Korallen-Zucht built its entire product range (commonly known as the ZEOvit system) around one idea: that ultra-low-nutrient reef water, maintained biologically rather than through aggressive water changes, produces the most vivid coral coloration and the healthiest long-term growth. That approach means the range works as a system of interlocking products rather than a shelf of standalone bottles, which makes it one of the more intimidating brands to start with. This guide breaks the range down by function: bacteria, trace elements, coloration boosters, and problem-specific treatments, so you can build a dosing routine instead of guessing at fifteen bottles.
The Biological Foundation: Bacteria First
The ZEOvit philosophy starts with bacteria, not chemistry. Korallen-Zucht ZEObak introduces several bacterial strains that build bacterioplankton in the tank, a food source many corals absorb directly, and a low-nutrient method of managing nitrate and phosphate that works alongside, rather than instead of, mechanical filtration. Dosing is deliberately small: one drop per 25 gallons (100 L), once or twice a week depending on stocking.
Korallen-Zucht ZEOstart 3 (also available in a smaller trial size for testing the system before committing) promotes nitrifying bacteria growth, which reduces phosphate, nitrate, and nitrite biologically. It's dosed daily at 2 ml per 1,000 L, and Korallen-Zucht's own guidance is that it can shorten a new tank's initial cycling phase to roughly 14 days, a meaningful head start if you're launching a new reef system. It also visibly enhances metallic coloration on Acropora, Montipora, Pocillopora, and Stylophora as a secondary effect of the improved water quality. For background on why nitrate and phosphate get tracked as a pair, see our Nitrate & Phosphate glossary entry; for the biological groundwork ZEOstart and ZEObak both build on, see our Nitrogen Cycle glossary entry.
Trace Elements and General Water Chemistry
Once the biological side is running, Korallen-Zucht's trace element line replenishes what fast coral growth and aggressive skimming both pull out of the water. Seawater Complex Concentrate combines nearly every trace element corals need (strontium, iodine, manganese, and zinc among them) into a single concentrate rather than requiring separate dosing for each. For potassium specifically, Kalium Iodide Fluoride Concentrate enhances blue coloration specifically in SPS corals like Acropora and Montipora. On the calcium side, Calcium Plus Liquid raises calcium concentration with simple, controlled daily dosing, and ZEOmag Magnesium Granulate is a pure magnesium source designed for use in a calcium reactor, raising magnesium without adding unwanted chloride or sulphate.
Coral Growth and Coloration Boosters
This is where Korallen-Zucht's range earns its reputation with SPS keepers specifically. Korallen-Zucht Xtra is dosed daily to enhance stony coral coloration and growth, a straightforward addition once baseline water chemistry is stable. Coral Booster combines liquid and solid trace elements to support coloration, growth, and immune response without pushing up nutrient levels, and Coral Vitalizer delivers both liquid and solid nutrients to SPS and soft corals with the same nutrient-neutral approach.
For LPS and soft corals specifically, Amino Acid Concentrate LPS (also available as a trial size) speeds coral tissue expansion and regeneration, with a visible effect on tissue extension shortly after dosing; it doubles as a high-quality coral food for large-polyp species like Cynarina, Blastomussa, and Fungia. If your tank runs low-nutrient and corals look pale rather than vividly colored, Pohl's Xtra Special is formulated specifically for that scenario, and B-Balance targets red coloration in SPS and LPS corals while supporting healthy base encrustation.
For tanks fighting cyanobacteria or coming back from a chemical imbalance, A-Balance counteracts cyanobacteria (Korallen-Zucht's own guidance is that it works within about two days when paired with CoralSnow) and also helps corals recover from basal tissue necrosis, dosed as an initial 50 ml per 100 L followed by 1 ml per 100 L every ten days.
Filtration and Feeding Support
Beyond direct dosing, Activated Carbon is purpose-built for saltwater tanks and makes a visible difference to coral clarity when run in a media bag or reactor. Spongepower feeds sponges, tridacnas, and sea squirts directly (organisms that most reef-feeding regimens overlook) while also boosting their natural water-cleaning role and giving SPS corals longer, more colorful growth tips as a side benefit. For tanks dealing with Acropora-eating flatworms, FlatwormStop strengthens coral tissue while actively reducing the parasite population, a targeted treatment rather than a general-purpose additive.
A Simple Way to Sequence the System
Korallen-Zucht's full range can look overwhelming bought all at once. A more sensible build-out looks like this:
- Start with ZEObak and ZEOstart 3 to establish the biological, low-nutrient foundation the rest of the system assumes is already in place.
- Add Seawater Complex Concentrate once biological filtration is stable, to keep trace elements from bottoming out as corals grow.
- Layer in Xtra or Coral Booster for general coloration and growth support once baseline chemistry is holding steady across several tests.
- Reach for targeted products: Amino Acid Concentrate for LPS, Pohl's Xtra Special for pale corals, A-Balance for cyanobacteria, FlatwormStop for pest outbreaks, only when the specific problem or coral type calls for them, rather than dosing everything preemptively.
Quick Reference
| Goal | Product |
|---|---|
| Biological nutrient control | ZEObak, ZEOstart 3 |
| Broad trace element replenishment | Seawater Complex Concentrate |
| Calcium / magnesium | Calcium Plus Liquid, ZEOmag Granulate |
| General coral growth & color | Xtra, Coral Booster, Coral Vitalizer |
| LPS / soft coral feeding | Amino Acid Concentrate LPS |
| Pale corals in low-nutrient tanks | Pohl's Xtra Special |
| Cyanobacteria / imbalance recovery | A-Balance |
| Flatworm control | FlatwormStop |
The ZEOvit approach rewards patience more than most reef systems: it's built around slow, biologically-driven nutrient control rather than quick chemical fixes, and the coloration results Korallen-Zucht is known for typically show up over weeks of consistent dosing, not days. Start with the bacterial foundation, keep trace elements topped up, and add the coloration and problem-specific products as your tank's actual needs (not the full catalog) call for them.
