The product that gave its name to the ZEOvit method! These are stones called zeolites that are naturally occurring chemical filters. Imagine the zeolite stones acting as a sieve, blocking and separating out the unwanted compounds (such as ammonia) in the aquarium and locking them down so that they cannot re-circulate at a later date. In addition, zeolites are covered in millions upon millions of tiny little holes and cracks that make perfect homes for the helpful nitrifying bacteria added with ZEObak.

As part of the locking and de-nitrification process a bacterial film (called Mulm) coats the stones on a daily basis. This film needs to be shaken off by way of agitating the stones and this can be achieved in several ways. The most common method is to use a zeolite reactor, which has the stones suspend on a plunger. You can then pump this on a daily basis to release the film and allow the nitrifying bacteria to begin their process all over again. Using the reactor has the added benefit of being able to regulate the circulation through the stones to an optimum level. Alternative methods for holding and cleaning the stones include using fine mesh bags that can be inserted into exit compartments of skimmers and the like. These can be shaken on a daily basis to generate a similar effect but you can't easily regulate the flow this way.

Shaking or agitating the stones on a daily basis has another added benefit. The bacterial film acts as a great additional coral food, with many corals displaying improved polyp expansion afterwards. To ensure maximum benefit, ensure that the output from your reactor flows into a compartment after your skimmer (for sump based systems). This will ensure that the mulm circulates around the entire system before the skimmer has a chance to remove it. If you can?t manage this, then it?s worth turning your skimmer off for 10 minutes or so after agitating.

Since the stones are essentially locking down free ammonia generated in the aquarium, there comes a point where all of their capacity is used up and new material is required. This is typically over a 6-8 week period, and at the time of change, we recommend you only swap half of the total amount being used in your system to ensure that the nitrifying bacteria has a chance to re-colonise from the half that is left.

To start with, you'll need roughly 1kg of stones (a bag as supplied) to 400 litres of system water. The stones will need to have a flow over them of between 300 and 400 litres per hour, which is best achieved through the use of a ZEOvit filter