NP Bacto Balance and A and K Elements

[Ryans Reef]

Hi @Lou Ekus

Love all your insight over the years!

I’m looking to satisfy the trace element needs in my SPS dominant system.

I’m currently dosing NP Bacto Balance at its maximum suggested dose for my tank.

I see that K Elements is included in NP Bacto Balance to some degree.

Does this mean dosing NP Bacto Balance replaces the need to dose K Elements?

Should I only dose A Elements in addition to NP Bacto Balance? Or should K Elements still be dosed?

I understand all recommendations are of course dependent on ICP tests and individual tank chemistry. But for a baseline starting point, what do you recommend?

Thanks!

 

[Lou Ekus]

Hi @Lou Ekus

Love all your insight over the years!

I’m looking to satisfy the trace element needs in my SPS dominant system.

I’m currently dosing NP Bacto Balance at its maximum suggested dose for my tank.

I see that K Elements is included in NP Bacto Balance to some degree.

Does this mean dosing NP Bacto Balance replaces the need to dose K Elements?

Should I only dose A Elements in addition to NP Bacto Balance? Or should K Elements still be dosed?

I understand all recommendations are of course dependent on ICP tests and individual tank chemistry. But for a baseline starting point, what do you recommend?

Thanks!

First of all, Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad some of that some of that inormation has proven helpful over the years.

You are absolutely correct in saying that each reef system is different and will react differently given the same addition of additives. However, the amount of the elements in that Trace K family of ions, that is included in the NP BACTO Balance, is the amount expected to be used by the given addition of the NP BACTO Balance being added. This will be enough in some systems and the added addition of Trace A then is enough. However, in most systems, we recommend to still use BOTH the Trace A and th Trace K even when also using the NP BACTO Balance due to that very small amount of the Trace K that is included in the NP BACTO Balance only offsetting the Trace K ions that get used from that addition and not accounting for the normal decrease in those Trace K ions from normal depletion.

I hope that clears up your question.

 

[Ryans Reef]

First of all, Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad some of that some of that inormation has proven helpful over the years.

You are absolutely correct in saying that each reef system is different and will react differently given the same addition of additives. However, the amount of the elements in that Trace K family of ions, that is included in the NP BACTO Balance, is the amount expected to be used by the given addition of the NP BACTO Balance being added. This will be enough in some systems and the added addition of Trace A then is enough. However, in most systems, we recommend to still use BOTH the Trace A and th Trace K even when also using the NP BACTO Balance due to that very small amount of the Trace K that is included in the NP BACTO Balance only offsetting the Trace K ions that get used from that addition and not accounting for the normal decrease in those Trace K ions from normal depletion.

I hope that clears up your question.

Thanks for the explanation and answer Lou! Very clear and helpful.