LaCl Reactor

[worm5406]

Everyother day for a bit... Once you do a change like that it will rebound back and forth a bit. So let it get stable.

Leave it where it is for today/tomorrow and test Sat. That will give you a good judge.

What is your goal for free radical levels?

 

[terri_ann]

Free radicals...how's zero sound?! Sounds good, just not practical Low enough to prevent any detrimental effects on livestock :0) I suppose that's not practical either since we don't know scientifically... You ask hard questions! lol If you need a number, I would hope less than 3% but how can we determine that?

Testing will be done Saturday then :0)

 

[roni]

Looking at this commercial design.



I was thinking that by putting something like a brs canister insert in the middle and dosing into the center, you'd increase contact area? Something like the old red sea berlin skimmers



any thoughts?

 

[terri_ann]

Interesting. Did you design this?

 

[terri_ann]

Tested again tonight at 8pm... .0882 so a smidge higher :0)

 

[terri_ann]

Just finished testing and it's up to .0943 I'm dosing for 15 seconds every 9 minutes and 45 seconds. Suggestions?

 

[bmanzie]

How big is your tank terri_ann?

 

[insomniac2k2]

If your done being cautious, I suggest 15 every 3.5 m. That's about where I am at with half your water volume.

 

[terri_ann]

My total water volume I estimate about 120 gals...no more than 130 and that's a LONG stretch. 134.6g tank and 46.5g sump based on the dimensions.

 

[terri_ann]

If your done being cautious, I suggest 15 every 3.5 m. That's about where I am at with half your water volume.

just to clarify Insomniac, you're saying to 000000/000:015/003:30

 

[bmanzie]

I was wondering because your two readings are not that far apart and with your water volume you probably will not see a change in just a few hours.
Also, what is the error margin on your test kit?

 

[terri_ann]

The testing between the last 2 were 24 hours apart :0) I'm using the Hanna Ultra Low Phosphorus meter, can't remember the margin of error at the moment... I will be testing again in about 2 hrs...

 

[roni]

Interesting. Did you design this?

No, the first is a commercial unit and what I thought I'd do if I did it differently. anyone have any thoughts, or am i overthinking this?

 

[bmanzie]

Hanna has .4 error margin.

 

[bmanzie]

I think

 

[JSimpson]

The testing between the last 2 were 24 hours apart :0) I'm using the Hanna Ultra Low Phosphorus meter, can't remember the margin of error at the moment... I will be testing again in about 2 hrs...

Hanna lists the margin of error as 5ppb phosphorous, or about .015 ppm phosphate (HI-736). For myself, I feel that I'm adding at least that much error with my own testing margin of error. My results bounce around between .03 and .05, but stay consistently in that range, which is also what I consider my target range to be.

 

[terri_ann]

Sorry, so late at posting My lawnmower blenny died from a run-in with my MP60 I had the MP's off in my DT for some reason and when I turned them on, what a noise! As I turned around quickly, he was in front of it heading down for behind the rocks. I just forgot to look before turning them back on as I knew he would go inside them when off. He likes to eat whatever he can find on the inside...well, he did I'm just sick! He didn't show any signs of physical damage other than a cloudy eye My guess is he rotated inside and it threw him out...internal damage. I suspect his air bladder as he couldn't swim without dropping (literally) to the sandbed

I got the test done about 10:30. Results are .0913 I think I will wait until tomorrow and test again as it may still be bouncing around. It's also water change day tomorrow. Does that sound reasonable?

 

[terri_ann]

No, the first is a commercial unit and what I thought I'd do if I did it differently. anyone have any thoughts, or am i overthinking this?

Any time that more volume is added for reaction time, the better. I don't know if adding more would be needed though... Contact time is variable depending on flow rate....

 

[terri_ann]

Okay, I just reviewed my recordkeeping and I'm going to dose 15 seconds every 8 mins 45 secs and see where that gets me...

 

[BeanAnimal]

Hanna lists the margin of error as 5ppb phosphorous, or about .015 ppm phosphate (HI-736). For myself, I feel that I'm adding at least that much error with my own testing margin of error. My results bounce around between .03 and .05, but stay consistently in that range, which is also what I consider my target range to be.

The Hanna meter is ok for ball parking trends, but it can't be trusted (at all) really.

The quality control from batch to batch of reagent is horrible. The "listed" margin of error is best case using precise volume measurements in the lab, not the average of field use. That is testing the SAME reacted sample over and over may get you 5ppb, but you need to add that to the YOUR margin of error filling the cuvettes and THEIR margin of error filling the reagent packs and THEIR margin of error from batch to batch.

Sorry to rant, but I have run a few hundred test on the HI-736 and the results were not so great. At one point I ran a random blind test using reagent from 5 (it may have been 6) batches of reagents. 5 samples each in random order. The results were graphed BEFORE revealing the "blind" and there was a rather clear "grouping" of results. Once the batches numbers were referenced to the samples, it was clear that the groups were the reagent batches.

So for ballpark measurements, the checker is fine but don't trust it for safely determining if LaCl can be dosed when you are at LOW levels.