- Hey, it's Thomas here and today
we're gonna be checking out Tropic Marin's Plus-NP.
We're gonna look at what makes this carbon dosing method
different from others that are out there
as well as how you can use Plus-NP
in conjunction with NP-Bacto-Balance
to safely raise the nutrient levels
in your ultra low nutrient system,
up to normal ranges, and then keep them there.
Okay, so I know that using a carbon dosing product
to raise nutrients sounds like a complete oxymoron,
but stick with me.
So in essence, a carbon dosing product works
by providing the phosphate loving bacteria in your reef tank
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.
Now, the snag that some reefers run into is that
many carbon dosing products out there
don't use a carbon source that is directed
at those very specific beneficial bacteria.
And that ultimately means that many organisms in the tank,
including the nuisance algaes and bacterias
that we're trying to fight off,
can potentially use the carbon source as fuel to grow.
Plus-NP on the other hand is designed
to help you get your reef aquariums
non-existent phosphate and nitrate levels
back up to healthy levels
through dosing extra phosphate and nitrates,
along with a specialized carbon source
that is targeted specifically at phosphate loving bacteria,
meaning nuisance algae and bacterial films
won't have an easy time trying to get ahold of it.
So whether you tried the ultra low nutrient approach
intentionally or accidentally,
because your nutrient expert methods you're currently using
are just working far too well,
Plus-NP can help you get your tank on track
with normal nutrient levels
and when combined with Tropic Marin's
two other carbon dosing products,
NP-Bacto-Balance and Elimi-NP,
it works out to be one of the safest and easiest
carbon dosing methods to be successful with.
So you no longer need to worry about
battling with nutrients,
whether they're too low or too high.
Plus-NP is currently available in a 200 milliliter bottle,
which will treat approximately 5,000 gallons.
And at its recommended daily dose
of one milliliter per 26 gallons,
will last a 90 gallon tank around two months.
And I know that doesn't seem like a lot at first glance,
but there is a method to the madness
and it'll all become clearer
when we start talking about how you use it.
Step one, you'll need to test your aquarium
for phosphate and nitrate.
Plus-NP is designed to be used on aquariums
with essentially undetectable phosphate levels
of less than 0.01 phosphate.
Your nitrates will also likely be quite low,
but if you do for some reason have high nitrates
and only low phosphates,
you can also work in a few extra water changes
to bring those nitrates down to a reasonable level.
Step two is to add one milliliter of Plus-NP
per 26 gallons of system volume daily.
And for reference, each full pump of the nozzle
on the bottle, will dispense approximately
one milliliter of Plus-NP.
You'll want to add it in a high flow area of the tank,
like over a flow pump,
shortly after the lights turn on for best results.
But even if you forgot to dose it
first thing in the morning,
and you add it in the middle of your light cycle,
no harm done.
Continue to test your phosphate and nitrate levels
every few days until you've reached a phosphate level
of between 0.04 and 0.06 PPM.
And once you've hit your target,
that is 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 raising or completely bottoming out
the nutrients in your reef tank.
So basically, once Plus-NP has brought
those nutrient levels up,
it's time to switch over to NP-Bacto-Balance,
which is going to maintain them
while feeding those beneficial bacteria
so that they out compete the nasty algae
and other bacterias we don't want in the system
and is ultimately the product
you're gonna be using most often.
On the other hand,
if you've accidentally raised the phosphate and nitrate
in your tank, up to or past the 0.1 PPM mark,
that is where Elimi-NP steps in.
Elimi-NP is going to help get those phosphate
and nitrate levels back down safely
by adding in that same specialized carbon source
but without any added nutrients.
That way you can prevent any nuisance bacteria
or algae from cropping up.
And once you've got those high phosphates
back down to normal levels,
you can switch over to NP-Bacto-Balance to maintain them.
Basically, the goal is to get your nutrient levels in check
and maintain them with NP-Bacto-Balance.
They start to get too high, Elimi-NP,
and if they start to get too low again, Plus-NP.
So if your reef tank is currently
in an ultra low nutrient state,
and you'd like to bring it back up to
normal nutrient levels safely,
then Plus-NP just might match your reefing mantra,
and you can pick some up for yourself
by clicking right here.
(upbeat electronic music)