Problem running Z5 and Z12

I've been running both Z5 and Z12 on FXCM for around 2-3 months, trying to learn trading and Zorro. Unfortunately, I've had some problems. I'll outline them below:

Z5
So far Z5 have shown a slight profit (back in October I believe) then it has been hovering without closing it's open trades. Guess this can be due to low volatility on EURCHF.

But since about one month the equity has been displayed as 0, even after upgrading to 1.20. Also it has also "missed" the close every time it should have closed the position. "No tradable price" or similar was shown, then I had to close it manually, missing some pips due to this. Not sure if this still occurs in 1.20.

But instead for the last days on 1.20 I've seen:
(EUR/CHF::L) Entry stop 1.2236 hit at 08:41
Broker: Error - Insufficient margin in session: E10R2_EXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_M0RB

in the log (replaced session info some XXXs). I find that a bit worrisome, both this insufficient margin error and the equity showing 0.


Z12
As for Z12 it has shown no trade errors but some hard and fast drawdowns. Maybe this is just the market and bad luck. Had a quick drawdown of 600 EUR on USOil (one trade), which then a few days later recovered back. Up and down so fast is normal? Commodities isn't part of 1.20 so maybe I won't be seeing more of those.

But yesterday (Friday) I had another drawdown of around 700 EUR as well. Log as follows:
[USD/JPY:VO:LXXXX] Estimated risk: 227
[USD/JPY:VO:LXXXX] Estimated risk: 186
[USD/JPY:VO:LXXXX] Estimated risk: 145
[USD/JPY:VO:LYYYY] Stop 77@103.18: -336$ at 13:XX
[USD/JPY:VO:LXXXX] TMF stop after 1 bars
[USD/JPY:VO:LXXXX] Exit 74@103.15: -261$ at 15:XX

This is close to expected drawdown (or slightly above). Still I can't help feel I've done something wrong.
Incorrect account type on FXCM? Bad setup of Zorro? Bad VPS?


Grateful for any suggestions for how to improve this. Should I enable more detailed logging for trying to resolve this?

I treat much of this as a learning experience but right now I feel like I have little clue if what I do is right.

Thanks!

Just a short info. I also lost 800€ yesterday because of two USD/JPY trades...
When looking at the backtest results you will also see some sharp drawdown but also some sharp profits. I had some similar trades. Loosing ~1000€ within ~5 days because of some bad trades. Then within two days Zorro took two trades and made ~1300€ ... So stay calm.
Z5 trades as expected and with the new Zorro version 1.20 and the included modified Z5 strategy it will trade more often...

Interesting...I looked at my USDJPY trades from yesterday and I lost a lot less. But I do have my margin set really low (20). I had it at default a couple months ago and the swings were a little wild for me. Up $2500 in a couple weeks, then some USOIL trades took half that back in a week. So I took a little break to calm my nerves and then decided to not be in such a hurry to make my millions. Rather I have the margin settings quite low. I intend to increase them such that I am only risking a portion of the profit made.

To me, the fact that the Z's code is unknown, means I should be extra cautious.

My Z5 is making loads of trades. Like, when it decides to go in, it opens around 14 positions. Also it has lots of skipped trades in the message window, I guess because my margin is lower than default also. Also Zorro closed three of these sets of trades at a small loss (~2.8pips.) Also it took losses on some other trades. Overall it is up for the week, but after 70 trades, the accuracy is 26% winners, not 90 something%. Are you seeing this behaviour as well?

Hi. No. Look at the MyFXbook link of my Z5 account. Nearly only winners. Depends on the Stop slider. I have not so many trades like you DMB. But I think my Margin is set lower then yours.

I also lowered my margin on the Z12 strategy. :-)

I have Z5 Margin at 15 and left the Stop slider at default (5000.) My results look nothing like yours. I am running three Zorros on the one VPS from the one installation. This shouldn't make a different, but for some reason there is nothing in the log folder. I think I'll email support with a summary of the trades.

EDIT: And Mode slider is 1. Do you have this different, like for not hedging or whatever?

Hi have Z5 and Z12 on different VPS but will change that in the future and run them both on one VPS but each strategy from within another Zorro folder.
Z5 Mode slider wasn't modified.

I have just put my Zorros in different folders. I will run this for a week and see if this makes a difference, before I bug jcl about it.

BTW - Your Z5 myfxbook looks like a dream, a wet dream.

What do you mean? Doesn't it look good?
I lost 100€ when I changed to a new version of Z5 and one slider has changed its meaning...

Oh....initially I saw lots of green in your history. Looking closer I now see the loser at the start and the current open trades. Not a pretty as I thought.

The current ones is normal for Z5. Problem will be when trades are staying open for to long and the commision would eat up the profit. The new Z5 version will open much more trades and at the moment I see ~6 pending orders.

You can run Zorro S many times from the same folder, so you need not install different folders on the VPS.

As to the insufficient margin with Z5, be careful to keep enough capital on the account. Grid traders have a high margin requirement due to the many open trades. You can easily have a lot of equity on the account, but the available margin is zero and you cannot open new trades.

You should better not close trades manually. Let Zorro do that. It Zorro cannot close it due to no tradable price, you can't manually close it either, but Zorro will repeat the close command until the broker accepts it.

Thanks for your answers.

Z5 is funded to what tests suggested. I currently only have one open trade in a (expected) drawdown.
Margin is plenty, that open trade use only around 5%.

jcl, having equity show up as 0 looks like a bug to me. Is there anything I can do to debug it?

The equity must definitely not be 0. Is this with the FXCM API, or with a FXCM MT4 account? Have you changed something in the .ini file?

Sorry for the late answer, busy holidays.

Yes, trading with the FXCM API. Haven't touched anything except upgrading from 1.14 -> 1.16 -> 1.20.

Z.ini says:
NFA = 0
FXOnly = 0
MMax = 100
Phantom = 0
Comma = 0
Mute = 0
Weekend = 2
Verbose = 2
BrokerPatch = 0
Preload = 0

Hmm, this could be due to two sub accounts on FXCM on the same account.
Specifically asked for separate but apparently two show up (running separate for Z12, which works fine). It's the Z5 account that have two. Could make sense.

Will try to get FXCM to remove the extra, unused account.

Changing accounts fixed my problem.

Folks, not sure whether this belongs here or elsewhere - seems like the best place to dump my problem, though. I have recently bought the sZ5 strategy (only the strategy, not Zorro S) to see how it behaves in the real world, i.e. in my live FXCM account. Now it appears when it was hitting the first trade entry level, the trade was not carried out with the message "Balance over limit". I must admit there is more than 7k EUR in the account, but then that's why I thought I had to get the "S" strategy in the first place (?) Had I bought "Zorro S", then I'd be able to also train the strategy (which I can't, I appreciate that), plus I would have had all the strategies and no restrictions on account size. What is the error here all about? (In other words: If there is a restriction on the sponsored strategies, too, why are these sold independently (and where would that have been made transparent)?

Much obliged!

The free Zorro version can not trade with more than $7000 balance, with no strategy.

Withdraw the excess balance. Then it will start trading. Alternatively, you can purchase Zorro S. In that case please contact Zorro support - they'll refund your Z5 subscription when you subscribed it just recently. You won't need it when you have Zorro S.

I see ... Thanks for the clarification. HOW would I contact the support group? Is there an email address? Can't find it anywhere. Thanks!

The email addresses are at the end of the Zorro manual, and on the FAQ page: http://manual.zorro-trader.com/afaq.htm

@Sundance:

On your myfxbook-Z5 what settings do you use for Margin and Stop? Could not find it described anywhere - and if it’s not a secret for sure.

Thanks!

Hi Sphin,

I have the following setting:

Margin: 28
Stop: 1346


Just do a Test with the settings and you see the needed capital for Z5 to work. the slider settings are explained here:
http://zorro-trader.com/manual/en/zsystems.htm

Hi Sundance,

thanks a lot! How did you find such values? By trying only or did you use some kind of optimization calculation? I’m just experimenting but more with combinations like 20/1000, 30/2000 and similar.

bye, Sphin

As I said. Set the sliders. Push the 'Test' button. And at the end you see the minimum required capital for the evaluated test period ('Capital: ...'). That doesn't mean you won't need more money in the future but it gives you some clue how much you need to invest.