VERY happy with Tropic Marin Plus-Np!

[Naturalreef]

I purchased 2 bottles a while back and they were just sitting on my fish shelf. I listed them for sale with no interest. My new reefer 200xl recent build with Aquaforest dry rock. Slowly building up nutrients by dosing neonitro and neophos as usual on an automatic doser. Nutrients after a few weeks were still bottomed out and typical Dino’s started covering everything. ::::sigh::::

Not my first rodeo with Dino’s and only fish and a few tiny tester acros in the new system, so I was taking it slow and methodic. Dino’s kept getting worse, so I stopped the dosing. No water changes, lights on low and blue. I feed my 6 Chromis heavy using the plank. Heavy in, heavy out with high flow. Skimmer just oxygenating the water.

Recently seen a thread on Plus-np and BRS did an advertising video on it and it intrigued me. Basically feeds the good bacteria that raises nutrients without feeding bad algae etc. I’m on day 3 and my Dino’s are 90% gone and sand bed is bright white everywhere! Barely measuring nitrate or phosphate, but I’m going to stay the course. Going to put the 200ml bottle on an automatic doser which will dose the recommended 2ml/day till I get where I want to be. I‘m so impressed, I ordered Tropic Marin bacto balance to maintain it once I get there. I’ll pause Brightwell for the time being since this is working so well.

 

[taricha]

Thanks. Update us on how this progresses.

 

[jsargent1]

I did the same exact thing, and let me tell ya, that bacto balance is gold, but will maintain almost zero nitrate and phosphate. My nitrates have been a steady 2-5 using Red Sea kit and .02 po4.

 

[Naturalreef]

I did the same exact thing, and let me tell ya, that bacto balance is gold, but will maintain almost zero nitrate and phosphate. My nitrates have been a steady 2-5 using Red Sea kit and .02 po4.

Were these current numbers your goal? I want to get to 8-10/.08 using plus np and then hold it there with bacto Using automatic dosers.

 

[jsargent1]

Well when I first set up the tank, let it cycle and I was afraid of the ugly stage so I didn’t feed much and always cleaned the tank/water changes. After realizing zero nutrients is just as bad/worse than excessive nutrients. I started dosing plus np, and then bacto balance once it started to show up on test.
I do a 10% water change once and month, feed super heavy and it keeps it low. I’m now trying to up my nutrients because I haven’t noticed a bunch of growth out of my corals despite having great flow, and great light
So long answer is yes, low numbers were my target but my target has changed to see how much better things grow with extra nutrients

 

[Naturalreef]

Thanks! Keep us updated as I’m really curious how this works long term.

 

[PlasticOcean]

Thanks! Keep us updated as I’m really curious how this works long term.

How did this work you guys long-term? I’ve had some browning out of my SPS since making the switch although I can’t be sure this product caused it. Were either of you able to run a low nitrate to phosphate ratio, significantly lower than 100:1 and have coral maintain color and grow? Thanks!

I suspect this product is well conceived (based off the belief that inorganic, nitrate dosing is not ideal - feeding fish is ideal - and that many ideal sources of nutrients exist in converted forms, not measurable by hobbyist test kits) but so far, nothing is looking it’s best since making the switch from good old NeoNitro/NeoPhos dosing

 

[bryznsreef]

Hey any updates I know it’s been a while since you posted, I started dosing plus NP at a steady rate as my system is low on nutrients, SPS were paled out and browned out but it’s starting to color up again after dosing, just bought a bigger bottle to also put on a doser

 

[Naturalreef]

I have been very happy with both products. They don’t feed nuisance algae and my Sps have held their color. I don’t overdose, I just go by the directions. But, I keep each one on a dosing pump in case I need to go one direction or the other. I was a little nervous when Bactobalance kept me at .03. We know there are testing errors of up to .05. So I used np plus to get above .1 so I always have a buffer.