NP Bacto Balance Skimmer

RoanokeReef · Jan 16, 2024

@Hans-Werner @Lou Ekus Does np bacto balance require the use of a skimmer like other carbon dosing methods? Will only be dosing 0.1mL into a 15 gallon that gets a 15% water change weekly. Thanks!

Hans-Werner · Jan 16, 2024

StrainedSky said:
Does np bacto balance require the use of a skimmer like other carbon dosing methods? Will only be dosing 0.1mL into a 15 gallon that gets a 15% water change weekly. Thanks!

A skimmer helps to get a dynamic equilibrium of nutrients in reef tanks. It is not absolutely necessary.

If dosed in tanks without skimmer, the organic carbon, the nutrients and the bacteria they feed go into the food web which also means out of the water.

We run our tanks without skimmer. As a kind of control we did run one of our systems with skimmer for a few years. Now it is without skimmer again. The skimmer rather seemed to increase phosphate concentrations, at least in our system.

RoanokeReef · Jan 16, 2024

Hans-Werner said:
A skimmer helps to get a dynamic equilibrium of nutrients in reef tanks. It is not absolutely necessary.

If dosed in tanks without skimmer, the organic carbon, the nutrients and the bacteria they feed go into the food web which also means out of the water.

We run our tanks without skimmer. As a kind of control we did run one of our systems with skimmer for a few years. Now it is without skimmer again. The skimmer rather seemed to increase phosphate concentrations, at least in our system.

Thank you for the answer

Troylee · Jan 16, 2024

Hans-Werner said:
A skimmer helps to get a dynamic equilibrium of nutrients in reef tanks. It is not absolutely necessary.

If dosed in tanks without skimmer, the organic carbon, the nutrients and the bacteria they feed go into the food web which also means out of the water.

We run our tanks without skimmer. As a kind of control we did run one of our systems with skimmer for a few years. Now it is without skimmer again. The skimmer rather seemed to increase phosphate concentrations, at least in our system.

Interesting! I’d think the opposite since lc is dosed into the skimmer to bind it and pull it.. I could see a skimmer pulling trace elements and others thou..