- Hey, it's Thomas here.
And today we're going to be checking out Tropic Marin's
ELIMI-NP and how this method of carbon dosing
is different from the rest.
We'll also look at how ELIMI-NP works
in tandem with Plus-NP as well as NP-Bacto-Balance
to create the perfect carbon dosing system.
Carbon dosing works by providing the phosphate-loving,
beneficial bacteria in your reef
with a food source that allows them to proliferate.
And as a result, they pull out
more phosphate from the water,
causing the overall level of phosphate
in the aquarium to drop.
That is definitely a simplified explanation,
but that's it in a nutshell.
Nitrates also get reduced as a by-product of carbon dosing,
but we'll touch more on that closer to the end of the video.
Now, the rub is that traditionally,
most carbon dosing methods don't use a carbon source
that targets those specific beneficial bacteria,
which means many organisms in the tank,
including the nuisance algaes and bacterias
that we're trying to fight off,
could potentially use the carbon source
that we're dosing as a fuel to grow.
ELIMI-NP, on the other hand,
is designed to help you get
your reef aquarium's runaway phosphates
back in check through dosing a specialized carbon source
that is targeted specifically at phosphate-loving bacteria,
meaning nuisance bacterial films and algae
won't have an easy time getting a hold of it.
It is one component of Tropic Marin's carbon dosing system.
And when used in conjunction
with NP-Bacto-Balance as well as Plus-NP,
it is one of the safest and easiest carbon dosing methods
for reefers to be successful with,
which means you no longer have to worry
about wrestling with nutrient issues,
whether they're too high or too low.
ELIMI-NP comes in two sizes,
a 15 milliliter bottle and a 200 milliliter bottle,
which will treat approximately 2,600 gallons
and 10,400 gallons respectively.
When used at its maximum dose,
that 50 mil bottle will treat
a 90 gallon aquarium for a full month,
as long as it's February.
That might not seem like a lot at first,
but there is a method to the madness.
So, let's look at how to use it.
Step one, you'll need to test your aquarium
for phosphate and nitrate.
ELIMI-NP is designed to be used
on aquariums with high phosphate levels
of around 0.1 PPM or higher
with nitrates somewhere around 2.0 PPM.
Nitrate can be higher for sure,
but ideally not lower than 1.0 PPM.
Now, if after testing, your reef tank
already has relatively healthy phosphate and nitrate levels
somewhere around 0.04 to 0.1 PPM of phosphate
and 1.0 to 2.0 PPM of nitrate
or inversely, your tank is already
ultra low on those nutrients,
and you want to switch your tank over
to running normal nutrient levels,
NP-Bacto-Balance or PLUS-NP are going to be
what you're looking for.
And I'll explain how they work
alongside ELIMI-NP shortly.
Step two, start off with the daily dose
of 0.1 milliliters of ELIMI-NP
per 26 gallons of system volume.
You'll want to add it to a high flow area of the tank
like over one of your flow pumps
shortly after your lights have come on for best results.
But even if you forget one day
and you're adding it in the middle of your light cycle,
or before your lights turn off, no harm done.
You want to continue testing
your phosphate and nitrate levels
at least once a week.
And after two weeks,
if you've not yet seen a slow
and steady decline in your phosphates,
you can increase the dose by 0.1 milliliters
for the next two weeks,
and again, two weeks later and so on
until you're seeing that decrease in your phosphates,
or you've reached a phosphate level of 0.05.
Once you've hit your target of around 0.05,
that's where NP-Bacto-Balance comes in.
NP-Bacto-Balance contains just the right amount
of phosphate and nitrate
with that same specialized carbon source
so that you can keep that healthy population
of phosphate-loving bacteria thriving
and out-competing nuisance algaes and bacterias
without completely bottoming out
the nutrients in your reef tank.
So, basically, once ELIMI-NP brings your
really high phosphates down to a reasonable level,
NP-Bacto-Balance is what's going to take over.
It is the primary of the three
carbon dosing products in this line
and the one you're gonna end up using most often.
On the other hand,
if you've accidentally dropped the phosphate
and nitrate in your tank below those optimal levels,
and you started to head into that ultra low nutrient zone,
that's where Plus-NP comes in.
Plus-NP is going to help get those phosphate
and nitrate levels back up safely
while adding in the same carbon source
so you can get your tank out of that nutrient devoid stage
and get your corals the nutrition
they're craving in the process.
And once you've got those super low phosphates up,
you can switch over to NP-Bacto-Balance
to maintain that optimum level.
Basically, the goal is to get your phosphate levels in check
and then maintain them with NP-Bacto-Balance.
If they end up getting much too low, Plus-NP.
If they get way too high, ELIMI-NP.
I mentioned earlier that the nitrates
also go down while carbon dosing,
even though the beneficial bacteria
that we're feeding with our carbon source
are really only consuming phosphate.
And that's because a lot of the organisms in your reef,
corals, especially, have an easier time
taking up those bacteria full of phosphate
than trying to pull phosphate directly from the water.
And with the extra phosphate
those filter feeders will be consuming,
they will also be consuming more nitrates,
which lowers the amount of nitrate in the water.
The best part is not only are you keeping
the phosphate and nitrate in the system at optimal levels
and preventing those undesirable algaes
and bacteria from running rampant,
you are also helping to accelerate coral growth
and improving their overall health
by giving them a much easier way
to consume those nutrients that they need to thrive.
So, if you're looking to eliminate,
there, I said it, phosphate and nitrate from your reef tank,
using a really simple and effective carbon dosing method
and ELIMI-NP matches that your evening mantra,
you can go ahead and kick those nitrates and phosphates
in the face by clicking right here.
(upbeat music)