Weird issue while dosing Lanthanum Chloride...

[jherrin215]

It was directly into the sock. This may be the issue. I will either try to dial back the flow from the overflow or start dripping into the overflow and see if that helps.

 

[jherrin215]

ok, problem round 2!! I decided to give it another go with lanthanum dosing. I did this last thursday night. I put in a new 5 micron sock. Mixed 1.25 ml of lanthanum with 1/2 gallon of RO water. Dripped this into the filter sock which was over one of my overflows. I had my skimmer back online and working correctly. I dripped this 1/2 gallon over a 12 hour period. After 12 hours I went and checked, no precipitate. So I figured that I had dripped it to quickly the first time. Went back and checked friday morning, none. Checked again saturday morning and still none. I checked so often because I was try to re-dial in my skimmer after the cleaning. I did a water change today on the DT and when I went down to the basement this is what I saw.

Keep in mind it had been almost a week since I dosed anything other than the automated 2 part, which I have been dosing for about 6 months. The only thing that I can figure is that maybe my phosphated test is faulty and the phosphate level really isn't as high as I first thought. That could make it take exponentially longer for the reaction to occur which would take much longer for the precipitate to be present. I have ordered me a new phosphate test so I should be better off with the new one. Any other ideas??

 

[coltrref]

I believe, that it is the floculo of the lantano what is seen in the images.

the best solution to diminish the PO4 is that first there is reaction with the chloride of lantano and the water of the aquarium.
later of the reaction, the floculo is retained by some filtrante.

 

[bertoni]

I think I'd try dripping into a socket suspending in the sump, and forget trying to use the overflow. The reaction seems to be too slow for the flow rate through the overflow.

 

[jherrin215]

That may work, I didn't think about doing that. It took several days for the precipitate to show up this time so I am thinking that my testing may not be right and I may not have the phosphate problem that I originally thought that i had. I will lay off the lanthanum dosing until I get my new tests in.

 

[tmz]

As you dose more lanthanum than there is PO4 to bind with it , more of it binds with carbonate sooner or later forming lanthanum carbonate precipitant. I'd check alkalinity.

 

[jherrin215]

My Alk checked right at 9 the last time I tested. That was right after I dosed the first time. That's about where I usually run it.

 

[jherrin215]

Actually it was about 4 hours after I finished dosing, right after I vacuumed out the precipitate.

 

[coltrref]

I think I'd try dripping into a socket suspending in the sump, and forget trying to use the overflow. The reaction seems to be too slow for the flow rate through the overflow.

I also think so.

in my experience with the use of drip Lanthanum is better to go first to a reaction chamber (reactor) where there is recirculation.

aquarium water then passes to the second reactor where the floc is retained after the reaction.

an example at a concentration of 0.1ppm of PO4 in an aquarium of 800 liters. (211 Gal) can be added lanthanum 206.57 ml in 10 ml 20.6566 daily proportions drip.