Diederichs meanwhile readied the old gunboat as a tender for "Zieten". On 18 September, "Zieten" and "Scorpion" participated in the first major test of the new Whitehead torpedoes in the German navy. During the exercises, "Zieten" scored three hits on a stationary target, which was deemed a great success. After the conclusion of the maneuvers, "Zieten" was placed in reserve on 2 October for the winter. The analysis of the testing showed that the bow-mounted torpedo tube was not satisfactory, and so Diederichs was tasked with redesigning her armament in January 1878. Diederichs moved the bow tube to a swivel mount on her deck, and added two 12 cm guns to improve her defense against small warships. The refit work was completed by 16 April 1878, permitting Tirpitz to take command of the ship on 6 May. He served as the ship's commander until August 1880. Tirpitz, as the commander of Germany's torpedo boat flotilla, staunchly advocated the development of torpedo craft rather than a fleet of battleships. In July 1880, during maneuvers with the fleet, "Zieten" torpedoed and sank the old paddle steamer . In 1882, "Zieten" joined a cruising squadron that consisted of the corvettes and , the steamer , and a gunboat, for operations in the Mediterranean Sea. The ships were present during the British bombardment of Alexandria in August 1882; they sent men ashore to protect the German embassy, along with a German-run hospital. In July, "Zieten" joined a squadron of ships to take the newly crowned Kaiser Wilhelm II for a tour of Baltic ports, which included a visit to Tsar Alexander III of Russia. The ship was assigned as the dispatch vessel for the Reserve Squadron in the North Sea in 1898, along with the coastal defense ships and . Starting in 1899, "Zieten" was used intermittently as a fishery protection ship. In September 1902, "Zieten" participated in the final exercises during the annual fleet maneuvers. Her career as a fishery protection ship lasted until 1914 when she was mobilized at the outbreak of World War I in August. She was used as a coast guard ship for the duration of the conflict. After Germany's defeat, "Zieten" was stricken from the naval register on 6 December 1919. The ship was sold on 18 August 1921 for 655,000 marks and broken up in Wilhelmshaven.