I just replaced it for the first time. It had been about 2 1/2 months. I think it will jus depend on the amount of PO4 leaching from the rocks and what's going in from food. I'm planning to change it in about 2 months...will just have to see :0)
LaCl Reactor
- Thread starter insomniac2k2
- Start date
I just replaced it for the first time. It had been about 2 1/2 months. I think it will jus depend on the amount of PO4 leaching from the rocks and what's going in from food. I'm planning to change it in about 2 months...will just have to see :0)
Maui Very soon!
I'm already paying for the rest of the family. I'll have to get you next time
Okay! I'm going to hold you to your words!!! :lolspin: :lolspin:
I think you may like using the 5 micron sediment filter.
If I may Insomniac, try the filter BEFORE the floss. You probably will have less maintenance in changing out the floss and more peace of mind having the floss last. :love1:insomniac2k2
Active member
Sorry to hear about the health issues :/ I've had my bout with quite a few of those recently. Hopefully I'm done with those for a good while!
When? I've been here for over a week
. The fun will end in a few days unfortunately 
:headwalls: YIKES!! I tested at 1 this afternoon......... .20!!!! :deadhorse:
Last night the doser was making a loud, strange noise so I turned the thing off. I took water out of the tank then and covered it tightly so I could keep it from evaporating.
I was almost in tears with that reading.
I called the better half and told him. I did about a 40g water change as soon as I finished testing. The hubby checked everything out. He didn't find anything. However, there were some air bubbles in the 'solution' line. When I turned the doser back on, the noise was gone. All I can guess is that there was a small blockage somewhere or there was a large air bubble that caused it to make the noise and possibly not draw up the solution.
After the WC, I tested and it was .13 Would the 40g water change lower it that much? Although I want to, I haven't tested again tonight. I will test tomorrow though. I sure hope that I don't lose any corals :worried2: When it rains, it usually pours!:hmm4:
Last night the doser was making a loud, strange noise so I turned the thing off. I took water out of the tank then and covered it tightly so I could keep it from evaporating.
I was almost in tears with that reading.
I called the better half and told him. I did about a 40g water change as soon as I finished testing. The hubby checked everything out. He didn't find anything. However, there were some air bubbles in the 'solution' line. When I turned the doser back on, the noise was gone. All I can guess is that there was a small blockage somewhere or there was a large air bubble that caused it to make the noise and possibly not draw up the solution.After the WC, I tested and it was .13 Would the 40g water change lower it that much? Although I want to, I haven't tested again tonight. I will test tomorrow though. I sure hope that I don't lose any corals :worried2: When it rains, it usually pours!:hmm4:
HAHA... it is... Just not all of us are awake at those hours. It said it was at 2am my time. HAHAHA...
I do not think you needed to do the water change and could have just set the pump back to normal. It will keep it's self level. How mush solution do you have left? Have you made any up? Was the blockage due to the solution in the tube?
I do not think you needed to do the water change and could have just set the pump back to normal. It will keep it's self level. How mush solution do you have left? Have you made any up? Was the blockage due to the solution in the tube?
I hadn't had time to adjust it by those few minutes so it was still setting where it was...doh! lol I had one SPS coral start to bleach so I knew something was going on. Hopefully I caught it in time. Solution is more than a half gallon and under 2/3rds. Using a vinegar gallon jug... Nope, haven't made any more solution... Where it was blocked I have no idea as Rod checked all hoses...couldn't see anything so he blew into/ through them. It might have been the line from the jug??
Going to bed now...it's 3:49 am here:0) Only sissy's sleep! Ha Ha Ha, Tee Hee :=0) Hope to test today...still a zoo for me!
Going to bed now...it's 3:49 am here:0) Only sissy's sleep! Ha Ha Ha, Tee Hee :=0) Hope to test today...still a zoo for me!
Well this is just crazy baffling:eek1: Here's the past several days results:
10/25 .205> 40g WC > .1226
10/26 .1287
10/27 .0551
10/28 .0889
10/29 & 10/30 didn't test
10/31 .1165
11/1 .147
11/2 .181
I don't know what's going on?!:hmm6: I have ran the doser at several different intervals where it should have dropped the level within 24 hours and it didn't. So, today I ran it for a few hours at 15/3:30 like yours, Insomniac. I have it set at 15/5:30 tonight and will keep it that way...at least until I test in the morning. 15/8:00 "was" my maintenance dose. I know I'll get it to .04-.05 but this is so :crazy1::headwalls:
10/25 .205> 40g WC > .1226
10/26 .1287
10/27 .0551
10/28 .0889
10/29 & 10/30 didn't test
10/31 .1165
11/1 .147
11/2 .181
I don't know what's going on?!:hmm6: I have ran the doser at several different intervals where it should have dropped the level within 24 hours and it didn't. So, today I ran it for a few hours at 15/3:30 like yours, Insomniac. I have it set at 15/5:30 tonight and will keep it that way...at least until I test in the morning. 15/8:00 "was" my maintenance dose. I know I'll get it to .04-.05 but this is so :crazy1::headwalls:
Check this out! Everyone has a hobby ;0)
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slief
RC Sponsor
Well this is just crazy baffling:eek1: Here's the past several days results:
10/25 .205> 40g WC > .1226
10/26 .1287
10/27 .0551
10/28 .0889
10/29 & 10/30 didn't test
10/31 .1165
11/1 .147
11/2 .181
I don't know what's going on?!:hmm6: I have ran the doser at several different intervals where it should have dropped the level within 24 hours and it didn't. So, today I ran it for a few hours at 15/3:30 like yours, Insomniac. I have it set at 15/5:30 tonight and will keep it that way...at least until I test in the morning. 15/8:00 "was" my maintenance dose. I know I'll get it to .04-.05 but this is so :crazy1::headwalls:
I've followed this thread daily since it was started and I've refrained from participating as it seems I have offended people here if my train of thought runs against the concept of the LaCl reactor or the way it's being used. Please don't take offense to my interjection here.
I can't help but wonder if the precipitant is making past your filter floss and or your filter socks and breaking back down into PO4 in your tank. If that is the case, you are kind of chasing ghosts with the reactor. You really need to export that precipitant so it doesn't break down and release the PO4 back into the water column.
From everything I've read, changing filter floss or socks regularly is not something you guys are doing. If it were me, I'd be changing that stuff every week or more. I'd be watching the socks daily and at the slightest sign of them backing up, I would swap them. On the other hand, at the rate you guys dose, the percipitant build up would be slow enough that it would break down long before your socks would back up. As such, my guess is that a good percentage of what precipitates simply breaks down and releases some of the PO4 back into your system.
When I dose LaCl, depending on my PO4 readings, I can clog a 10 micron sock in a matter of 60 minutes as it backs up and will overflow making it very obvious that it needs to be changed. With filter floss, there comes a point where it cannot hold anymore precipitant and when it hits that point, one of two things will happen. It will either backup to the point where nothing will pass through it or it will back up and the precipitant and excess LaCl will pass around it. If that occurs, your PO4 levels will rise as the precipitant breaks down and releases the PO4 back into the water and it will drop as more LaCl is introduced creating a vicious cycle.
I feed heavily every day and don't have those kinds of PO4 fluctuations ever. My Then again, I don't test that often nor do I dose the LaCl daily. I test my PO4 levels when I start to see algae that I don't normally see as well as before and after LaCl treatment. I will also test for a couple subsequent days after the LaCl treatment during which time I don't really see any fluctuations in my PO4 levels. I test using a Hanna ULR Phosphorus checker.
Another comment here.
Terri,
You mentioned your SPS looking weird or bleached. With the levels your PO4 was at and for such a short amount of time, I'd be really surprised that PO4 levels were the root cause of your issue with regards to what you saw with the SPS. It could be precipitant causing it or something else completely unrelated but I don't think it would be from a day or two, let alone a week of slightly elevate PO4 levels. I've seen SPS tanks with much much higher PO4 levels and the corals had no issues at all.
So again, I hope you don't take offense to my comments. I've been doing this long enough to know a thing or two and as such, I am only trying to help.
By they way, I hope you are feeling better!
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Hey Slief! I thought we resolved our issues awhile ago?! You don't need to keep quiet! Shared knowledge leads to better reefkeeping :0) I use a 5 micron sediment filter in addition to a 5 micron sock; no floss. My sock has never filled/overflowed :0) I just need to get back to the basics again...set it, test 4 days, then adjust if/as needed.
Thanks for the well-wishes!!! :0) Some serious issue(s) so it's going to take awhile :0)
Thanks for the well-wishes!!! :0) Some serious issue(s) so it's going to take awhile :0)
