March 13, 2012,
Featured, Updates 
2 comments
Its been a while since our last post (two months actually). Unfortunately law school can become a tad overwhelming and demanding, therefore something had to take a back seat. Well since midterms are over and it’s almost “spring break” it felt like a good time to write an article on the exciting experience of setting up a Zeo Reactor.
Whats a Zeo System?
Simply put,”Zeo” systems use a man made element (rock) that absorbs ammonia thus bypassing the nitrification process in an aquarium making the tank ultra low nutrient. Most hobbyists will place the “Zeo” rocks into a media bag or a reactor and shaking the media at least once a day.
This is an important step because it releases bacteria into your aquarium which rapidly absorbs phosphates and nitrates.
Choosing a Reactor
There are many reactors on the market but we chose an AquaMaxx reactor which you can happily purchase at MarineDepot.com. This reactor is reasonably priced, but what’s most attractive is the Sicce pump. The pump is very energy efficient and the reactor has thumb screws for quick maintenance.
Maintenance???
Unfortunately our hobby begs us to be, well lazy. Manufacturers are always looking for ways to make the hobby less focused on the innards of making the aquarium stable and instead allow you to just sit and watch the fish and coral.
Zeo reactors require a little bit of elbow grease almost, if not every day. Aside from shaking the media inside the reactor, every few weeks (about six) the media needs to have at least 1/3 replaced.
This is because the media has a limited absorption rate and once it’s exhausted there is no more filtering capacity followed by an increase in phosphates and nitrates. One needs to keep this in mind before starting a Zeo system.
Conclusion & Where’s the Video?
Thus far, the nutrient levels have lowered, especially after our unfortunate experience with BioPellets which effectively crashed the aquarium.
Therefore, it is recommended to start a Zeo system for any reef aquarium, just be ready to spend a few bucks. The color and growth rate of corals is something that cannot be ignored.
The reactor has only been setup for about two (2) months and the results have been very encouraging.
As for the video, check our YouTube page soon as its being edited.
