Zeovit Automatic Elements are an innovative new method to dose a handful of trace elements to our reef tanks on a long term basis. For major elements like Calcium, Carbonates and Magnesium it is critical to keep elevated levels in the aquarium water on a daily or weekly basis using calcium reactors or automatic dosing using peristaltic pumps and the like.
However for minor trace elements like iron, potassium and others that don’t have a direct effect on the mineral balance of the aquarium water, a small steady trickle into the aquarium water will suffice to supply our aquarium corals and invertebrates the levels that they need. At interZoo in Germany earlier this year we got a first look at Zeovit’s Automatic Elements which we hear will go on sale beginning next week.
While we love some of the innovations that Zeovit brings to the aquarium hobby, sometimes their cutting edge approach can be a little rich for reefers blood so the big asterisk regarding the Automatic Elements is how much they are going to cost. In this case it seems Zeovit may have found a way to actually reduce the cost of long term dosing of several very crucial minor trace elements, and making it easier to boot!
Zeovit Automatic Elements will be available for Iron, Potassium, Pohl’s B-Balance and Zeovit’s formulation of Amino Acids. The packs will contain 5, 10 or 20 of the dosing blocks for $25.99, $46.99 and $85.99. Users of Zeovit products are well accustomed to paying a premium for the little blue bottles but in this case in may be more economical to use the Automatic Elements line.
Each block of Automatic Elements will treat 100 liters, about 26 gallons for up to four months each, meaning that a single $25 5-pack of the blocks will dose any of the elements of your choice for more than 130 gallons for a third of a year. The dissolution rate of the elements will probably vary by the aquarium and the inhabitants uptake of the respective elements, especially the rapidly used Iron and Potassium. However, regarding the Amino Acids blocks, we still imagine that it will be more effective to deliberately dose a liquid formula of Amino Acids but using the blocks is better than not dosing any AA’s at all.
If the Zeovit dosing blocks had come out several years ago we would have to rely on anecdotes and observations to tell if the blocks were really having an effect on our aquarium corals but thanks to new testing services like Triton Reef testing, we’ll be able to collectively see just how well and how long the Zeovit Automatic Elements blocks work in the aquarium. Aquarium Specialty is the first retailer to have the Zeovit dosing blocks available to order but you should expect to see the Automatic Elements available from all the major Zeovit dealers in the next couple weeks.
