Elmi-np how is it different from other carbon dosing solutions

[The Opinionated Reefer]

I have tried various different carbon dosing solutions over the years and most of them had very little effect on phosphates but a large effect on nitrates. I have also noticed the same thing with algae reactors and turf scrubbers, they don't really work to reduce phosphate. The only things that have worked for phosphate are GFO and Elmi-np. I tried Elmi-np briefly in the past but stopped because I had to manually dose it in tiny amounts each day. I don't really like GFO because it's too harsh and removes phosphate too aggressively. I keep SPS and have always had high levels of phosphates in my system and the sps grew like mad. But I would like to maintain a steady phosphate level of around 0.12, with GFO it's up and down like a yo-yo and just causes damage to my SPS. You use GFO and it strips phosphate really fast then it reaches max saturation and phosphates quickly rise again. It's no good.

How is Elmi-np different from other carbon dosing solutions? Can it be used as long term solution to maintaining a steady phosphate level if I dial in the dose correctly?

@Lou Ekus
@Hans-Werner

 

[Hans-Werner]

Elimi-NP is different from other carbon dosing solutions in the compound we have chosen. I have chosen the compound that in our tank trials had the least undesirable side-effect.

I think the observation that carbon dosing seems to remove less or no phosphate is more of an artifact. While nitrogen is not stored by bottom and decoration materials calcareous materials take up phosphate and store it. Since the phosphate bound in calcaeous materials is in equilibrium with the surrounding water, phosphate is released into the water when water phosphate concentration drops. This effect may even be enhanced by bacterial activity and the resulting low local pH.

If you observe only the water phosphate concentration, it may seem like no phosphate got removed or like an yo-yo effect after saturation of the GFO, in fact it is phosphate released from calcarous materials.

I have not compared exactly how far Elimi-NP differs from other products in this respect.