stunning colors

Beautiful tank.

I started using Zeolith media & products (from both KZ and BW) about a year ago and I really must say, I am pleased with the results. You have to start slow and do some experimenting (I’m still in the learning curve) but over time I’ve really noticed a difference, especially with the growth and coloration of some SPS corals that were always finicky in my tank (montipora, efflo’s, etc.) – pardon the likely mispelling). The entire system is “cleaner” too. I don’t know if it’s the zeolith media, the bacteria/carbon dosing, or the mineral supplementation that’s really at play, but for whatever reason it does work. I’ll never set up another tank without it. I am curious about the biopellets, though.

Forgot to ask in my post above– is this tank run completely Zeo free (no zeo media or supplements)?

You’re right – when you introduce a new method, you should do that slowly and watch your tank attentively. Producers give us only general rules regarding dosing, etc., but it’s you who is a boss of your tank, you know everything done in it, so only you can find the best method or optimum doses.
Both zeolithes with some products (zeo or neo zeo) and biopellets work similarly; briefly – thanks to working bacteria they provide a system with low NO3 and PO4 levels, so the effects are similar too.
I’m happy with the NP-reducing biopellets. Recently I’ve been out for a month and no bad thing happened in the tank then. Everything has run like in a good machine and my corals flourished. What can I add? Since I started to use biopellets the corals have been growing faster than before.
There aren’t zeo media but after water change I sometimes add some bacteria, it might be zeobak or others.

I am interested to know what else these methods, bio-pellets and/or Zeo bring to a system that creates the coral colours you get ?
My Nitrates are undetectable and my Phosphates too but the colours I achieve are no where near as bright as yours.

Mark

Forgot to say; I think its one of the nicest tanks I have seen.

Mark

Amazing tank
looking forward to hear about your method

First of all, Congrats! that is a great looking system with outstanding colors on your corals, I also really admire your selection of fish, very sweet! I am truly inspired to ugrade at this point LOL…. job well done!

You should pat yourself on the back… this is one of the nicest SPS tanks I have seen in a long time. The simplicity of it and the beautiful array of fish really makes it stand out.

Also… something tells me that aquarium is lit only by T5′s. Am I right?

WOW. Instantly one of my favorite tanks of all time.

Krzysztof, what additives are you using? Can you tell us what bulbs you’re using?

Thanks,guys.
Mark, I think that there’s no simple answer. For example, there are two
aquarists, two tanks managed in the same way, the same lightening,
filtration, the same additives, salt, etc., and we expect these tanks to
look the same. But there are always a lot of details we aren’t even
aware of, so the effects might also be different.
Bacteria are a good source of food for corals which are provided
continuously, all the time. In my opinion it mainly promotes the growth
of corals. Does it affect their colour?- I don’t know. I keep my T5 low
and replace them regularly. I use only high purity chemicals for
supplementing ca, mg and alkalinity.
I strongly believe in regular water change (every week) and regular
maintenance. A close water system doesn’t tolerate any negligence or
delays.

Some info about the system:
750 liters, about 80 kg of live rocks, live sand, a two-part calcium
and alkalinity addition system, ATI powermodule consisting of ten
80-watt T5 (only T5; their combination from the front to the back is the
following one: ATI blue plus, KZ NG coral light, KZ fiji purple, ATI
aquablue sp., KZ NG, ATI blue plus, ATI aquablue sp., ATI actinic, ATI
aquabl. sp., ATI blue plus), two Tunze Turbelle Stream 6105, two Iwaki
MD 55, Red Dragon 8000 l/h as a main pump. As for filtration, at present
it’s confined to ATI 200 skimmer, filter for biopellets and filter bag
for activated carbon. Since February 2010 I’ve been using NP-reducing
BioPellets. For my system 1,5 liters of biopellets is an appropriate
quantity to keep NO3 and PO4 low, near 0. But everybody must adjust it
to their tank. When I started with biopellets my tank was in good
condition, so the system switched from zeo to biopellets fluently, it
wasn’t a drastic change and didn’t cause a shock for animals. I love
biopellets, they provide a nearly self-service system, without
calculating doses of many products daily, without concern for
overdosing. The bacteria house the filter and only the surplus of them,
which haven’t been skimmed, get to the main tank to feed the corals.
That sounds good, makes sense IMHO.
Should you need any more info, feel free to ask me or go to the
following link:
http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/65-tank-of-the-month

Krzysztof

Congrats, very well done!
I noticed you have experienced a cone and non cone skimmer, did you find a difference in performance between a cone design skimmer and cylinder design?

Thanks

Thanks, Kevin.
I don’t see a significant difference between these two kinds of skimmers. But I prefer the current, ATI one. I didn’t like the fact that the becket in KZ model often blocked up.
A new version of KZ skimmer seems to be improved.

Guys, i hope you guys know corals color change after around 6 months ! All his corals was running on zeovit, the color we see is not from the pellet for sure….

i forgot to mention, good fluoride level for blue, 1 or 2 water change per week + the famous vodka recipes and i got same result. Its mostly about many water change 2 per week and because you have high lighting, the coral will turn to a brighter color, try it, you will see after 3 or 4 months only

Like Krzysztof says, Mike, “there are two
aquarists, two tanks managed in the same way, the same lightening, filtration, the same additives, salt, etc., and we expect these tanks to look the same. But there are always a lot of details we aren’t even aware of, so the effects might also be different.”

I’ve always been religious about water changes and I did vodka and VSV dosing on my tank for 6 months and noticed no change. My tank was generally “healthy” but I still had issues with color and growth with some SPS corals.

It wasn’t until I installed a reactor with Zeolith media and started dosing bacteria along with the carbon as well as making trace minor element supplementation (iron, potassium, and iodine specifically) a regular routine that the colors of my corals really started improving.

As for your “the color we see is not from the pellet for sure” comment goes, I wouldn’t be so certain about that. Bio-pellets work on the exact same principles as the Zeolith method. The only difference is you don’t have to add the carbon source with the pellets, as they are the food source for the denitrifying bacteria.

I know Krzysztof for a long time, and I know when he has switched from Zeo to pellets. So Mike, regarding your claim, that system rely on pellets for true, but on good lighting and knowledge too…

And Mike, show us your tank, let’s see what you have done so far.

And one more thing that I have forgot, starfire diamond glass is very important part of his system.

It appears your only methods of filtration are a protein skimmer and reactor with NP biopellets.  Is this correct?  No UV sterilizer, refuguim etc???       Do you use supplements to feed the corals?