how ? by releasing the percipitated CA and po4 !!! so if my whole sand bed is percipitatesd then ... just wnt to be sure wont cause a ISsue with respect to that.

reef_doug
07/05/2010, 02:56 PM
You may want to ask in the ZEOvit.com forum.
I wonder if your using too much Start2 that your bacteria isn't using, thus cyano is now consuming it.

I would temporarily discontinue using ZEOfood, PCV, SP, AAHC.

I know they recommend Bak + CS to help combat cyano in addition to the regular dosing. I don't know about ZZ making it worse, but it's an enzyme that is reported to help the bacteria. I don't know about ZZ causing leaching PO4 & Ca out of LR and sand.

Allmost
07/05/2010, 03:03 PM
You may want to ask in the ZEOvit.com forum.
I wonder if your using too much Start2 that your bacteria isn't using, thus cyano is now consuming it.

I would temporarily discontinue using ZEOfood, PCV, SP, AAHC.

I know they recommend Bak + CS to help combat cyano in addition to the regular dosing. I don't know about ZZ making it worse, but it's an enzyme that is reported to help the bacteria. I don't know about ZZ causing leaching PO4 & Ca out of LR and sand.

thanks :) lol, I love these forums, and you are 100% right, I did increase the dosage of Zeostart2 from 0.3 ml daily to 0.4 ml daily to see what would happen and well, I guess this was the result lol makes sense, but I totally forgot about it !

ZZ and PCS seem to be the same, I guess I;ll give the cheaper one a try first lol

reef_doug
07/05/2010, 04:29 PM
thanks :)
ZZ and PCS seem to be the same, I guess I;ll give the cheaper one a try first lol

If you have both, I would alternate days maybe. I believe the CS is a delivery mechanisim to get the bacteria down to the cyano.

Montireef
07/13/2010, 03:59 AM
I got rid of cyano in my 150 gal system the following way:

- Daily siphoning with small water changes.
- Reduce ZeoStart2 to just 0,2 ml in the morning and 0,2 ml in the evening.
- No aminoacids at all (these also boost cyano). Just a little of Sponge Power+Coral Vitalizer if you see any SPS polyp not opening as usual.
- No ZeoFood7 at all.
- ZZ+ZeoBac in the morning everyday
- CS in the evening everyday
- Skim wet.
- Strong lights, shorter period (let's promote small green algae grow on surfaces to compete cyanobacteria)

Repeat this along a week, it should help.

Montireef
07/13/2010, 04:00 AM
By the way: Sponge Power and Xtra are also aminoacids, not just AAHC.

ghostman
07/13/2010, 06:43 AM
+2 and agree on all the above, and on decreasing the dosage of Start2. This has happened to me several times and clears up in a day or so.

Allmost
07/13/2010, 08:51 AM
thanks all :)

I have lowered the usage of SP and started adding coral snow twice a week with Zeobak, looks like the hair algea is dying off as well as the little slime :)

ZZ was 70 bucks, lol so I didnt get it, do you guys recommend it ?

my seahorse tank is really low flow, and I gotta pull the hair algea out of it somehow lol