Lanthanum chloride

[jgwinner]

My Hanna meter always reads (ULR phosphorus HI736 not the phosphate meter) between .07 and .11

Wow, it's hard for me to get it down that low even after an LC dosing.

I have a GFO reactor, but I haven't hooked it up yet as I'm worried I'll just burn up the media.

I think the old live rock is leaching. I've cut back feeding enough 2 fish have disappeared although the rest look Ok. The diamond gobies are getting skinny

== John ==​

 

[Dave & Monica]

Just to be clear, the phosphate is between .07 and .11 - that means the meter reads between 28-44. (meter reading * 3.066/1000 = phosphate)

I feed twice a day, and have 22 fish in a 72gal... All are happy.

 

[jgwinner]

The lowest phosphorus reading I have gotten is 30, right after dosing 5ml (slow drip, mixed in a 2L bottle); the highest was 364.

I feed once a day, and I have 7 fish in a 120 and 2 protein skimmers (temporarily).

Although the scribbled Rabbit fish is pretty big.

== John ==​

P.S. This is the Phosphorus ULR meter, not the phosphate meter.

 

[Bladez]

Anyone dosing Lanthanum have flatworms?

My recent tank observations:
>Last dose of Lanthanum was in November of 2011.
>In December I noticed that I had a collection of new critters (red flatworms).
>Since then I have been siphoning out what I could during water changes to keep them from reaching plague proportions.
>4/2/12 I dosed Lanthanum – process was 10ml via a 5 hr drip into 5 micron filter bags. The bags clogged quickly and I changed them out with clean ones as necessary.
>4/3/12 did a 5% water change.
>4/4/12 I changed out my filter bags and noticed that a significant quantity of flat worms had been captured.
> I see about a 90% reduction in the flatworm population now – the ones that are left are curled up and look ****ed!!

Theory: Lanthanum may be a tool to use to control or eliminate flatworms.

Anyone have any experience with this?

Relevant system info:
500gal actual water volume
Sporadic 5-10% water changes
Light protein skimming
Regular use of 5-10 micron filter bags
Tank temp 77-78*
PH 8 to 8.4
Feeding heavy once daily
There were no changes to these parameters during this period

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Theory: Lanthanum may be a tool to use to control or eliminate flatworms.

Anyone have any experience with this?

Relevant system info:
500gal actual water volume
Sporadic 5-10% water changes
Light protein skimming
Regular use of 5-10 micron filter bags
Tank temp 77-78*
PH 8 to 8.4
Feeding heavy once daily
There were no changes to these parameters during this period

the small common "red toast" planaria retrogramma (sp?) flatworms often proliferate when cyanobacteria is present. They probably feed on red slime. So, at least indirectly, it would make sense that LaCl3 use would help control those flatties via reduction of cyano.
Now, if LaCl3 directly kills those flatties in small doses that are non-lethal to other marine aquarium life... THAT would be an interesting thing. I'm sure that large doses of LaCl3 kill marine life. I've seen it happen again and again. But if those flatties are killed with the small recommended doses it would be interesting.

Bladez- remember to monitor alkalinity when dosing LaCl3!

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

for what it's worth dept:

for what it's worth dept:

I started this thread in 2008.
I'm still using the very same bottle of Seakleer LaCl3 I purchased at the beginning of this thread. A little bit of this stuff goes a LONG way.

 

[jgwinner]

Anyone dosing Lanthanum have flatworms?

Theory: Lanthanum may be a tool to use to control or eliminate flatworms.

Well, I still have more cyano than I would like, but I do have to say my flatworms are almost all gone.

So maybe ...

BUT I was also putting in some newly hatched brine shrimp at one point, and I stopped that too.

I have a six line wrasse in the tank but the flatworms were still there months after I'd put him in; they seemed to decline the most when I started dosing Lanthum.

My filter socks don't clog like others do and I've only seen a precipitate once, although the water does get a little whiter looking. I'm putting in 4ml into a 2L bottle, then dripping that into a 5G bucket with a micron sock and skimmer in it.

== John ==​

 

[wakesetter]

First of all, thank you all for the incredible amount of information and experiences posted here. I ordered some Seaklear phosphate remover and five 10 Micron bags today, just need to find a good drop IV bag. I found some a great price on micron bags here http://utahbiodieselsupply.com/bagfilters.php $17.50 for 5 bags.

Really looking forward to getting my phosphates down into a desirable level.

I am dosing a 600 gallon system with a current phosphate level of about .5-1ppm (Salifert test kit). What would the recommended dose be? I will be dripping into a filter sock in the sump, upstream from a skimmer. I am currently using biopellets, but they clearly arent' keeping up for some reason.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

why not try the dosage I use?

why not try the dosage I use?

see where it takes your PO4 and adjust accordingly

I use 5 millilitres of lanthanum chloride dissolved into 1 litre of water for treatment on my 300 gallon system.

if you want to double my treatment I would suggest 10ml LaCl3 into 2 litres of RO water

 

[Bladez]

I dosed through 10 micron bags and had some white fallout throughout my tank - tried it through 5 micron bags and I haven't noticed a problem...

Just my experience"¦.

I purchased my filter bags from AE Systems for $7 each.

First of all, thank you all for the incredible amount of information and experiences posted here. I ordered some Seaklear phosphate remover and five 10 Micron bags today, just need to find a good drop IV bag. I found some a great price on micron bags here http://utahbiodieselsupply.com/bagfilters.php $17.50 for 5 bags.

Really looking forward to getting my phosphates down into a desirable level.

I am dosing a 600 gallon system with a current phosphate level of about .5-1ppm (Salifert test kit). What would the recommended dose be? I will be dripping into a filter sock in the sump, upstream from a skimmer. I am currently using biopellets, but they clearly arent' keeping up for some reason.

 

[wakesetter]

Thanks guys,

Gary- at what drip rate should that dose me administered into the filter sock? I just want to make sure to get this right.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Thanks guys,

Gary- at what drip rate should that dose me administered into the filter sock? I just want to make sure to get this right.

I don't monitor my drip rate closely. Monitor the water. If water starts getting cloudy outside the filter sock slow down or stop the drip. If the filter sock completely clogs change it out before resuming the drip. Slower is best when starting out.

 

[wakesetter]

so I have now dosed twice. Both times using 5ml in one liter of water, dripped in via an IV bag into the drain line about 24" ahead of a 10 micron sock, taking about 2-3 hours to drip the liter in. I have seen minimal change in my Phosphate. Went from a bit over 1ppm to a bit under. Just keep doing this until I get where I want to be? Would it benefit to increase the concentration or the drip rate?

Thank you in advance for your answers.

 

[chercm]

I am using zeovit can I use this ?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

so I have now dosed twice. Both times using 5ml in one liter of water, dripped in via an IV bag into the drain line about 24" ahead of a 10 micron sock, taking about 2-3 hours to drip the liter in. I have seen minimal change in my Phosphate. Went from a bit over 1ppm to a bit under. Just keep doing this until I get where I want to be? Would it benefit to increase the concentration or the drip rate? Thank you in advance for your answers.

increase the concentration but monitor alkalinity and general appearances of aquarium. If water starts getting cloudy or fishes get stressed back off treatment.

I have no experiences with LaCl3 and Zeovit to share.

 

[tmz]

so I have now dosed twice. Both times using 5ml in one liter of water, dripped in via an IV bag into the drain line about 24" ahead of a 10 micron sock, taking about 2-3 hours to drip the liter in. I have seen minimal change in my Phosphate. Went from a bit over 1ppm to a bit under. Just keep doing this until I get where I want to be? Would it benefit to increase the concentration or the drip rate?

How are you testing? A few of possibilities come to mind.:

some lanthanum phosphate or lanthanum carbonate could be in your sample water skewing the test;

PO4 imports from food or leaching rock are almost keeping up with the lanthanum phosphate precipitation;or,

the PO4 is low and the lanthanum chloride is taking mostly carbonate.

I'd take a close look at alkalinity before considering an increased dosing.



I am using zeovit can I use this ?

Maybe; typically with bacterial driven PO4 reduction applications some PO4 in the low range remains as the nitrate removal by the heterotrophic bacteria is disproportionately high vis a vie inorganic phosphate removal. I use a little gfo for low range PO4( say less than .07ppm) as it is more effective at the very low ranges without the alkalinity drop than lanthanum chloride ,ime.

 

[jgwinner]

I just realized this thread is down inside a Reef Society section. I got here by a search on Lanthum Chloride.

Maybe we should move it to a chemistry section?

== John ==​

 

[wakesetter]

so I have now dosed twice. Both times using 5ml in one liter of water, dripped in via an IV bag into the drain line about 24" ahead of a 10 micron sock, taking about 2-3 hours to drip the liter in. I have seen minimal change in my Phosphate. Went from a bit over 1ppm to a bit under. Just keep doing this until I get where I want to be? Would it benefit to increase the concentration or the drip rate?

How are you testing? A few of possibilities come to mind.:

some lanthanum phosphate or lanthanum carbonate could be in your sample water skewing the test;

PO4 imports from food or leaching rock are almost keeping up with the lanthanum phosphate precipitation;or,


the PO4 is low and the lanthanum chloride is taking mostly carbonate.

I'd take a close look at alkalinity before considering an increased dosing.


I am testing with a Salifert phos kit (yes I need a hanna digital still). Testing hours after the LC drip has stopped. My KH has not dropped noticebly, it was around 7.5 today and I bumped it up a bit. Calcium was oddly high though without dosing anything at all, around 480.
I am feeding the system Very little food right now, leachuing is a possibility as I just put some old base rock in one of the tanks connected to the system. As long as I am not seeing a large drop in Alk, do I increase the dosage?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

As long as I am not seeing a large drop in Alk, do I increase the dosage?

I'd recommend getting a low range PO4 test first. OTOH, doubling the dosage will not likely cause damage to anything, but why chance it? Why should I chance making that recommendation? What's the hurry?

 

[tmz]

I just realized this thread is down inside a Reef Society section. I got here by a search on Lanthum Chloride.

Maybe we should move it to a chemistry section?

== John ==​

hi john , you are welcome to play here if you like.