Tropic Marin NP Bacto Balance

[Reef.]

Started using bacto balance, my numbers are where I want them, do I continue with the same dose, drop it or discontinue until N+P increase?

 

[taricha]

If nutrients were lowered down to the range you want, then I would gradually pull back on the carbon dose.

 

[Reef.]

If nutrients were lowered down to the range you want, then I would gradually pull back on the carbon dose.

Reduce not stop?

 

[Dipi]

Theoretically, Bacto Balance provide N and P in order to maintain your nutrients levels stable while growing the bacteria, so you wouldn't need to stop dosing. Probably you just need to fine tune your dosing to reach this balance

 

[taricha]

Reduce not stop?

Presumably before you started dosing it, your nutrients were higher than you wanted. Because I'm guessing that's why you started doing it. Now that you've brought it down to your target, you probably won't need as much to maintain something close to your target.

 

[Miami Reef]

I’d follow the manufacturer’s instructions of NP Bacto Balance. It claims to maintain nutrients.

If your nutrients change after 1-2 weeks you can make adjustments to your dose.

 

[Oldreefer44]

I dose daily with good results

 

[Reef.]

Presumably before you started dosing it, your nutrients were higher than you wanted. Because I'm guessing that's why you started doing it. Now that you've brought it down to your target, you probably won't need as much to maintain something close to your target.

That makes sense…but the dosing is not based on your lvl of N+P its based on tank size, thats why I’m unsure if the dosage needs reducing, bacto also adds N+P to safeguard dropping to zero, again as this is based on tank size, would dropping the dose not supply enough N+P needed for the size of tank? but if I keep the dose the same would that create issues also? hence my confusion.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I dose daily with good results

What result do you believe it accomplishes?

 

[taricha]

It is easy for a product to offer "balanced nutrients" and on its own, it may even be shown to do so - it may keep water at a set NO3 and PO4 at those levels while growing bacteria.
But interpreting that as a product "balancing the nutrients in your tank" isn't logical. Tanks have many combinations of inputs. It can't possibly predict and balance those different inputs in each individual tank.
If using it lowered nutrients in the tank, then I'd back off the amount I'm using when the nutrients got low to where I wanted them.

 

[Troylee]

It is easy for a product to offer "balanced nutrients" and on its own, it may even be shown to do so - it may keep water at a set NO3 and PO4 at those levels while growing bacteria.
But interpreting that as a product "balancing the nutrients in your tank" isn't logical. Tanks have many combinations of inputs. It can't possibly predict and balance those different inputs in each individual tank.
If using it lowered nutrients in the tank, then I'd back off the amount I'm using when the nutrients got low to where I wanted them.

Exactly this! Don’t dose off tank size… I dose 8ml daily in a heavily stocked 350 gallon tank. It doesn’t take much to keep it suppressed. I know it’s a pain but you gotta test, test, test and when you get the numbers you want keep it there with a Maintence dose.

 

[Oldreefer44]

What result do you believe it accomplishes?

For several months had very difficult time keeping PO4 under 1.0. With daily small dosing am able to keep at .04. Was skeptical myself but so far after a little over 2 months numbers are very consistent.

 

[Reef.]

For several months had very difficult time keeping PO4 under 1.0. With daily small dosing am able to keep at .04. Was skeptical myself but so far after a little over 2 months numbers are very consistent.

Exactly my experience too, my po4 was hitting 0.1, loads of dirty rowa and cloudy phosguard later, po4 was still high, within a week of using bacto my po4 started dropping, now its between 0.02-0.04, seems too good to be true…early days I understand.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Exactly my experience too, my po4 was hitting 0.1, loads of dirty rowa and cloudy phosguard later, po4 was still high, within a week of using bacto my po4 started dropping, now its between 0.02-0.04, seems too good to be true…early days I understand.

Your phosphate was at 0.1 ppm and after loads of GFO and aluminum oxide and it was “still high”?

Seems hard to understand, and lowering it may not have need needed anyway.

In general, folks should not believe that bactobalance can lower phosphate when GFO cannot.

 

[Reef.]

Your phosphate was at 0.1 ppm and after loads of GFO and aluminum oxide and it was “still high”?

Seems hard to understand, and lowering it may not have need needed anyway.

In general, folks should not believe that bactobalance can lower phosphate when GFO cannot.

Yes I know, I would have picked up on that myself if I a saw such a post…I did rinse the rowa extensively, until absolutely no rust was coming of the rowa, I also stuffed the reactor with a ton of filter floss, blocking the reactor within days with detritus and rowa, had a couple of occasions when the rowa escaped from the reactor so was a little paranoid, so to be fair it was me not the rowa, same for the phosguard, rinsing a lot and still clouded water, and the thought I was adding aluminium was an irritant for me.

 

[crabgrass]

I think it should be able to drop P, assuming N is present. Although, at recommended doses should “maintain” — at least based on product description.

I accidentally overdosed it a few weeks ago (like 5x- 20x recommended dose, I don’t know exact amount — pump issue). My N went from 15 to 0, and P dropped from .20 to 0.9 in a 36 hours. I assume P would have dropped further if I had more N.

 

[Reef.]

I think it should be able to drop P, assuming N is present. Although, at recommended doses should “maintain” — at least based on product description.

I accidentally overdosed it a few weeks ago (like 5x- 20x recommended dose, I don’t know exact amount — pump issue). My N went from 15 to 0, and P dropped from .20 to 0.9 in a 36 hours. I assume P would have dropped further if I had more N.

You have it on an airtight dosing pump?

 

[crabgrass]

You have it on an airtight dosing pump?

It was a “priming” incident and someone helping me dumped the excess back into tank. Everyone survived, I did run skimmer really wet for about 3 days which would have sucked up some nutrients too. And fuge 24x7 in help with O2. The water never got cloudy, so I want ultra concerned.

 

[Reef.]

It was a “priming” incident and someone helping me dumped the excess back into tank. Everyone survived, I did run skimmer really wet for about 3 days which would have sucked up some nutrients too. And fuge 24x7 in help with O2. The water never got cloudy, so I want ultra concerned.

I believe bacto is meant to be in a sealed airtight container when dosing as it will go mouldy ,that was my question.

 

[crabgrass]

I believe bacto is meant to be in a sealed airtight container when dosing as it will go mouldy ,that was my question.

It’s a container with a lid. “Air tight “ might be a stretch, but close