ZEOvit VS. Prodibio

JediReefer · #1 12/21/2007, 02:40 PM

Can anyone tell me the pro's and con's of each system? I have aquired the Prodibio BioKit Reef and plan to start using the system in a few months when I feel my tank will benefit from it most.

Or maybe not at all with the help of you all. Does anyone here use Prodibio on a regular dosing schedule and have you had good success since then? I am thinking that you wont see any positive results until after 6 months use, let me know what you think.

Randy Holmes-Farley · #2 12/21/2007, 02:41 PM

What do you want it to accomplish? I'm not a fan of starving corals to get unnatural colors.

JediReefer · #3 12/21/2007, 02:46 PM

Is that what happens? When I was reading all of the prodibio stuff it seems like you are adding everything that they need? Is it the opposite. I am not looking for colors, more healthy growth and livelihood.

Randy Holmes-Farley · #4 12/21/2007, 02:52 PM

Different folks have different takes, and some may certainly know more than I do about these systems (especially those rare few who actually know what is in those secret bottles), but my understanding of zeovit is that nutrients are severely limited, so much so that things like coralline often do not grow well.

FWIW, I'm sure you'll find proponents of these systems that will characterize them differently.

I'm not familiar with the Prodibio line at all.

JediReefer · #5 12/21/2007, 03:19 PM

Lets just kick ZEO aside as it looks like nothing I would want in my tank. Here is a bit of info on the BioKit I have.

It comes with 30 viles of 5 different supplements.

BIO DIGEST: digests organic waste and clears the water by reducing nitrates and phosphates.

BIOPTIM Salt Water avoids trace-element and micro-nutrients deficiencies, speeds up the work of purifying bacteria and the production of enzymes needed to remove waste.

REEF BOOSTER: nutritive complements for corals provides a range of essential enriched nutritive elements. It favors the development of invertebrates, including hard corals for which a supplement of micro-plankton is necessary. It nourishes and maintains the bacteria on living stones.

IODI +: helps corals adapt to lighting variations, stabilize their coloring. By neutralizing excess oxygen produced by zooxanthellae in the case of excessive lighting and helps fight whitening.

STRONTI +: provides strontium, an essential element that stimulates the growth of hard corals and clams and the production of red calcareous and encrusting algae that transform the décor into live rocks.

http://www.prodibio.fr/anglais/biokitreef.htm

The link has more in depth info.

Do you think this will have a positive or negative effect on the reef tank?

Bebo77 · #6 12/21/2007, 03:25 PM

i tried prodibio for 4 months... didnt work for me.. waste of money...

I now run Zeo... works like a champ...

JediReefer · #7 12/21/2007, 03:31 PM

What would you say is in the ZEO system that is not in the Prodibio system that made it work for you?

Also do you think having such a large tank had anything to do with your success with the ZEO and not the prodibio. Since you (or you may not) use a reactor with the ZEO?

Bebo77 · #8 12/21/2007, 03:33 PM

Zeo uses rock to grow the bacteria... prodibio does not...

I have only seen 1 tank that looked good on prodibio and that user (iwan) changed over to Zeo

I dont think water volume had anything to do with it... either a product works or it does not. Melev even tried prodibio and from last i heard he also stopped as he saw no change in his tank from it.

JediReefer · #9 12/21/2007, 03:42 PM

I see, is there any way to cross check the system to see if it is actually working other than seeing visual changes? Do you think there can be any harm done to a tank if dosed correctly with the prodibio? Since I have the kit I might as well give it a shot?

Or, would you in your experience not even waste your time with it.

It seems Zeo's purpose is to REDUCE nutrients while the Prodibio system aim's at ADDING?

Possibly adding unnecessary nutrients to the water, this could be a problem?

Bebo77 · #10 12/21/2007, 03:50 PM

if you bought it go ahead and try it.. but take a pic of your tank today.. and then again at the end of your dosing. so you can see for yourself if anything changed...

The whole thing about Zeo, Prodibio, faunamarin is to remove impurities in the water ( via bacteria) and then replace them with beneficial additives. they all do this.

Prodibio reduces nutrients via bioptim and biotrace

Zeo used Bac Food and start

JediReefer · #11 12/21/2007, 03:54 PM

Gotcha, well I will give it a go and see what happens at the end of the kit. If nothing, I will give Zeo a go.

Thanks for the info.

-Marc

Bebo77 · #12 12/21/2007, 03:56 PM

also.. if your tank is not mostly SPS.. i would not bother using the products at all...

JediReefer · #13 12/21/2007, 04:01 PM

The new tank will be 100% SPS. That is why I said I am going to wait to start dosing until I feel it will benefit from it (IE, has mostly SPS).

Setting up the new tank this weekend.

nismo driver · #14 12/21/2007, 04:02 PM

vodka and sugar dosing also work similarly, by increasing and feeding bacteria growth to consume nutrients then supplimenting with the specific desierable nutrients.. all systems require fairly heavy skimmering to remove the excess protiens, nutrient and bacteria..

Bebo77 · #15 12/21/2007, 04:09 PM

cool.. make sure you start VERY VERY slow... and keep an eye on your corals... starting a program like this can shock your corals....

JediReefer · #16 12/21/2007, 04:13 PM

Will do, thanks for the advice!

I plan to document everything...in the event of a problem I can look back and see what went wrong...hopefully.

Should be fun getting out of the "basics"....

PSam · #17 12/21/2007, 04:16 PM

zeo & prodibio are totally different. prodibio is basically 'add this every 2 weeks', no control, but it is effective (at cleaning - it worked for me). zeo is more of a 'system' - daily doses, much more control, great support, but you really need to keep an eye on your tank parameters and animals. like bebo said, shock.

My tank currently running FM's ultra. I used prodibio to get nutrients down low (was effective for me, not for some), and now FM for more of a daily regimen. None of the products are a substitute for taking care your tank - a great tank can be had with or without.

Randy Holmes-Farley · #18 12/21/2007, 04:23 PM

I see the prodibio adds two things that I do not recommend bothering with: iodine and strontium. Consequently, I have less than an enthusiastic response to it, but obviously have never tried it.

PSam · #19 12/21/2007, 04:27 PM

I skipped the iodine and strontium when I used it. Only used the aminos, bacs & carbon source.

JediReefer · #20 12/21/2007, 04:32 PM

So no iodine or stroni? K.

I dont plan on slacking on the tank with the use of such a system, if anything it will make me more enthusiastic. As of now I test my water bi-weekly with the water changes. Is this sufficient?

I was thinking that a system like this could add to the tank what some corals need to have a healthy life and grow accordingly that is normally not there with normal tank care.

Let me know what you think.

Canarygirl · #21 12/21/2007, 04:41 PM

Randy, I'm surprised that you're still saying things like, "I'm not a fan of starving corals to get unnatural colors..." It shows a lack of knowledge/understanding of how Zeovit works. Zeovit reduces NO3 and PO4 to the levels found in the ocean (very low). Are SPS corals in the ocean starving??

Zeovit has some products that reduce NO3 and PO4, and others that feed corals (amino acids, Coral Vitalizer, Sponge Power...). It is true that lowering nutrients too low can cause corals to be pale and slow their growth. THat is not the goal of Zeovit, although some people prefer the look of corals that are on the pale side.

Randy Holmes-Farley · #22 12/21/2007, 04:54 PM

It shows a lack of knowledge/understanding of how Zeovit works.

Perhaps true. Hard to avoid when they do not tell you what the product is.

Do you have good coralline growth?

Canarygirl · #23 12/21/2007, 05:06 PM

Coraline? Too much, IMO. Including lots of that plating coraline that my friends think is so cool. I am fairly new at zeovit but have been reading/researching it a lot. I've been using it about 10 weeks. My corals have deep rich colors but I still have nuisance algae in my tank so I haven't made it into the ultra-low-nutrient phase. From what I've read and seen, the zeo users who feed liberally do not suffer from pale colors though. I can say that my browned out "LE Ultimate Blue" has finally turned a beautiful blue since I started Zeo.

Randy Holmes-Farley · #24 12/21/2007, 05:08 PM

Well, if you still have algae there no danger yet of starving corals or coralline.

What does the system do that you like?

Canarygirl · #25 12/21/2007, 05:15 PM

The water is sparkling clear. My nitrates and phosphates have been reduced, coral colors are deeper, and growth is MUCH faster than before. I have a few frags that sat for months without growing at all but now they have several new buds and/or branches on them. IIRC, having too much zooxanthaella (sp?) can hinder growth, just as having too little can do that (not to mention masking the coral's true pigments).

I look at it as just one more means to the end of achieving low enough nutrients that the true pigments of corals can be emphasized. Other people try bare bottoms, refugiums, phosphate reactors to achieve that. I'm trying zeo...what got me interested in it was seeing photos of tanks like Iwan's (he has a thread on here "My Haus Riff" or something along those lines.