Shane's ZEOvit reef
Brisbane, Australia
Introduction
Hi, my name is Shane and I'm from Brisbane Australia.
I have kept fish for as long as I can remember when my mum bought me my first goldfish bowl.
My love for aquatic life continued, as I got older I moved onto tropical freshwater fish with various planted and breeding tanks.
When I was 14 my Dad bought his first reef setup which introduced me into the wonders of marine life. Shortly after that I shut down all my freshwater tanks in favour of my own mixed reef setup.
Unfortunately back then information was very limited and reef keeping involved a lot of trial and error. Technology in the hobby has advanced so far now. It's allowing us to keep fish and coral quite easily that was once considered impossible to keep.
17 years later and my passion for the hobby is as strong as ever. The amazing beauty of the reef never ceases to amaze me.
I just hope the natural reefs are around for generations to come so people can enjoy it as much as I do.
I have kept fish for as long as I can remember when my mum bought me my first goldfish bowl.
My love for aquatic life continued, as I got older I moved onto tropical freshwater fish with various planted and breeding tanks.
When I was 14 my Dad bought his first reef setup which introduced me into the wonders of marine life. Shortly after that I shut down all my freshwater tanks in favour of my own mixed reef setup.
Unfortunately back then information was very limited and reef keeping involved a lot of trial and error. Technology in the hobby has advanced so far now. It's allowing us to keep fish and coral quite easily that was once considered impossible to keep.
17 years later and my passion for the hobby is as strong as ever. The amazing beauty of the reef never ceases to amaze me.
I just hope the natural reefs are around for generations to come so people can enjoy it as much as I do.
Videos See all Videos
Filtration
All the tanks filtration is handled by the live rock and zeovit.
I use a 200 micron filter sock to filter the finer particles in the water entering the sump. This is cleaned daily to prevent any nutrient build up.
Sump is bare apart from the skimmer, zeovit reactor, activated carbon reactor and return pump.
I use a 200 micron filter sock to filter the finer particles in the water entering the sump. This is cleaned daily to prevent any nutrient build up.
Sump is bare apart from the skimmer, zeovit reactor, activated carbon reactor and return pump.
Lighting
After having limited success with LED's on a previous tank I decided to use tried and tested T5 lighting for this one to maximise colour and growth of SPS at any level and position in the tank.
I am very happy with the results I am getting from them :)
I am very happy with the results I am getting from them :)
Flow
4 x Ecotech Vortech MP40WES set to Reef Crest mode on 100%.
All pumps synced together with each opposite corner in sync and anti sync mode creating alternating circular flow around the tank.
All pumps synced together with each opposite corner in sync and anti sync mode creating alternating circular flow around the tank.
Alkalinity
Nitrate
Magnesium
Calcium
Temperature
Salinity
Phosphate
Potassium
pH
Nitrite
Fish:
1 x Yellow Tang
1x Mimic Tang
1x Moorish Idol
1x Coral Rabbitfish
1x Mated pair of Blue Throat Trigger Fish
1x Mated pair of Green Mandarin Fish
1 x Mystery Wrasse
1x Melanurus Wrasse
1x Cleaner Wrasse
1x Orange Back Wrasse
2x Pink Barred Zebra Goby
1x Lawnmower Blenny
Inverts:
6x Stromb Snails
5 x Nassarius Snails
Approx 8x Collector Urchins
Aprrox 15x Turbo Snails
1x Christmas Tree worm colony
1x Maxima Clam
Corals:
Approx 80 different species of SPS
Approx 10 different species of LPS
1 x NPS
1 x Yellow Tang
1x Mimic Tang
1x Moorish Idol
1x Coral Rabbitfish
1x Mated pair of Blue Throat Trigger Fish
1x Mated pair of Green Mandarin Fish
1 x Mystery Wrasse
1x Melanurus Wrasse
1x Cleaner Wrasse
1x Orange Back Wrasse
2x Pink Barred Zebra Goby
1x Lawnmower Blenny
Inverts:
6x Stromb Snails
5 x Nassarius Snails
Approx 8x Collector Urchins
Aprrox 15x Turbo Snails
1x Christmas Tree worm colony
1x Maxima Clam
Corals:
Approx 80 different species of SPS
Approx 10 different species of LPS
1 x NPS
16 Fish
Decora Goby
Sp sp
43 Invertebrate
Equipment
Aquarium
5x2.5x2 peninsula style tank
Chiller
Filter
Filter sock, nylon 7"
Lighting
Powerhead
Reactor
Skimmer
KZ Revolution Medium
Stand
Steel stand, 1mtr tall
Sump
Sump
I try to keep all parameters as stable as possible. I have reached my target levels apart from nitrate which is currently 2ppm and should decline when the zeovit settles in further over the next few months.
My target levels are:
Temp: 25-26deg celcius
Salinity: 1.025-1.026
Alk: 7.5dkh
Ca: 415ppm
Mg: 1250ppm
Po4: Undetectable
No3: Undetectable
K: 380ppm
My target levels are:
Temp: 25-26deg celcius
Salinity: 1.025-1.026
Alk: 7.5dkh
Ca: 415ppm
Mg: 1250ppm
Po4: Undetectable
No3: Undetectable
K: 380ppm
Dosing See more
Potassium Chloride 40 ml · Zeobak 8 drops · Coral Snow 16 ml · ZEOStart3 1.4 ml · ZEOStart3 1.4 ml · Zeozym 2 tsp · Bio Mate 14 drops · Potassium Chloride 40 ml · Potassium Chloride 40 ml · Zeobak 8 drops · Coral Snow 16 ml · ZEOStart3 1.4 ml · Bio Mate 14 drops · Zeozym 2 tsp · ZEOStart3 1.2 ml · Potassium Chloride 40 ml · Zeobak 8 drops · Coral Snow 16 ml · ZEOStart3 1.2 ml · Bio Mate 14 drops · Coral Snow 16 ml · ZEOStart3 1.2 ml · Zeobak 8 drops · Coral Snow 16 ml · ZEOStart3 1.2 ml · Bio Mate 8 drops · Coral Snow 16 ml · ZEOStart3 1.3 ml · Zeobak 8 drops · Coral Snow 16 ml · ZEOStart3 1.4 ml · Potassium Chloride 30 ml · Bio Mate 8 drops · Zeozym 2 tsp · ZEOStart3 1.4 ml · ZEObak 8 drops · ZEOStart3 1.4 ml · Coral Snow 16 ml · Potassium Chloride 30 ml · Bio Mate 8 drops · Zeozym 2 tsp · ZEOStart3 1.4 ml · ZEObak 8 drops · Coral Snow 16 ml · ZEOStart3 1.4 ml · ZEOStart3 1.3 ml · ZEObak 8 drops · Coral Snow 16 ml · ZEOStart3 1.3 ml · Bio Mate 8 drops · ZEOzym 2 tsp · ZEOStart3 1.3 ml · Potassium Chloride 400 ml · Potassium Chloride 400 ml · ZEObak 8 drops · Coral Snow 16 ml · ZEOStart3 1.3 ml · Potassium Chloride 400 ml · Bio Mate 8 drops · ZEOzym 2 tsp · ZEOStart3 1.3 ml · Zeobak 8 drops · Coral Snow 16 ml · ZEOStart3 1.2 ml · Bio Mate 8 drops · Zeozym 2 tsp · ZEOStart3 1.2 ml · ZEObak 8 drops · Coral Snow 16 ml · ZEOStart3 1.2 ml · Zeozym 2 tsp · Bio Mate 8 drops · ZEOStart3 1.2 ml · ZEObak 7 drops · ZEOStart3 1.2 ml · B Balance 15 ml · Coral Snow 7 ml · Bio-Mate 14 drops · Sponge Power 7 drops · ZEOStart3 1.2 ml · Zeozym 1.5 tsp · Coral Snow 10 ml · ZEOstart3 1.2 ml · Sponge Power 7 drops · Coral Snow 7 ml · Zeozym 1.5 tsp · ZEOStart3 1.2 ml · Coral Snow 7 ml · Biomate 14 drops · ZEObac 7 drops · ZEOzym 1.5 tsp · ZEOstart3 1 ml · Coral Snow 7 ml · ZEOstart3 1 ml · Sponge power 7 drops · B Balance 15 ml · ZEOzym 1.5 tsp · ZEOstart3 1 ml · Biomate 14 drops · ZEObac 7 dropsAuto Dosing
145 ml
Calcium Chloride
6 ml every 1 hour
155 ml
Sodium Bicarbonate
6.5 ml every 1 hour
I use Randy's Recipe for maintaining Alk, Ca and Mg.
Alk and Ca is automatically dosed via a Kamoer 3 channel dosing pump.
Mg is dosed manually once per week.
Potassium Chloride for maintaing K, soon to be connected to dosing pump.
Zeovit additives:
ZEOStart3
ZEOBak
Bio Mate
Coral Snow
ZEOZym
B Balance
Coral Vitlizer
Sponge Power
Alk and Ca is automatically dosed via a Kamoer 3 channel dosing pump.
Mg is dosed manually once per week.
Potassium Chloride for maintaing K, soon to be connected to dosing pump.
Zeovit additives:
ZEOStart3
ZEOBak
Bio Mate
Coral Snow
ZEOZym
B Balance
Coral Vitlizer
Sponge Power
Feeding See more
Fed Reef Roids · Fed Reef Roids
I believe a large variety of foods is essential to the health of fish.
My fish get fed 3 times a day each time with something different.
Here is the list of what they get fed from the ocean nutrition range of frozen food,
Marine Mix
Chopped krill
Squid
Red Plankton
Lobster Eggs
Fish Eggs
Mysis Shrimp
Spirulina enriched artemia
White shrimp
Cyclops
They also get fed all types of New Era pellets and flake foods as well as nori.
Corals don't get fed anything but the zeo supplements and what ever they pick up from the fish foods.
My fish get fed 3 times a day each time with something different.
Here is the list of what they get fed from the ocean nutrition range of frozen food,
Marine Mix
Chopped krill
Squid
Red Plankton
Lobster Eggs
Fish Eggs
Mysis Shrimp
Spirulina enriched artemia
White shrimp
Cyclops
They also get fed all types of New Era pellets and flake foods as well as nori.
Corals don't get fed anything but the zeo supplements and what ever they pick up from the fish foods.
Maintenance
Daily maintenance:
Clean skimmer cup
Clean filter sock
Pump zeovit reactor twice per day
Add required zeo additives
Every second day:
Clean glass if needed
Test Alkalinity & po4
Weekly:
Approx 14% water change with Natural Salt Water
Test all parameters
Monthly:
Vacuum detritus from sump
Clean Vortech pump wet ends
Clean skimmer pump
Exchange activated carbon
Clean internal glass edges with scraper blade
Every 6 weeks:
Exchange zeovit stones
Clean zeovit reactor
Clean skimmer cup
Clean filter sock
Pump zeovit reactor twice per day
Add required zeo additives
Every second day:
Clean glass if needed
Test Alkalinity & po4
Weekly:
Approx 14% water change with Natural Salt Water
Test all parameters
Monthly:
Vacuum detritus from sump
Clean Vortech pump wet ends
Clean skimmer pump
Exchange activated carbon
Clean internal glass edges with scraper blade
Every 6 weeks:
Exchange zeovit stones
Clean zeovit reactor
On average you perform a 8.1% water change every 28 days.
0% total water change in 2024-12-01T01:30:17.161446Z[GMT].
Inspiration & Goals
My biggest inspiration for keeping sps coral was from viewing youtube videos of "A Reef in the Sky"
An absolute brilliant aquarium and I would love to have my tank looking as good as that.
The ultimate goal is to have a tank full of healthy vibrant fish and coral. I think my tank has a long way to go to reach that but I'm happy with the progress so far :)
An absolute brilliant aquarium and I would love to have my tank looking as good as that.
The ultimate goal is to have a tank full of healthy vibrant fish and coral. I think my tank has a long way to go to reach that but I'm happy with the progress so far :)
Words of Wisdom
Biggest thing I can suggest is to have lots of patients. Good reef tanks don't happen overnight and the long term picture needs to be kept in sight at all times. Most tanks look very ugly in the early stages before they look good.
As the old saying goes nothing good happens quickly in a reef tank.
Never stop reading and learning. There is so much information available online, just be wary that for every good piece of information there are handfuls of incorrect information.
I've always been a firm believer of only trusting advice from those who have the proven results I wish to achieve.
As the old saying goes nothing good happens quickly in a reef tank.
Never stop reading and learning. There is so much information available online, just be wary that for every good piece of information there are handfuls of incorrect information.
I've always been a firm believer of only trusting advice from those who have the proven results I wish to achieve.
Disasters & Regrets
Touch wood this tank has been relatively problem free.
Only set back I've had is a bad stage of cynobacteria that I linked to a vodka overdose before starting the full zeovit system.
The success has come from many trials and errors of past tanks.
I had a test of patients with my last tank with coral pests, acro eating flatworm was the worst.
I ensure I dip all corals before putting into the tank from now on. Ideally I would like to set up a coral quarantine tank to ensure corals are kept 100% free for my next tank.
There is always room for improvement with this hobby :)
Only set back I've had is a bad stage of cynobacteria that I linked to a vodka overdose before starting the full zeovit system.
The success has come from many trials and errors of past tanks.
I had a test of patients with my last tank with coral pests, acro eating flatworm was the worst.
I ensure I dip all corals before putting into the tank from now on. Ideally I would like to set up a coral quarantine tank to ensure corals are kept 100% free for my next tank.
There is always room for improvement with this hobby :)
Acknowledgements
I have quite a few thank you's I would like to get through for making this possible,
First off I would like to thank my wife for tolerating my obsession and for listening me go on and on about the tank everyday. Also anything I need for the tank isn't a problem and for that I thank you.
My parents for getting me into the hobby in the first place, especially my Dad for opening my eyes to marine life and for all the support with my tanks along the way.
100% Reef Safe for all the amazing stock and equipment.
All the people on the RTAW forum who have given me advice and encouragement.
And last of all my great friends I have made through the hobby, especially Pete, Matt & Dan.
Cheers for all the advice, support and many laughs along the way :)
First off I would like to thank my wife for tolerating my obsession and for listening me go on and on about the tank everyday. Also anything I need for the tank isn't a problem and for that I thank you.
My parents for getting me into the hobby in the first place, especially my Dad for opening my eyes to marine life and for all the support with my tanks along the way.
100% Reef Safe for all the amazing stock and equipment.
All the people on the RTAW forum who have given me advice and encouragement.
And last of all my great friends I have made through the hobby, especially Pete, Matt & Dan.
Cheers for all the advice, support and many laughs along the way :)
