Lanthanum chloride

[Madmanmadrid]

Just registered because i found this interesting i read up till page 31 today. so when you drip you LC could you mix in a small mount of alk to drip with the LC so your tank doesnt drop alk?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Just registered because i found this interesting i read up till page 31 today. so when you drip you LC could you mix in a small mount of alk to drip with the LC so your tank doesnt drop alk?

welcome to RC!
*The way that I administer LaCl3*
I would not recommend a simultaneous drip.

However, there are so many variations on this nowadays I'm sure that someone has done just that

 

[j_mazzy]

why not just by the pure powder on ebay and add very small amounts of concentrated liquid into the overflow so that between socks and poly it will be pulled out?

 

[tmz]

Just registered because i found this interesting i read up till page 31 today. so when you drip you LC could you mix in a small mount of alk to drip with the LC so your tank doesnt drop alk?

Lanthanum binds to PO4 ; it also binds carbonate; both create precipitants. The idea is to bind more PO4 and less carbonate, so adding alk ( carbonate ) to the mix is counterproductive.

 

[Madmanmadrid]

Ok makes sense so another question. What if you used hydrogen peroxide to kill the algae in the tank that would release the bound up phosphates then drip the LC? Hydrogen peroxide all that does is raise your oxygen levels in your tank and if you get the algae to die and release all the phosphate you can get that out at the same time 2 birds 1 stone.
Im running biopelets so that should take care of the nitrate that the algae would release. And a water change right after the alage turns that nasty brown will help clean the water and bring it to normal levels.

And thanks for the welcome!

 

[tmz]

I would not personally, use hydrogen peroxide in a tank ; it kills lots of things seen and unseen including bacteria and only some types of algae. It's an oxidant . Reducing PO4 and nitrogen will reduce many nuisance algae types.

 

[karimwassef]

Start an ATS. It will reduce your dependence on LaCl

 

[Madmanmadrid]

Iv used hydrogen peroxide in tank and had no problems it is a bottle with a pin hole no flow and basically squeeze the bottle to get a stream coming out and spray the algae and it will turn that dying color in a day and fall off. I have a blonde naso 2 clowns filefish purple firefish blue Caribbean tang yellow tang cleaner shrimp. And 2 bubble tips 2 rock nems and tons of other frags. None of which seem effected whats funny is the tangs actually eat the algae more when its in the dying stage after the treatment. But i usually do a water change a hour after i do that to get out some of the peroxide. What i have read about it is as soon as peroxide hits the water it seperates into water and it looses one of the oxygen atoms thus making your water more oxygen rich. Thats why the algae dies because it doenst like the really oxygenated water.

 

[karimwassef]

No. It oxidizes the tissue of the algae killing it.

Within an hour, there is no peroxide in the water.

 

[Madmanmadrid]

Well that sounds alot better. Then a LC treatment think that will export the phosphate and keep it from coming back?

 

[karimwassef]

You're making it much harder than it needs to be. LaCl is an extreme solution and shouldn't be your normal method of P reduction.

I've used peroxide and when targeted locally, it's ok. But it's also an emergency solution and shouldn't be the normal method of dealing with algae.

It's like you're using an axe and a sword to make salad... It can work, but why all the risk and effort?

Get a GFO first, then maybe an ATS.

 

[Madmanmadrid]

Been running gfo for 5 months changed every 2 weeks. I do 25 gallon water changes on a 125 gallon tank <accounting for displacement and empty space in sump> and the algae is still taking over. Started to vinegar dose3 months ago but the algae got way worse so i stopped. Started biopellets 1 month ago after a buddy forced me to try it still to soon to tell if it helping or not. So LC is the last thing i got left to try before i break down the tank and cook the rock.

 

[karimwassef]

That my opinion anyway

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Start an ATS. It will reduce your dependence on LaCl

The reverse is true as well!
Furthermore...
And thinking outside of the box:
any aquarium system itself is an algal turf scrubber

My opinion: have SOME algae growing in the display to feed the fishes.

 

[karimwassef]

An ATS allows for east export. Any tank that has an ATS would also grow some algae in the DT - but the herbivores remove it quickly.

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/E8E530A4-52C3-40D4-94EC-C2A071B28620_zpsvsulpzal.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/E8E530A4-52C3-40D4-94EC-C2A071B28620_zpsvsulpzal.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo E8E530A4-52C3-40D4-94EC-C2A071B28620_zpsvsulpzal.jpg"/></a>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C6YSpSPNwd0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

definition of EASY is subjective

definition of EASY is subjective

External ATS is a piece of equipment that costs money to run and requires regular maintenance, my friend.
They are definitely not for everybody!
Personally, I prefer the easiest most cost effective method that works in my situation (and others that are similar).

Nice looking aquarium

 

[karimwassef]

thanks

LaCl also requires work. In case your expensive fish are impacted, it will be a lot more work and cost.

To each their own. I used LaCl for a while too. I still keep it in case of emergencies (like an axe behind a glass panel).

 

[holdyourlight]

Have read through this entire wonderful thread once, and probably will again.
I have a 125 gallon FOWLR. I've been dosing chloroquine phosphate for the last couple years as an algaecide. To remove CP i would use activated carbon. What i haven't done are many water changes and believe the phosphate portion left behind from CP has driven my phosphate levels up to astronomical rates. My phosphates are @ 8.09 ppm via Hanna ULR. Yes, you read that right. 8.09 PPM I had to dilute the sample with 20:1 RODI to tank water to finally get it within readable levels.
I recently installed an ATS, its growing HA, but it should be exploding with growth. I think it's not mainly due to the fact that my nitrates are so low (10ppm) and the ridiculous phosphate levels are limiting the nitrates.
I am hoping LC can prevent me from a tear down.
Since there are no corals my main concern is my yellow tang and also needing to dose so much LC that i run into issues with the white substance forming on glass that has been said to be very difficult to remove.
Couple of questions:
-Are my levels so high that it's not worth even bothing with LC, as it would take to long for even LC to bring these levels down?
-I've read about gate valves becoming unusable after they are gummed up by the lanthanum. This would be an issue for me as i plan to dose into my overflow box which has a gate valve attached to the drain (which would attach to the 10 micron sock). Was thinking maybe i should temporarily replace this with a ball valve, as the are cheap and easy to find.

I can also confirm that phosphates have no effect whatsoever on fish health. My fish are all fat and happy and my clownfish are laying.

 

[holdyourlight]

Have read through this entire wonderful thread once, and probably will again.
I have a 125 gallon FOWLR. I've been dosing chloroquine phosphate for the last couple years as an algaecide. To remove CP i would use activated carbon. What i haven't done are many water changes and believe the phosphate portion left behind from CP has driven my phosphate levels up to astronomical rates. My phosphates are @ 8.09 ppm via Hanna ULR. Yes, you read that right. 8.09 PPM I had to dilute the sample with 20:1 RODI to tank water to finally get it within readable levels.
I recently installed an ATS, its growing HA, but it should be exploding with growth. I think it's not mainly due to the fact that my nitrates are so low (10ppm) and the ridiculous phosphate levels are limiting the nitrates.
I am hoping LC can prevent me from a tear down.
Since there are no corals my main concern is my yellow tang and also needing to dose so much LC that i run into issues with the white substance forming on glass that has been said to be very difficult to remove.
Couple of questions:
-Are my levels so high that it's not worth even bothing with LC, as it would take to long for even LC to bring these levels down?
-I've read about gate valves becoming unusable after they are gummed up by the lanthanum. This would be an issue for me as i plan to dose into my overflow box which has a gate valve attached to the drain (which would attach to the 10 micron sock). Was thinking maybe i should temporarily replace this with a ball valve, as the are cheap and easy to find.

I can also confirm that phosphates have no effect whatsoever on fish health. My fish are all fat and happy and my clownfish are laying.

should also add: Thinking of doing a very large water change prior to starting LC. i have 100% ceramic vidarock in the tank and according to their advertising the rocks are like putting a piece of glass in the tank. meaning they wont have absorbed the phosphates. here's to hoping thats correct...

 

[karimwassef]

Water changes are called for if you're really at 8ppm.

LaCl can easily bring that down but a P crash will also kill livestock.

Slow and steady or you'll solve your P problem and kill the tank in the process.