Elimi-NP dosing with very low PO4

[Reefer911]

After cycling and a 50% water change, my NO3 is around 20 (Nyos) and .04 (Hanna).
My plan has been to use Elimi-NP to bring mown nutrients but I didn’t expect phosphates to be so low. I still want to get nitrates down under 10 but obviously don’t want to zero out phosphates. I understand that Elimi-NP will bring down nitrates at a greater ratio than phosphates, so am I ok to proceed here or are phosphates too low to bring down any further? I planned on starting with 1/2 the dose of Elimi-NP, but should I start at 1/4 dose?

 

[Lavey29]

Your tank is just newly cycled and you are already carbon dosing?

 

[Reefer911]

I’m open to hearing a good reason I shouldn’t. I haven’t yet though

 

[Lavey29]

I’m open to hearing a good reason I shouldn’t. I haven’t yet though

My thoughts are your new tank is unstable. Parameters will fluctuate and by introducing carbon dosing the chances you bottom out increase. Your bacteria are slowly developing and in constant battle right now for tank dominance. Good bacteria and bad bacteria battling it out. Perhaps at 6 months some of your ugly stages will have passed and some tank stability develops to allow for dosing but really up to a year before my tank went through an evolution and became very stable and predictable but I only carbon dose once a week because I have a fuge going.

A good person with a lot of carbon dosing knowledge here is @SunnyX. So I would defer to his opinion. His tanks are incredible.

 

[Reefer911]

Yes I have read his post on bacteria/carbon dosing many times and have reached out to him in the past for advice.
I started carbon dosing my other tank sooner than the 6 month mark and I never hit zero on nutrients.

 

[Lavey29]

Yes I have read his post on bacteria/carbon dosing many times and have reached out to him in the past for advice.
I started carbon dosing my other tank sooner than the 6 month mark and I never hit zero on nutrients.

Well if your experienced with it successfully and sunny says it's fine you should be ok. I'd just be wary because new tanks go through a lot of changes.

 

[Reefer911]

I’ve only done it once but again, I’m considering a 1/4 recommended dose. I’m in no hurry really.

 

[Lavey29]

I’ve only done it once but again, I’m considering a 1/4 recommended dose. I’m in no hurry really.

I'd just ask Sunny. His current tank is 7 months old or something like that. See what he suggests for you. I trust his knowledge.

 

[cloud9aquariums]

I use the full range of TM carbon dosing products and have watched Lou give many explanations because it confused me as well. This graphic helped me the most though.

While you're dosing these products he recommends you base the dosing soley on your phosphate. Your Nitrate will continue to go down even when you transition to bacto balance. I've taken too long to make the transition and fully bottomed out po4 which led to a run in with dinos.

Long story short
Po4 over 0.1 dose ELIMI-NP
Po4 0.1-0.03 dose Bacto-Balance
Po4 under 0.03 dose Plus-NP

 

[sdreef]

^This

If you choose to carbon dose at this stage, follow TM's carbon dosing scale. Bacto-balance would be the product you would want to use with the numbers you're reporting. It's all based off the level of phosphates in your system.

 

[Klyle]

You should be using bactobalance

 

[Dan_P]

After cycling and a 50% water change, my NO3 is around 20 (Nyos) and .04 (Hanna).
My plan has been to use Elimi-NP to bring mown nutrients but I didn’t expect phosphates to be so low. I still want to get nitrates down under 10 but obviously don’t want to zero out phosphates. I understand that Elimi-NP will bring down nitrates at a greater ratio than phosphates, so am I ok to proceed here or are phosphates too low to bring down any further? I planned on starting with 1/2 the dose of Elimi-NP, but should I start at 1/4 dose?

Are you reading 0 ppm nitrite?

If yes, a 100% water change would have removed your nitrates instantly instead of by feeding bacteria. Not too late.

 

[Reefer911]

Are you reading 0 ppm nitrite?

If yes, a 100% water change would have removed your nitrates instantly instead of by feeding bacteria. Not too late.

Yeah nitrites are zero. The cycle completed 2-3 weeks ago and the 50% WC was done a week ago. I dosed MB7 about a week due to transferring my fish. Phyto daily. I initially was going to do a second 50% WC but I’d like to see what these products will do in terms of bringing down nutrients

 

[Reefer911]

^This

If you choose to carbon dose at this stage, follow TM's carbon dosing scale. Bacto-balance would be the product you would want to use with the numbers you're reporting. It's all based off the level of phosphates in your system.

You should be using bactobalance

Ok thanks, I do have plenty of Bacto balance on hand

 

[air_run]

Yeah nitrites are zero. The cycle completed 2-3 weeks ago and the 50% WC was done a week ago. I dosed MB7 about a week due to transferring my fish. Phyto daily. I initially was going to do a second 50% WC but I’d like to see what these products will do in terms of bringing down nutrients

Just a side note. "If" you are solely focused on just bringing down P04 and/or N03 there are numerous other ways to achieve that. Tropic Marin's carbon dosing products can/will do that but, understand those products are more focused on balancing nutrients and feeding corals rather than just the reduction of Phosphates and Nitrates.

 

[Reefer911]

Just a side note. "If" you are solely focused on just bringing down P04 and/or N03 there are numerous other ways to achieve that. Tropic Marin's carbon dosing products can/will do that but, understand those products are more focused on balancing nutrients and feeding corals rather than just the reduction of Phosphates and Nitrates.

Right. These are the products I decided to go with once my corals are transferred over to the new system. So I’m taking the chance to learn how they work in my system before I get any corals moved over