Reef Tank Carbon Dosing Simplified With Tropic Marin NP-Bacto Balance!

[@alanschulz9169]

This guy is mos def the most natural on camera outta the BRS team.

[@Saltedslug382]

Have to say you are one of the best if not the best at laying out the facts in an engaging and educational way. Bravo

[@ThomasBReef]

Thank you so, so much!

[@deniseriley790]

Watched this today, I love learning new things from you!

[@lolitacooksley7909]

Can you dose bacto balance and all for reef together?

[@harley6793]

Thomas!! I used to watch you at the other channels!! Been looking to see you on anymore videos.

[@ThomasBReef]

Yay!!!

[@rayterranella1]

I’m ordering the combo today. I’ve been looking for a way to raise nitrates and phosphate safely. Thanks for the info!

[@karennation3580]

This lowers it I believe

[@shawnriv9]

Should I turn off my UV and skimmer when adding this?

[@davefagnan]

Thank is good idea for simple carbon source

[@brokereefman45]

Very Nicely Done Thomas! I do both (refugium / carbon dosing) because I feed way too much😂

[@devadroid5269]

Does BRS sell those mini graduated cylinders that Thomas uses to pour the product into?

[@BRStv]

Here you go 🙂 www.bulkreefsupply.com/7-piece-liquid-measuring-beaker-set-oxo.html

[@muhammadamirbinmohdazman6363]

Hi brs! Need a clear answer regarding this bacto balance. So this product doent work if no po4?

[@so_so_reef]

I really struggled to understand this product when I first learnt about it 😂 it also didn’t behave as expected. Is the aim that it keeps your nitrates and phosphates at a certain level, e.g. start dosing it when they’re at 1 ppm nitrate and 0.05 ppm phosphate? Or is the aim for it to bring these two down, but in a gentle way that’s difficult to overdose?

[@BRStv]

It depends on how you want to use it. Generally speaking, products like this are better to use to maintain your nitrate/phosphate levels rather than trying to reduce them.

[@ThomasBReef]

Good question! Ultimately, NP Bacto Balance is designed to maintain your phosphate and nitrate levels within an optimal range (a safe range that is both not ultra low, or creeping into what would be considered high). There are 2 other products in the same wheelhouse that will either allow your levels to slowly come back up from ultra low (Plus NP) while still feeding the needed bacteria to maintain it within an optimal range, and another that will allow you to lower those nutrients if they are much too high (Elimi NP) so that you can get them down to an optimal range, and once within that optimal range, you switch over toe NP Bacto Balance to maintain it, while still feeding those bacteria. Hope that helps!

[@ameritsuptoyou]

@@ThomasBReef I'm confused. As I understand the instructions from TM, and your website, the NP-Bacto-Balance should be used if your ratio is over 10:1. In order to get it 'Balanced' we should use NP-Bacto-Balance first, then us Elimi-NP to reduce phosphate and nitrate. Correct? Maybe I'm missing something...Thanks!

[@rubenespinosa1685]

Good day I actually misread the information and dosed the product thinking g it was going g to raise my nutrient levels,and it dropped my ph drastically my skimmer is going crazy and have done a water change to try and rectify the problem.

[@gaspipe1]

forgive the non-related question please... The large BRS TV sign on the wall, who can make that for me? What can I google to look it up? Thanks in advance and love your vids Thomas!

[@BRStv]

That was made by Kyle Elder (owner of Adaptive Reef)

[@sawyerbreslow8487]

Great product. Has worked great for me!

[@BamBamUSMC]

Does this product have a shelf life after opening? Does it need to be refrigerated? And dose this product need to be shaken before ea use and if not then can it be dosed with a doser?

[@BRStv]

It does not have a listed shelf life and does not need to be refrigerated. Tropic Marin suggests storing in a cool, dry place.

[@haadis75]

Does this product rely on heavy skimming similar to traditional carbon dosing?

[@fishstix1988]

Can I use this on my tank if either of the levels are higher? I keep my phos between .1-.15 and nitrates between 10-15

[@SmokinReefer...]

Does BRS have any plans to carry Tropic Marin NP-Bacto-Pellets?

[@Necro_AAAARon]

Crazy I know. I cannot find them anywhere online. Lou At tropic Marin says sure you can buy from any of our retail set online. Not one site caries them.

[@BRStv]

I'll mention this to our product team

[@devadroid5269]

@@BRStv Or what about the All-for-Reef powder?!

[@curtisagnew8606]

Would this be good to use if your P04 is around 0.1 and N03 is around 15? Can get phosphate down dead easy but nitrate is a bit more of a slog.

[@karennation3580]

How do you get po4 down easily? I use gfo and it definitely works but lately testing more and noticing the levels varie. I usually would stop testing after I got to 0.03 thinking I am good for months!

[@curtisagnew8606]

@karennation3580 think I was just lucky tbh think my algae was doing it until it wasn't lol started using bacto balance an it's been all over the shop. Think bacto will bottom out your nitrates an add phosphate, I don't know. All I know is that I had to stop dosing bacto try an get everything in order again an now I'm having to add nitrates an I'm playing about with how much bacto I'm adding to get a happy medium. I have to add nutrient control hasn't been the main thing on my mind the last cpl of years. Essentials pro plus was a real ball ache.

[@curtisagnew8606]

@karennation3580 but to answer your question algae was my main source of nutrient control then when it started to die off I used lanthium when I started bacto balance i used tropic marins elimni np. My algae was dieing off because my iron was depleting.

[@johnhondros9158]

So is there a product or method of lowering nitrates over phosphates. My phosphates are around .01ppm and I dose neophos. But my nitrates are always crazy high, around 30-40ppm

[@antoniojara751]

what would be more effective on a 30 gallon tank with no sump, nitrate level 15 ppm and Phosphate 0.1 ? trying to find out the best solution for my tank. Appreciate your response.

[@BRStv]

If your goal is to lower both nitrates and phosphates, this would work great for a tank like the one you've described.

[@antoniojara751]

@@BRStv Thanks a ton, I have been now using this product and works great, my next question is, once I have reached the levels I want, will it be okay to dose every X amount of days instead everyday to keep the levels where I want or is there a need to dose every day this product ?

[@creab485]

If you have high nitrate and low phosphate. Carbon dosing can help but you have to supplement a phosphate to help get the nitrates down

[@karennation3580]

How often do you have to supplement? Have you tried their other version?

[@karennation3580]

My nitrate reading on test kits is 25 My po4 varies because I use gfo in a bag in my socks and my rack in an aio. plus my frag in a hob. I just started noticing it varies, usually once I get to 0.03 I leave it and dont test for months. I have been testing daily for a week and now noticing it varies but I accidentally left my filter off for a day plus noticed the bag was kind of tucked under the bottom so wasnt getting enough flow. My question is my nitrates to high for this? I don t see why anyone would need it for nitrates if they are 1 or 2 or whatever you said but maybe you are going by ppm or something different then test kits read. I use nyos! Would i be better off with the other type they have? Is 25 nitrates to high for lps softies and easy sps like stylo and lepto, digis and want to add a monti cap?

[@xJesseJames33x]

Thomas my phosphate is where I want it at .03 but nitrates are always high 40-60 range ppm . I have caeto in my sump but it doesn’t grow and I have a good light on it . Only thing that helps with nitrates for a day or 2 is a huge water change and that’s getting old . Also no corals yet but would this help with lowering high nitrates thanks 🙏

[@BRStv]

Carbon dosing can definitely help with nitrates. While it may also lower phosphates, the good news is that phosphate reduction with carbon dosing is much less drastic.

[@karennation3580]

@@BRStv I have no idea where my po4 would be without GFO I try to keep at o.03 nitrates 25. Am I going to be able to keep po4 around that level and much lower nitrates like 10 or less. What about theior other version they make, would that be better for my situation. Or maybe I don't need to worry since I only keep but easy sps.

[@ManuelLopez-gw4ui]

My No3 are 30ppm and my No4 is 0.002 ppm how do I lower my No3 but not no4 ? 90 gal. Mix but mostly sps Any help would be appreciated thank you

[@albeenokrokadil]

I thought I could dose vodka to reduce phos, but at the same time dose NP Bacto to maintain phos at 0.05. I have been doing it for 2 months, phos almost constant at 0.05. Is dosing both vodka and NP redundant then? Thank you.

[@BRStv]

That's correct, dosing both is redundant. Both are forms of carbon dosing.

[@MeTOre1]

My PO4 is in the right range (0.07) but my N03 is higher at 12. I have been dosing NP Bacto Balance and so far it is maintaining those numbers which I am ok with. Will this be ok going forward or should I stop? Also, will the use of NP Bacto cause the creation of mulm over my sump?

[@rhombifer566]

Mulm🤔

[@karennation3580]

I would be ok with those number too. Where they higher when you started? I use gfo so I have no idea where I would be without it!

[@ou812reefing]

Three is cool with me

[@jsauce666]

Gotta say - you are a freaking card. “Corals eat bacteria. They love it.”

[@wrongreef]

First comment, love you BRS

[@xJesseJames33x]

Also barley feed with 5 fish

[@TheGamelyst]

2nd one I guess. haha 😎🤣🤣👊