Yes, you can use it with Zeobrite. Bacquacil is a Bacquanide which creates a polymer gum that can adhere to the rough surface of the media, therefore regular cleaning of the media is necessary. We recommend cleaning the Zeobrite at least every 60 days, or every month if needed, with a high quality soaking sand filter cleaner. Follow the directions on the cleaning bottle.

During the startup phase of a new inground pool, there can be a large amount of plaster dust that is removed during the first 30-45 days as you perform the recommended brushing of the pools surface. This platster dust contains a high concentraion of calcium hardness which can solidy when it is removed through the filter. We recommend cleaning the Zeobrite media at the 30-45 day startup period to remove any buildup of this plaster dust.

Zeobrite is a natural zeolite that is mined and processed into the granular particles.

Zeobrite is stable across a wide range of pH. It is common, and recommended, to clean Zeobrite with an acid based cleaner. We would not, however, recommend pouring a full strength acid into the Zeobrite media.

Zeobrite is engineered to work in all commercial filters.

We do not recommend using DE with Zeobrite due to the similar structure of the two particles. Both particles are rough, angular shapes. The fine DE can actually lodge in the pores fo the Zeobrite particles, causing clogging. A better solution if one wants to use a filter aid is a cellulose material, such as PurFiber. This material will literally sit on top of the Zeobrite and will not cause any clogging. It is easily backwashed out of the filter.

Regeneration refers to the removal of ammonia ion build-up in the Zeobrite. This is very unlikely in residential pools where regualr shocking of the pool takes place. In commercial pools with heavy bather loads, and especially in indoor facilities, chloramine odors do present a problem. The Zeobrite will remove the excess ammonia until it becomes saturated. At that point, the media can be regenerated with a salt solution. The procedure can be found on our website.

The most likely reason is a build up of scale and organic oils that can tend to reduce the efficiency of filtration. Just like using sand, we recommend cleaning Zeobrite at least once a year to remove any scale and organic oil build up. You can use any of the quality sand filter cleaning products that are on the market. There are two products currently available made specifically for Zeobrite. One is called Ultimate Clean and Refresh by Advantis Technologies. The other is called Zeo Filter Cleaner made by Biodex.

There are no serious side effects from using clarifiers with Zeobrite. Over time, the nature of clarifiers that contain a polymer base can build-up in any filter media, be it sand, cartridge, DE or Zeobrite. With that in mind, we recommend cleaning the Zeobrite on an annual schedule with a good quility sand filter cleaner. This will insure that there are no organic materials or scale that can build-up in the media. This is the same recommendation that is followed by those using the other filter medias mentioned above.

1. Pre-mix a quality filter cleaner in a pail of water. (Use a cleaner that soaks in the filter over-night and removes scale and organic oils. Two good cleaners on the market are "Ultima Clean and Refresh" by Advantis and "Zeo Filter Cleaner" by Bio-Dex. 2. Turn the filter pump off and move your multi-port valve to "Backwash". 3. Remove the clear cover from your leaf strainer located on your pump. 4. Turn the filter pump on and pour the cleaning solution into the pump, allowing the cleaner to be sucked into the filter. 5. Turn the filter pump off, move the multi-port valve to the "Closed" position and place the clear lid back on the leaf strainer pot. 6. Allow the cleaner to soak in the filter over night. 7. Move the multi-port valve to the "Backwash" position and turn the filter pump on. 8. Backwash the filter until the water runs clear. 9. Turn the filter pump off and move the multi-port valve to the "Rinse" position. 10. Run the Rinse cycle for about 30 seconds. 11. Turn the filter pump off and move the multi-port valve to the "Filter" position. 12. Turn the filter on and operate as normal.

Yes. Zeobrite has been used in the aquatic aquarium industry for over 25 years. Applications ranging from small backyard fish ponds, to large aqua culture operations, have used the materal. Not only does Zeobrite enhance filtration, but its microporous structure acts as a home for the beneficial bacteria that is necessary for maintaining a quality environment for fish.

Zeobrite always needs to be thoroughly backwashed prior to filtration. Although the residual dust is not hazardous to the fish, it can be irritating just as any other airborne dust can be. In small pond situations where there's not enough water volume to adequately backwash, one can rinse the material with a waterhose prior to installing and running the system.

Zeobrite is very compatible with any of the mineral sanitizers. When choosing a zeolite filter media like Zeobrite, you must consider what we call total cation exchange capacity. There are some competing products in the market that claim to have a much higher cation exchange capacity than Zeobrite. That is a true statement. However, when using a high CEC material, one runs the risk of removing the beneficial copper or silver from the water and bonding those elements to the media. This renders the beneficial copper and silver useless because of the rapid water flow through the filter and very little contact time. These elements are meant to be in a a dissolved state in the pool water to be effective. Zeobrite has been tested and used successfully with all of the mineral pack systems for many years. There has never been a case that we are aware of where Zeobrite has broken-down due to a mineral sanitizer.

The most likely cause of this situation would be a buildup of scale due to increased concentrations of calcium or increased concentrations of various minerals typically found in rural well water situations. When dealing with water that contains calcium hardness, or a high concentration of hard water minerals, we recommend cleaning the media with a sand filter cleaner to remove the scale. The frequency of cleaning depends on the concentration of calcium hardness and hard water minerals.