High Tide Aquatics

Probidio and or zeo experiences - specifically for starting new tank

kvosstra

kvosstra

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Hey guys,

I want to think through some of the options for when I set up my new tank in Philly. The keys for me are to start clean and never introduce parasites (coral and fish). Ill have a full QT for fish and for SPS - each independent. The tank will almost certainly be my 40g breeder and Ill keep the lights, etc. Calcium reactor, ATO, etc. all coming with me...so really now, I need to decide how I want to cycle and maintain the tank.

I am planning on replacing the 4 tunze powerheads with 2x6055 - or trying to get 2 vortechs instead (wife approval likely needed for this expense).

Thoughts on setup:
1. Right now, I have saved 50 pounds of dry rock. the question is, how do I want to seed this rock? Do I cycle it in the tank, with some few select pieces of mature live rock? Do I cycle it in a 50g brute, with rock? Do I just add some live sand?
2. I am planning on using 2 media chambers - one for carbon, one for GFO - thouhgts on this?
3. I have never used Probidio or other "biological" additives to start or maintain a tank - can someone with experience with these (good and bad) chime in...Do they work (or are these snake oil), benefits, etc.
4. For those who use Zeo - thoughts on it?

I'm sure I'm missing somethings - I just want to thoroughly think this through so that I can eliminate the nuisance algae, diatoms, and other issues that often come from a new tank.

Thanks - I figured you all are the best to ask, since you're the experts!

-Kyle
 
Kyle, I'm in a similar situation now, I have a new 50g cube that I'm trying to seed from my current tank (which has algae, aptaisia, etc).
I put a piece of dry rock there on the sand so that no algae or aptaisia are near. It sat there for couple of weeks, then I transfered it to a new tank. Again put it on the sand and not letting it touch the base rock. I hope that that seeded my new tank, since I see pods on other pieces of rock and even spotted one bristleworm. Other than that I had dry rock/sand in a new tank. I also moved some of my corals, just basically fragged them all and remounted, to minimize the amount of algae.

I still expect some to get through, but probably will be easier to control.
 
That's basically what I'm going to do - I sent a bunch of frags to Philly - so I'll put them through QT - probably mount them on 1/4 acrylic rods and then attach them to the rock...

Do you think you sufficiently seeded the tank? And did you prevent the algae, aiptasia, etc. from getting into the new tank?

Best,
 
Thanks Zep - Anyone with some thoughts on their use of pribidio or Zeo - I'm not sure I want to try a ULNS tank, but more bacterial driven to keep phosphates and Nitrates in check - in addition to keeping them out of the tank to begin with.

Thanks!
 
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