TM NP-Bacto-Balance nervous to use

[Big E]

I know its a old topic but i woul dike to ask you since you have been using this product. Do you think this product will work together with algea scrubber to maintain lower concentration of PO4?.

I've never used an algae scrubber/filter, but my take is to carbon dose without algae filters. It's what is always recommended by the commercial carbon dosing products and how most people would pull their algae skimmers because the bacteria from carbon dosing caused the filters to wane or die off.

Algae filters and carbon dosing flaw in that they both can make the system nitrate limited much more so and the PO4 would rise. Hence why bacto balance was the reason I tested it for 2 years hoping for a long term balance

Over time bacto balance caused the same issue.............Po4 slowly rose. I had to use GFO to keep the levels in low. Sometimes people are able to keep the levels more consistent by dosing a bacteria product in conjunction like MB7. Many did this back before all these commercial products came about ( except Zeo).

You can give bacto balance a try and see what happens.........I doubt it will harm anything negatively. You need very little of it. The bottle goes a long way.
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[ReefPig_UK]

I know its a old topic but i woul dike to ask you since you have been using this product. Do you think this product will work together with algea scrubber to maintain lower concentration of PO4?.

Both algae scrubbers/reactors/fuges and carbon dosing are very effective at reducing NO3, and much more gentle on PO4, as a ratio of each other.

If you’re running a scrubber but want to reduce PO4 further, then using PO4 media or lanthanum chloride is by far the best way, as this doesn’t also reduce NO3 and wouldn’t therefore directly compete with your scrubber.

My current approach, which seems to be working well, is to dose Sodium Nitrate and run my reactor for longer than I otherwise would, thus keeping my PO4 at the level want, without having to use anything else.
It also allows me to feed heavily and the tank is more forgiving, heavy in, heavy out.

 

[mshur]

Thank you guys. I guess i will stick with algae scrubber . reason i was interested to add some carbon is to diverse bacteria population and have sps feed on it and see if i get better colors.
Some years back i was running my SPS tank with Prodibio and had great colors but i was always struggled to keep PO4 in bay while NO3 was around 5 ppm. With scrubber i can maintain params pretty well, sometimes Po4 goes a bit higher but able to reduce it with LCH.

 

[Big E]

Do you have an actual scrubber or an algae filter like chaeto? If it's a macro algae filter you may be able to correct that by having a more diverse population of macro algae. They don't all skew towards higher nitrate consumption.
Gracilaria is more in the range of 50/50 and other species skew a bit more towards taking in more P04.

 

[drawman]

Do you have an actual scrubber or an algae filter like chaeto? If it's a macro algae filter you may be able to correct that by having a more diverse population of macro algae. They don't all skew towards higher nitrate consumption.
Gracilaria is more in the range of 50/50 and other species skew a bit more towards taking in more P04.

Also it's great food for Tangs!

 

[mshur]

Do you have an actual scrubber or an algae filter like chaeto? If it's a macro algae filter you may be able to correct that by having a more diverse population of macro algae. They don't all skew towards higher nitrate consumption.
Gracilaria is more in the range of 50/50 and other species skew a bit more towards taking in more P04.

Yes, i do have actual algae scrubber and its a large size . You think macro algae filters is more efficient in terms of controlling nutrients?

 

[Big E]

Yes, i do have actual algae scrubber and its a large size . You think macro algae filters is more efficient in terms of controlling nutrients?

I don't know which is more efficient but........

There is a lot of data on the different levels various macro algae species uptake, so you're armed with more info and an easier chance to control the levels you want. You also get an advantage of having an idea of which elements they may deplete.

 

[JSully_94]

Is NP-Bacto-Balance a form of carbon dosing?

Tropic Marine has an ad for NP-Bacto-Balance, Plus-NP, and Elimi-NP on the back of January/February’s issue of CORAL magazine (I’ll add a photo of it).

It seemingly implies this is a method of carbon dosing. What are your-all’s thoughts?

 

[minus9]

Is NP-Bacto-Balance a form of carbon dosing?

Tropic Marine has an ad for NP-Bacto-Balance, Plus-NP, and Elimi-NP on the back of January/February’s issue of CORAL magazine (I’ll add a photo of it).

It seemingly implies this is a method of carbon dosing. What are your-all’s thoughts?
View attachment 1973372

Correct, all are forms of carbon dosing.

 

[Rjmul]

Oh hell I just noticed that I ordered the wrong one! That’s what I get for not paying attention And ordering while I’m at work dang it but at least you caught that for me I guess we will have to exchange it for the plus then

You're going to need both anyway. Plus NP to raise them to your desired levels, and bacto balance to keep them there. I was hesitant to add TWO new products to what I used but I talked to Lou and he explained it well. It makes sense.