Lanthanum chloride

[Gary Majchrzak]

to reiterate

to reiterate

dosing into a mechanical filter (ie: sand filter, filter floss or filter sock 10 microns or less) is best.

Lanthanum chloride is STICKY and can eventually gum up skimmer air intake ports.

 

[jason angel]

Are you really dosing into your skimmer air intake? From my experiences with LaCl, I would not recommend that. Because of the sticky buildup that bonded phosphates make, the wet intake of the skimmer would be a much better choice for LaCl injection.

That said. If you can afford the space, I highly recommend trying a reactor style setup like the one that I posted in the DIY section. It has been an awesome little experiment for my tank.

I will likely never go back to GFO.

Hi insomniac, I want to dose straight into wet intake but my skimmer is fed via a bean animal syphon, and only half of that goes into skimmer, the other half straight into sump. I have plenty of room and would love to try your reactor setup, do u have a link by chance?

 

[insomniac2k2]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2288470 for more info.

I didnt realize that you were draining directly into your skimmer. That would be much better, but you will still get a lot more precipitates draining from your skimmer than you would like. If the reactor thing doesnt seem like a good idea to you, you could just put a sock (if possible) that captures your skimmer out flow.

Just a thought.

Hi insomniac, I want to dose straight into wet intake but my skimmer is fed via a bean animal syphon, and only half of that goes into skimmer, the other half straight into sump. I have plenty of room and would love to try your reactor setup, do u have a link by chance?

 

[bmanzie]

Ok so after reading this thread through I decided to try LaCl to lower my phosphates. I diluted it as instructed here on this thread to 5ml LaCl to 1liter RO. I am dosing this solution at 2.2 ml an hour now running for 5 days. I have it dripped into my overflow which then goes to a large sump (75g). In the sump I have mechanical filtration in the form of filterfloss before hitting the return pump.
My question is, could LaCl possibly raise my phosphates somehow? After 5 days running, I actually have my phosphates higher.
I hope I have enough information but I will be happy to provide more...
PLEASE HELP.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

is your filter floss 10 micron or smaller?

 

[bmanzie]

No but it is double layered.
I thought I saw a poster on here using filter floss also.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I've seen a lot of people post crazy stuff with Lanthanum chloride. I've also seen aquariums that got wiped out by improper handling of it.

 

[bmanzie]

So no filterfloss...

 

[bmanzie]

I just check my PO4 using a salifert test kit and it isn't reading nearly as high at the Hanna. Would using LaCl and the Hanna test cause a false reading?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I just check my PO4 using a salifert test kit and it isn't reading nearly as high at the Hanna. Would using LaCl and the Hanna test cause a false reading?

I've never heard of that.... but I've never had a Hanna PO4 checker- I used the Hanna colorimeter cuveats.

 

[insomniac2k2]

I don't consider filter floss "crazy". I've had a pretty good experience so far with filter floss compacted with GAC.

I essentially make a filter floss sandwich. Floss/GAC/Floss.

So no filterfloss...

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I don't consider filter floss "crazy".

I don't either. But since there's no way of knowing what level he's got his floss packed and PO4 is (supposedly) rising it might be better to get a good estimate of his mechanical filtration.

With a 10 micron sock we KNOW it's 10 microns.

The crazy comment... well ... I meant it. Not to necessarily imply filter floss is crazy but I've seen people post other crazy things... like dumping undiluted Seakleer straight into their aquarium. It's crazy and I don't have time to correct all of the misinformation out there.

Best to stick to tried and true methods.

 

[insomniac2k2]

I wasnt actually assuming you were calling "my" method crazy. I was just namely addressing the persons comment that I was remarking on. It looked like it was interpreted as one of the "crazy" methods.

For anyone that puts any time into LC as a solution, crazy is the lack of forethought for your solution and how it will impact your tank.

Don't mess around with this stuff. Play it safe. Administer very diluted and very slow.

I don't either. But since there's no way of knowing what level he's got his floss packed and PO4 is (supposedly) rising it might be better to get a good estimate of his mechanical filtration.

With a 10 micron sock we KNOW it's 10 microns.

The crazy comment... well ... I meant it. Not to necessarily imply filter floss is crazy but I've seen people post other crazy things... like dumping undiluted Seakleer straight into their aquarium. It's crazy and I don't have time to correct all of the misinformation out there.

Best to stick to tried and true methods.

 

[bmanzie]

I understand everyones comments and thank you. I guess the question is, if I don't catch everything in my filter floss, will FaCl make my phosphates rise?

 

[insomniac2k2]

No it wont, but it will put your tank at risk if you end up dosing too much. The unbound Lanthanum Chloride with circulate through your tank and do much more harm than good.

I highly recommend reading the first 3-4 pages of this thread. You will learn usage and dosage.

 

[bmanzie]

Thank you I have actually read through the entire thread. Jest to be sure I re-read the first 4 pages and see that I am dosing way to little. It seems as if 500 ml over an hour or two is the recommendation. I am dosing at 2ml an hour.

 

[insomniac2k2]

Thank you I have actually read through the entire thread. Jest to be sure I re-read the first 4 pages and see that I am dosing way to little. It seems as if 500 ml over an hour or two is the recommendation. I am dosing at 2ml an hour.

At what dilution?

 

[bmanzie]

As i mentioned earlier, I have diluted the LaCl 5ml to 1liter of RO.

 

[insomniac2k2]

Then I suppose that I'm just a bit more conservative. My present dose is 2.5 ml an hour.

As i mentioned earlier, I have diluted the LaCl 5ml to 1liter of RO.

 

[tmz]

I guess the question is, if I don't catch everything in my filter floss, will FaCl make my phosphates rise?
It won't redissolve at reef tank pH levels but Lanthum phospahte may float around and irritate /coat or harm many things including living things if it's not fitered carefully. It won't cause inorganic PO4 to rise it reduces it. Whether or not it interferes with the hanah vrs teh salifert test is unknown to me.

If it' dosed to fast more free lanthaum will get by the filtration taking up PO4 and carbonate here and ther causing problems too.