Prodibio option for marine auariums bio filtering.

Hi guys,

As discussed last nights aandtsociety meeting, i wanted to share my experience with you all regarding a product new to me, Prodibio. The product itself is not new but i have never seen nor heard of it before.

At this stage all i have done is the "start up" kit, which is designed to bump start your tanks filtration. I have previously tried most methods of bumping a system into life, but this one promised to get you up and running with fish and coral within a few days which is very big claims.

observations:
this product does appear to work, after 4 days my ammonia levels were approx 0.25 and by day 6 were 0. nitrates and nitrites were barely ever detectable. and by day 5 i have corals flourishing in the new tank. The dosage was very simply everyday break some glass vials into the tank and filter and your done. Have never had a tank up and running and ready for fish so fast. so cannot recommend this product enough.

They also produce a number of maintenance products for your aquarium which appear to be similar to zeovit systems but easier maintenance schedule. i have ordered mine and will keep you all updated on the results.

Only issue i could say about the products so far is the website has very little useable information on it, there is a PDF ect but they really dont say much.

So while on my search for info i found this forum topic
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=62780

very knowledgeable fellow on there who answers questions very fast.

i would recommend people at least have a look at the product, and i will keep a bit of a log on here about my experiences with the second phases of the product.

Ok update for everyone:

Have started the regular maintenance system now, so 6 weeks of dosing bioptim and biodigest (dosing every 15-20 days) then I add reef booster to the mix.

So far im very very happy, never had a marine set up, and stabilise this quickly and easily.

All my levels are low (undetectable), including after going out and buying probably too much in one go several corals, sea star, 3 seahorses blah blah, all my levels are undetectable.

Basically this system allows for low maintenance and ease of use. The only thing I need to add apart from these doses is ALK, calcium and watch my PH and salinity.

Still early days to see if its worth the hype im giving it, but so far I cannot recommend it enough.

Day 25 of set up I have corals, seahorses, star fish and a large population of pods going. so im very impressed. Will continue to keep everyone updated.

Wow - great info and feed back mate...thanks

It will be good to see your progress and hear your feedback as time goes on - sounds like all is going well , good stuff.

Any pics? your tank sounds cool

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so far so good mate,

the star you gave me is growing new arms already so fingers cross. thanks for that by the way it was great

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Ok update 8 weeks in:

Everything is screaming along with the tank, my levels are all ULN and have been for 2 weeks now. I have noticed the water I pull out for water changes are clearer?

Like in my previous experience when you do a water change the water has a green tinge to it? The water I pull out now is nearly the same colour as the fresh stuff im putting back in.

Current levels (double checked with LFS)

Ammonia – 0
Nitrate –< 0
Nitrite - <0
Phos - <0.2

ALK – 9dkh
Calcium – 420 ppm
Mag – not tested
Iodine – not tested

Have started to try some SPS (monti, acro and pally) and all of these are going well, noticing good polyp extension and quite a lot of growth on one acro in particular.

One ACAN is doing very well, nice extension and starting to see some growth

All my soft corals, mushrooms, zooanthids, colt coral, daisy stars and multiplying very well, some have doubled the colony.

Would like to try a clam just need to find a nice small one.

All the fish and inverts seem to be going well, have lost two seahorses since starting, one from not eating and other from gas bubble syndrome, all the others are doing well and suspected to be carrying babies.

I have 4 peppermint shrimp and they are shedding and growing well.

I picked up a feather star from another member which was not doing great, he seems to be doing well, then not so well then well again. He grew back some new arms, then started to drop them again, now growing them again so im not sure about him, I have increased his target feeding and will see how he goes.

Overall I am very happy with this prodibio stuff and will continue to use it. So far I can say the positives is the maintenance is very low, it appears to be working as it should, no adverse effects.

Cons: it is expensive, but for convenience I don’t think its that expensive – not more then running rowaphos ect.

not to be a stickler, because i would kill to have those levels atm but did you mean 0.02 for phos?
cause i was under the assumption that anything over 0.1 was not good?

Hey mate a bit off topic but you're keeping seahorses with fish right.. is this something you have had success with before??

sorry yes i meant 0.02, typo...

i know what you mean about the levels i have never had a marine tank this stable this quick, maybe its not the product maybe it is, all i know is with these levels im not changing anything, until its broken

Mike - yes i am keeping fish but only mandarine's so im not sure that counts LOL. i did have seahorses many many years ago, with limited sucess due to feeding issues and poor husbandary. but the hobby has moved forward alot since then and so far so good. basically we are hoping to have a small breeding set up going to sustain the hobby. so if we can get a few decent broods off and maybe even some mandarine's if i am really lucky.

Its only mid stream swimmers that take sea horses food added to the waters on average and of course the more aggressive species with nipping fins and mandarins as we all know are normally harmless.

I should put a mandarin in my algae area,the amphipod numbers in there are massive.

Ok an update for you all,

just went on holiday for 6 weeks - so this will be a true test of things.

6 weeks without water changes, just a friend feeding the seahorses 1 per day and the doses of prodibio.... yikes.

come back - everything is alive - some SPS were a little worse off but i think this maybe due to the macro going manic over 6 weeks and cutting down their light.

have not done any test yet, will do over the weekend and post the results.

the fact that everything is still alive astonishes me. given i have SPS. LPS, morphs, zoas, tube worms, sun corals and a leather and all have survived i am truely shocked.