NPX-Xtra Beads BETA testing thread!

[OceanicCorals-Ian-]

New NpX -Extra beads now available! Same price but new and improved! Available on website now and at various other retailers within a week.

[Delphinus]

So, tonight I've decided to temporarily suspend use of NPX-Xtra pellets on my tank.

The nitrate is down, the phosphate is down, that part is great. But what has me puzzled and a little troubled is the bleaching now going on in my tank among the two carpets, my green bubble coral, and the acan's. It all started roughly two weeks ago and has been getting steadily more noticeable every day. The coincidence in timing with the pellets is unfortunately very difficult to ignore.

The one thing that might set my tank apart from others is the fact that I dosed kalk at night to maintain Ca/Alk levels, so I have to wonder if it could be interference with the kalk that could be the issue.

So for now I've turned off the pellets and turned off the kalk as well just to see if I can reverse that trend. My two gigantea carpets are more important to me than the PO4/NO3 numbers so I'm really hoping that this can be fixed.

[lastlight]

Is there any downside to shutting these things off for a while and letting them sit? Then starting them up again? I have a feeling they'll fuse into some solid mess but I'm not sure...

[Delphinus]

I would think it would be OK if they were dried out first?

[Lance]

Before starting up again a real good rinsing of the pellets and dumping out the water in the reactor would be in order, I think. Gonna be a whole lot of dead bacteria in there.

[OceanicCorals-Ian-]

A rinse would be sufficient to restart the Beads once they are discontinued. I am not sure how the Carpets would be connected to the Beads other than possibly the water is to clean? Most other inhabitants benefit from the added food source, interesting subject!

Ps. Tony, I tried calling you this morning! Where the heck are ya?

[Delphinus]

Ok, change of heart, I'm keeping the pellets running.

After speaking with Ian, seems he & I are in the same mindset that it might just be a nutrient shock that you sometimes see with LPS after starting an aggressive ULNS system like Zeo. Since the feeding responses are still strong, I'll just have to step up the feeding of these guys. Plus Ian had a pretty good suggestion of using Sponge Power (SPONGE POWER!!!!!!) and LPS Amino Acids, I figure it probably can't hurt to try it plus I happened to have both anyhow so won't be costing me anything to try it.