Lanthanum Chloride: My Experience

[RayAllen3422]

I purchased a large amount of rock that had been removed from a tank and had sat outside for several days. At this point, it was obviously no longer live rock. I soaked the rock in Vinegar water for several days (until the smell took over my basement). Then I scrubbed each rock and left them completely dry out for several weeks.

I set up my aquascape and filled the tank with water about 5 weeks ago. This past Sunday when I checked the phosphates they were at 165 on the Hannah Phosphorous Checker or approximately .51 in phosphates. For the past three days in the evenings, I slowly dripped Lanthanum Chloride into a 5 micron filter sock where one of my overflows comes to the sump. I also lined up the intake to my skimmer near the overflow to catch any extra that made it through. Last night, my phosphorous was 10 or .03 in phosphates.

I know the levels will probably rise again and I need to do a couple treatments, but the process was very easy so I wanted to let others know it can be an easy process.

 

[leviburns89]

Thanks for the post!

This is the route I am going to go if my phos is an issue.

Can be way cheaper than burning thru gfo every week.

Can you post the amount you dose, and tank size?

 

[RayAllen3422]

Thanks for the post!

This is the route I am going to go if my phos is an issue.

Can be way cheaper than burning thru gfo every week.

Can you post the amount you dose, and tank size?

The tank is about 130 gallons in total true water volume.

I did 2 mL per liter of RODI water and just dripped it slowly (roughly one drop per second) into the filter sock. I would just change the socks out when full. They usually took between an hour and 2 hours to clog and overflow. I would basically just do this process for a few hours in the evening each day. Like I said it has only been 3 days thus far, but promising results.

I am planning to use GFO in the future, but while I have no life in my tank I want to get phosphates under control. There are a few threads of people who used this process in reef tanks with success. I don't plan to in the future unless there are major issues.

 

[RayAllen3422]

Update - I have continued to drip the LC in the filter sock a couple hours each evening. I started testing from the water from the DT instead of the sump which showed slightly elevated levels of phosphates. Phosphorous levels are currently at 20 (0.06 phosphates) as of last night. That is from a week and half of using LC. I am going to continue this process and test again on Sunday.

 

[leviburns89]

So it sounds like it is working properly!

So far, I don't have any algae outbreaks in my tank, just some minor smudges on the glass once a week which I brush off.

Thank you for this thread, it is really nice to watch the progression of this process.

 

[homer1475]

I'm currently using LC on some dry pukani in a brute. I've seen PO4 go from so high the test kit is bright green to under .16 in 2 weeks. Stuff works great

 

[whosurcaddie]

You're going to have to keep this up for a while. I did a lanthanum treatment about a year ago on my 120 thinking I solved the problem. Well apparently there was more phosphate bound up in the rock than I knew because its leaching again and causing problems. Be sure you are getting a 0.00 reading on consecutive days before advancing with your tank this should be possible with no food or animals in the tank.

 

[RayAllen3422]

You're going to have to keep this up for a while. I did a lanthanum treatment about a year ago on my 120 thinking I solved the problem. Well apparently there was more phosphate bound up in the rock than I knew because its leaching again and causing problems. Be sure you are getting a 0.00 reading on consecutive days before advancing with your tank this should be possible with no food or animals in the tank.

Yeah. My goal is to make sure it stays at a stable level without dosing for a week. Shooting for 0.03.

How long did you use the LC for?

 

[fernalfer]

I guess this post will make me cure my Marco Rocks in a Brute tub in hopes when finally putting rock in the tank phosphate won't be an issue.

 

[Reef Frog]

Glad to read of your success. It's so much easier dealing with this earlier rather than later....

 

[scuzy]

so if you can't catch the return in a filter sock how will you dose LC ?

 

[RayAllen3422]

so if you can't catch the return in a filter sock how will you dose LC ?

There are some another big thread out there like 100 some pages worth and it goes into a lot of detail. If you are serious about dosing LC I would read it. Lot of different things to consider. Some people dripped into the intake of their skimmer. But don't quote me on that.

 

[RayAllen3422]

Update: Down to 14 phosphorous or .04 phosphates after two full weeks of the LC treatment. I didn't treat at all on Saturday either. The phosphate levels appear to be leveling off. Hopefully the worst of it is behind me.