Room Temperature NP Bacto Balance Dosing

[ReefHog]

@Lou Ekus I have been dosing bacto-balance for a couple months and together with adding reef actif once weekly, my parameters have been pretty stable with PO4 ~.04-.05 & NO3 ~4-5. Right now I keep the bacto-balance in the refrigerator and dose with a syringe. I would like to quit dosing by hand and use the Neptune DOS to dose it. I would have to move the bacto-balance under the tank for that. While it's always dark down there (No Refugium) the temp runs 75f. The bottle I have will last about 9 months. Will the product stay good in this scenario? How would I know if it goes bad?

Also, if I wanted to bring my PO3 & NO4 down slightly, closer to .03 & 3 respectively, could I increase the reef actif a bit? Lower the bacto-balance? I have elim-np on hand but would be looking for a more long term solution.

 

[rusgum]

[QUOTE = "ReefHog, сообщение: 7718236, участник: 84348"]
[USER = 7875] @Lou Ekus [/ USER] Я дозировал бакто-баланс в течение пары месяцев, и вместе с добавлением рифового актива один раз в неделю мои параметры были довольно стабильными с PO4 ~ .04-.05 & NO3 ~ 4 -5. Прямо сейчас я держу бакто-баланс в холодильнике и дозирую шприцем. Я хотел бы прекратить дозирование вручную и использовать Neptune DOS, чтобы дозировать его. Для этого мне пришлось бы переместить бакто-баланс под баком. В то время как там всегда темно (No Refugium) темп работает 75f. Бутылка у меня продлится около 9 месяцев. Продукт останется хорошим в этом сценарии? Как я узнаю, что все будет плохо?

Кроме того, если бы я хотел немного понизить свои PO3 и NO4, ближе к .03 и 3 соответственно, могу ли я немного увеличить действие рифа? Понизить бакто-баланс? У меня есть elim-np под рукой, но я бы искал более долгосрочное решение.
[/ QUOTE]
Hey. I have been on the dispenser for many years. It won't go bad. Why do you need to change something. You have good parameters

 

[ReefHog]

Thanks. I used to maintain my po4 and no3 just above detectable with a different carbon source but was getting bacterial film on rocks. I’ve since switched to TM products and the film is gone but I’m getting a little algae dusting when po4 is above .05ish. I figure .01-.03 is the sweet spot. I like to feed several times a day for my moorish idol and CBB so reducing feedings is not an option.

 

[Lou Ekus]

@Lou Ekus I have been dosing bacto-balance for a couple months and together with adding reef actif once weekly, my parameters have been pretty stable with PO4 ~.04-.05 & NO3 ~4-5. Right now I keep the bacto-balance in the refrigerator and dose with a syringe. I would like to quit dosing by hand and use the Neptune DOS to dose it. I would have to move the bacto-balance under the tank for that. While it's always dark down there (No Refugium) the temp runs 75f. The bottle I have will last about 9 months. Will the product stay good in this scenario? How would I know if it goes bad?

Also, if I wanted to bring my PO3 & NO4 down slightly, closer to .03 & 3 respectively, could I increase the reef actif a bit? Lower the bacto-balance? I have elim-np on hand but would be looking for a more long term solution.

Your NP Bacto Balance should be fine under the tank in the dark area. That should be no problem.
As far as the parameters go, you seem to have pretty good numbers, I'm not sure that making the very small change you are considering, will make the difference. But you certainly could try increasing the Reef Actif a tiny bit, and see if that helps. If not, you could also try increasing or decreasing the NP Bacto Balance. Depending on exactly how you tank is running, either way might do it. But please try very small changes, and monitor as you go. You will certainly find the answer that way.
Let me know how you make out ans what the solution ends up being.

 

[ReefHog]

I'll definitely go slow. I may have brought up the nutrients too fast when I switched over from my old carbon source to TM products as I lost both my birds nest corals to rtn. PO4 and NO3 came up from zero to where they are now in less than a week. Weird that those were the only corals affected. Especially since they were the hardiest and fastest growing of my sps. Most of my other corals have slowed growth from when my levels were undetectable. I hoping they'll slowly adapt to the new levels and eventually be better off once they do. I did send in a ICP sample in case something else got out of balance during the switch over.

 

[Lou Ekus]

I'll definitely go slow. I may have brought up the nutrients too fast when I switched over from my old carbon source to TM products as I lost both my birds nest corals to rtn. PO4 and NO3 came up from zero to where they are now in less than a week. Weird that those were the only corals affected. Especially since they were the hardiest and fastest growing of my sps. Most of my other corals have slowed growth from when my levels were undetectable. I hoping they'll slowly adapt to the new levels and eventually be better off once they do. I did send in a ICP sample in case something else got out of balance during the switch over.

That seems really weird to me. I wouldn't think that the change in those nutrients, in a weeks time, would have that negative effect on the bn in that way. I won't be surprised if you find out that something else is either going on, or went on, to cause that issue. I also find it a little weird that the other corals have "slowed growth". I would think they would show the advantages of the increased nutrient level pretty quickly. Not the other way around. It makes me feel like there may be a coincidence and something else going on at the same time you ar emaking the change in the nutrients. Keep a close eye on things and let me know if things don't improve. We may have to look elsewhere for the issue. I have doubts the nutrient level is slowing things! Please keep me in the loop! Good luck.

 

[ReefHog]

Definitely strange. Can't think of what else could have caused the RTN in "one" species of coral. And in two locations about two feet apart. Waiting for ICP results to come back. The sps are all about 8 months old from small frags and I'm relativity new to sps. The montis have definitely slowed. They're obvious. I also have a millie, two pavona and a hand full of encrusting cyphastera which all seem stalled. I test the big three every other day and after the inital week with the rapid rise all readings are very consistant. One interesting note is that in that same time period, I had my return piping that is attached to a sea swirl fall off and break a 3" to 4" blue tort into pieces. I re-glued it in four pieces to the same area on the rock and it has already encrusted over growing in two weeks. I imagine things will stabilize and start growing again. I really like the TM products so far. Especially the lack of bio film on the rocks and floating in the sump water line. I'll let you know if anything is off when I get my ICP results back.

 

[ReefHog]

@Lou Ekus So I got my ICP results back and while the three parameters that were out of range last test (Strontium- 5.54mg/l, Alk 614dKH & Calcium 308.5mg/l) Are looking good now, A few others have slipped out of range. The salinity 31.93 PSU and Nitrate 10.95 mg/l are troubling as my testing always showed them in range. My Neptune Apex probe is showing salt at 32.0 which is in line with the ICP reading. BUT, I have two refractometers that show 35 ppt. In fact, I replaced my older one with a new one because the discrepancy compared to the Neptune Apex reading. AND, I confirmed the reading using 35ppt calibration fluid. I'm thinking I may buy the Hanna salinity checker. As far as Nitrate goes, I have been checking with the Nyos kit and read 5.0 at the time of the ICP water draw. Since initially raising my No3 a month ago, My readings (done every other third day) stay between 3.0 and 5.0. One day it got slightly above 5.0 but was back down the next test. I can't wait for the Hanna nitrate test kit to come out. The other notable out of range reading is iodine 13.49 ug/l. I purchased reef iodide supplement and will bring that up according to manufacturers instructions. I will be adding salt water to bring up salinity another 2ppt and then send off another ICP test. What would be the best way to bring the No3 down without affecting the Po4? As far as corals go, I lost all birds nest and am losing my Monti caps. (pailing out right now) My LPS are fine and I have a Tort that is growing very good and a Mili and Pavonia that are just staying status quo. I'm also loosing color in my few Cyphastreas. My lights are four Kessil a360we and 2-80 watt T5 10,000K KZ lamps.

 

[Lou Ekus]

@Lou Ekus So I got my ICP results back and while the three parameters that were out of range last test (Strontium- 5.54mg/l, Alk 614dKH & Calcium 308.5mg/l) Are looking good now, A few others have slipped out of range. The salinity 31.93 PSU and Nitrate 10.95 mg/l are troubling as my testing always showed them in range. My Neptune Apex probe is showing salt at 32.0 which is in line with the ICP reading. BUT, I have two refractometers that show 35 ppt. In fact, I replaced my older one with a new one because the discrepancy compared to the Neptune Apex reading. AND, I confirmed the reading using 35ppt calibration fluid. I'm thinking I may buy the Hanna salinity checker. As far as Nitrate goes, I have been checking with the Nyos kit and read 5.0 at the time of the ICP water draw. Since initially raising my No3 a month ago, My readings (done every other third day) stay between 3.0 and 5.0. One day it got slightly above 5.0 but was back down the next test. I can't wait for the Hanna nitrate test kit to come out. The other notable out of range reading is iodine 13.49 ug/l. I purchased reef iodide supplement and will bring that up according to manufacturers instructions. I will be adding salt water to bring up salinity another 2ppt and then send off another ICP test. What would be the best way to bring the No3 down without affecting the Po4? As far as corals go, I lost all birds nest and am losing my Monti caps. (pailing out right now) My LPS are fine and I have a Tort that is growing very good and a Mili and Pavonia that are just staying status quo. I'm also loosing color in my few Cyphastreas. My lights are four Kessil a360we and 2-80 watt T5 10,000K KZ lamps.

This is getting a little more than what I like to do over a forum. It is really much easier and much more effective to do thing, when they get this involved, over the phone. There are just so many possibilities for what can be going on, that the limitations of forum interactions, make proper, complete technical support, from my end, very difficult. I would encourage you to switch this conversation from here to the phone. I am available in the office during East Coast business hours at 413-367-0101. It would be great if we could discuss this in more detail that way. Would that work for you?