Prodibio Dosing - My experiences since 2011

Prodibio asked me to do a workshop presentation at MACNA D.C. earlier this month, explaining how I use their product in my reef. Since I've been using it for years, that was easy. I discuss setting up a new tank with Start Up, as well as the regular maintenance doses. But I also wanted to include when things went badly about 13 months ago, and they were happy for me to share it. Here's the full talk, including what went wrong in 2014 and how it was resolved. I hope you find it informative. Yes, I'm still using Prodibio on my tank. :)

[@larrysenzer6913]

Mark, I have been enjoying your videos the last few years, highly informative and well presented. I am just about to begin stocking my new 400g tank and I think it would be terrific if you could do a video on various water parameter testing with the emphasis on what kits you use, how often you test, etc.

[@melevsreef]

+Larry Senzer I agree and have been thinking about doing one specifically on water quality. I do have a write up you can read in the meantime: www.melevsreef.com/node/718

[@chriscrigger5823]

I really appreciate the quick response. Hope my tank will be as nice as yours one day.

[@melevsreef]

+Chris Crigger It takes time, good husbandry, and a degree of luck. The more consistent you can keep the reef, the better.

[@silkscorpion777]

That was the quickest 39 minutes. Great video as always.

[@rodster44]

Awesome presentation Marc!

[@melevsreef]

+Rod Azarmi Thank you. :)

[@call_evan]

thanks for this information, prodibio is easy, safe, ill always use prodibio for my tank for now, no overdose is really help me, because i dont have indicator tools to check my water. just follow the instructions. done. everything will be OK

[@chriscrigger5823]

No3 is 5, po4 is .08-.1, dkh 8 cal 420. Vodka hasn't been consistent for me lately. Never had issues with any type of algae even with very high no3 and no4's. Just want everything to be as healthy as possible.

[@simon_camaj8281]

Love your videos. Keep up the good work brother. I started running biopellets on my 90g reef tank. I use MB7 do you recommend using these products as well? Let me get some input brother. Thanks again

[@melevsreef]

You can use either product for biopellets. I just uploaded a brand new video three days ago about biopellets - maybe you saw it and it took you to this video as well? If not, Prodibio is super easy to dose, when you add the right amount (in conjunction with biopellets - LOL).

[@simon_camaj8281]

I did see it much like i saw 80% of your vids lol. We will see how the tank runs if all is well ill stick with it if not ill overdose Prodibio like you did LOL JK. Thanks man

[@jaymealcay1977]

How can ppl not like this smh

[@berniegrant2633]

Can you please recommend this product and which ones for a 240 gallon fish only aquarium I want to achieve the best water quality for my fish babies and also for my 100 gallon reef tank

[@chriscrigger5823]

Great informative video. Just order some. Do you dose all at once or do you wait a little per additive? Could you share you dosing regimen. And are you using any GFO.? . Thanks for the videos.

[@melevsreef]

+Chris Crigger Chris, I dose each vial after the last one. It takes about 10 minutes as I trickle each of the big vials in my reef gradually. I do this every 15 days, on the 5th and the 20th of the month. Tomorrow it's time again. :) I don't use GFO. When I have elevated Phosphate levels, I dose the tank with Phosphate Rx, which is super easy and works overnight. It's what I've been using for nearly 10 years and love it: melevsreef.com/catalog/blue-life-usa-phosphate-rx

[@joseazevedo7342]

What is the dosing of start Up for 500l ?

[@yalfonso85]

Hi Mark, great video. I know this one is old, but I've been running bio pellets in my Red Sea Reefer 250 and so far it does not help bring down my nitrates, but I also haven't dosed any bacteria. This video was very informative. I ordered the Bio Digest and Bioptim (Standard). I would like to know if for the Reefer 250 (~65 Gal) I should dose one full vial of Bio Digest & Bioptim (says its rated for 30-250 gal) or should I dose half a vial? Also do you have to discard anything left in the vial once open or you can save it to dose again after 2 weeks? Thanks in advance and great videos you have here. I follow all your videos and are very informative. Love your 400 gallon and anemone tank as well.

[@melevsreef]

I'd suggest you use the normal sized vials that are rated 1 per 50g. And use one of each, every 15 days. I never save left over, i always use the full vial I open.

[@yalfonso85]

melevsreef thanks for the advise!

[@camel1219]

How many hours the skimmer turned off after adding biodigest and bioptim? Time passes and there are new probiotic products to maintain the aquarium ... are you still recommending prodibio or another brand? I like prodibio because it's simple !! And a last query ... if I start a new tank with rock healed for a long time and I use the shrimp method .. (at three days I remove it and measure parameters) when I should start to put prodibio and bioptim .. from the beginning Of the cycle? On the third day when I remove the shrimp or just after fifteen days?

[@melevsreef]

I don't turn off the skimmer unless I'm using Reefbooster. And then it is off for about 4-6 hours. WIth the other Prodibio products, I just add them to my reef every 15 days. Unless you are using Prodibio's Start-Up products to cycle your new aquarium, I'd start using Prodibio about a month after the cycle has completed.

[@ausreefguy5362]

@Melevsreef mate im looking at cycling with startup, here is what im planning to do could you please tell me if this will work or where i should adjust accordingly would be a great help in understanding how the startup works, and maybe help others get a clearer picture, ok so ive got dry rock/dry sand and ro/di saltwater in the aquarium mixed at 1.025 and temp at 25 degrees celsius. 1, I add prodibio start up to return pump section of sump so it's dispersed through the water column quickly. does there need to be an ammonia source in the water before i add startup or do i just add it to a freshly setup aquarium 2, check my parameters every 2 days and after 5 days perform a 20% water change. i should be seeing nitrates at this time and 0 ammonia correct, back to my original question do i need to add an ammonia source to therefore produce those nitrates, if not what is the purpose of the water change at the 5 day mark ? 3, after water change add livestock, then 10 days later dose bioptim and biodigest as a maintenance dose .. continue with this every 15 days. also once corals are added ill be adding the other three products in the prodibio reef kit to my dosing every 15 days. thanks for the help.

[@chriscrigger5823]

Marc, Just got the Biokit today. :) Just wondering if I should stop dosing vodka/ BWA reef bio fuel? I have a 75ish total water volume and dose 1.5 mils per day. Not much at all. And how long do you keep your skimmer off? Also if this is only to be dosed every 15 days, how do you keep your nitrates down? Sorry for all the Q's.

[@melevsreef]

+Chris Crigger I only turn off the protein skimmer when I use Reefbooster, and only for a few hours. What are your water parameters currently?

[@tipitye]

which of these products do you use. Im currently using 4 of the products bio digest, reef booster ,coral vits , and bioptim

[@melevsreef]

I use those and Stronti+ and Iodi+

[@disaster999]

My SPS tank have been suffering from a lack of colors for a while and everything is very pale looking. I have 520W of LED lights over my 160Gal tank and running 2 Maxspect Gyre 150 so I think my light and flow is adequate. Im always struggling to keep a balance between alkalinity and Calcium. I follow the recipe from Randy's 2 part and dose lab grade calcium chloride and baked baking soda. My magnesium is always around 1300 or above so it should allow a higher concentration of calc and alk in my tank, but for whatever reason my alk always drop more than my calc and Im constantly adjusting my alk levels. Also, Since its a relatively large tank I dont always do water changes every week. I space them out every 1 or 2 months so Im sure my trace elements is lacking. Ive tried dosing some trace elements with no significant effect. Ive tried feeding my SPS with numerous amounts of frozen food, dried food, amino acids, vitamins with no effect. Ive stumble across this video about dosing Prodibio and Ive been dosing Stronti, iodine, biotim and biodigest in my tank for around 2 months now. Ive stopped feeding my SPS and sparingly feed my fish every now and then, and Im still not really getting the results im looking for. My corals are still very washed out and have little to no color to them at all. They are growing really fast, but thats pretty much all its doing. Im getting a lot of green algae on my sand bed which is really weird since I have an ATS in my system and I basically dont feed my tank at all. Any help to color up my tank would be appreciated

[@melevsreef]

What is the current nitrate and phosphate level of the tank now? If they are measuring 0, the corals will be pale. And then there's the chance you have too much light, or too long a duration per day which is making your corals pale. And finally, you could have pests in the tank that are sucking the life out of your corals, hence making them pale. Oh, and possibly heat could be a factor too, if the tank is too warm? Those are some thoughts that come to mind. What do your corals look like when you view them from above?

[@disaster999]

Phosphate and nitrate is always undetectable in my tank. I use Salifert test kits and it doesnt really show a dramatic color change. what levels should my nitrate and phosphate be to have colorful corals? I have my light on full blast for 8 hours a day with around 2 hours of sunrise sunset each. i might back that down to around and see how it goes. I do have a chiller and heater for the tank and i keep the tank at 25-26c year round. I do have flatworms in my tank which they do not eat my corals but just gather around my rocks and sand bed. Ive pretty much tried all types of method of killing them. but they never seem to work. They always find a way to come back in my tank. Looking from top down give a little but better coloring, but not a whole lot.

[@melevsreef]

You need a little bit of phosphate and a little bit of nitrate in your tank for corals to thrive. 0 / 0 isn't good either, it's too pure so to speak and starves the corals. If you can keep nitrate around 2 or 3 ppm and phosphate around .03ppm, you probably will see some improvement. More food, less filtration, less water changes may allow No3 and Po4 to rise a bit. Fighting flatworms may have affected the corals, as they may be responding to the products you've used. 8 hours a day is what I'd suggest (not 12 hours as your comment indicates) but full blast may be the problem since you are using LEDs. I'd reduce the light to 70% and see what happens. What brand of light fixture are you using? Temperature sounds perfect.

[@disaster999]

melevsreef I'm using maxspect ethereal lights, I have 4 over my tank and I run then at around 90% max. I might try shortening the ramp period. I will be moving soon so hopefully I can completely nuke the corals with flatworm exit or similar products before introducing it to the new location. Is there any other flatworm products you've used that is effective? I bought a bottle of zeovit flatworm stop and that basically strengthens my corals and make their flesh not pleasing for the worms to eat and not a medication that rids them completely. Salifert FWE would have an effect on my tank but doesnt kill them off completely. They always seem to find a way to come back

[@melevsreef]

I've used Flatworm eXit in the past, but it's not a one time treatment. You'd do it once a week for several weeks in a row until all of them are completely gone. Also, you have to get the right dosage to kill them, which may be more drops per gallon. I explain how to test and determine that ratio in this article: www.melevsreef.com/flatworms

[@chriscrigger5823]

My skimmer won't stop overflowing. It started after I dosed reef booster. Been almost 20 hrs. Turned it off before I dosed and waited 3 hrs. Have you had problems with the skimmer going nuts? I dosed 2 vials of each but only one of the reef booster.

[@melevsreef]

+Chris Crigger Set the skimmer's internal water level as low as possible first of all. And your skimmer may overflow. Let it. Dump it out a few times until it settles down. Turning it off won't solve it, letting that skimmate export will. Think of it as a tiny water change. :) After dosing my tank two nights ago, I think I removed about 4-gallons of skimmate.

[@jorgillotoys8484]

What about if I don't have a skimmer can I still used this product

[@melevsreef]

Yes, you can use Prodibio without a skimmer.

[@jonathanlalonde4292]

Hey Melev Can I go straight from nopox to prodibio?And do I dose prodibio weekly to star the process and then every 15 days? Thanks

[@melevsreef]

+Jo Lal You can switch. Prodibio is dosed every 15 days. No reason to do so weekly - you don't want to grow too much bacteria; just the right amount for your system.

[@Cycnoches2012]

Hi Mark, may i buy some of that beautifull macroalgae from you please?

[@melevsreef]

+Cycnoches2012 Where are you located?

[@darrinhawkey8913]

i will be in dallas wendsday at winston water my gps is n 32.49.411*wo96.51.508 my boss said we can stop at coral store whats the closest to them with good frags... get me a deal i got 200 to spend

[@melevsreef]

+Darrin Hawkey Maybe you could go to Apex Aquariums? Here's the DFW LFS page I maintain: www.dfwmas.org/lfs