What are you doing against PO4 (phosphate)? (1 Viewer)

[chris.urbina.50]

Vodka, I'll drink to that. After a water change and ph reactor and rinsing my pe mysis

 

[Mark L.]

So apparently blue life phosphate control is LaCl. I have considering building a reactor and playing with the stuff for a while. I might build the reactor and give but a try.

Make sure the flocculant doesn't make it into your tank. I've read it can reek havoc, especially on your glass if it gets into your display (makes it permanently hazy)

Yep you are correct. I did some research on it back when I was buying it and couldn't find what it was made of exactly. After reading your post here I started digging more and it seems so blatant now LOL.

Blue Vet Rx Phosphate Control Liquid a Lanthanum Chloride
Blue Line Corporation :: Lanthanum Chloride Solution

Phosphate Rx is definitely LaCl. Not sure how I missed that before.

What I find interesting is you say, make sure the flocculant doesn't make it into your tank. Yet right on the box/their website the instructions say to add it to a high flow area. No where do they say not to add it to the tank. I dripped it right in front of my MP60 (figured that was about as high flow as it gets ) and it did slightly cloud for a few seconds then all was clear. I think I'll switch over to dripping into my skimmer like Ben is just in case.

 

[dark8nge1]

I would run a 10 micron filter on the output of you skimmer if you are dosing straight into the skimmer. Better yet would be to dose into the sock and have that feed into the input of the skimmer. I'm planning on building a reactor with the filtration built within the next couple weeks if you want to beta test it. It will also have a regulated drip for the LaCl so you don't have to manually drip it over hours of time.

 

[Mark L.]

I would run a 10 micron filter on the output of you skimmer if you are dosing straight into the skimmer. Better yet would be to dose into the sock and have that feed into the input of the skimmer. I'm planning on building a reactor with the filtration built within the next couple weeks if you want to beta test it. It will also have a regulated drip for the LaCl so you don't have to manually drip it over hours of time.

I'd be very interested in that. Lets test this.

I'm still a little puzzled why they don't mention anything about how to remove it or that you need to even worry about removal. Their instructions imply normal tank filtration will be enough. I know people on the internet like to take things to the 0.000000001 so it makes me wonder if this is over analyzed by some or if the company just isn't giving enough info. Both can be the case.

 

[dark8nge1]

There are a few huge threads on reefcentral that go back to 2006 with people testing this stuff. I think the general consensus is that the flocculant is not good for your tank but pretty easily removed with mechanical filtration. There are some reported deaths of livestock but that is generally when it is dosed too fast and at to high of a concentration. The thing that scares me the most is that if the flocculant manages to stick in your glass it will etch it and make it foggy in that spot and it's pretty much impossible to remove. Also as with any PO4 remover you need up go slow. Removing PO4 quickly will shock the coral.

There are tons of variations of reactors but the setup is always the same. A chamber for reaction and an output to a low micron mechanical filter. It seems like if you filter correctly the you won't have any issues.

I have a few projects to wrap up this week then I'll get with you about the reactor.

 

[Mark L.]

I would run a 10 micron filter on the output of you skimmer if you are dosing straight into the skimmer. Better yet would be to dose into the sock and have that feed into the input of the skimmer. I'm planning on building a reactor with the filtration built within the next couple weeks if you want to beta test it. It will also have a regulated drip for the LaCl so you don't have to manually drip it over hours of time.

I'd be very interested in that. Lets test this.

I'm still a little puzzled why they don't mention anything about how to remove it or that you need to even worry about removal. Their instructions imply normal tank filtration will be enough. I know people on the internet like to take things to the 0.000000001 so it makes me wonder if this is over analyzed by some or if the company just isn't giving enough info. Both can be the case.

Sounds good. No rush as I know you are very busy with your new project .

 

[steveb]

But isn't it only removing organic phosphate (i.e. phosphate we can measure in the water column)?

 

[Diesel]

.............

 

[OceansX]

The cliff notes from my own background:

1. Phosphate is an essential component of all living organisms.
2. Most of it in the marine environment is bound up, and not bio-avavilable or easily measurable.
3. When 'free' phosphate exists in low concentrations, corals out compete algae for it,
4. When you get too much phosphate, the algae out compete the corals.

The article has some good recommendations for removing phosphate, the up and down sides of methods.

 

[rlpardue]

Just read through part of the LaCl thread on RC. Interesting stuff. Anyone have some LaCl lying around that I can buy? I want to soak some BRS shelf rock in RODI/LaCl until the PO4 is gone.

That rock leaches PO4 btw! I tested the water in the bucket and Hanna showed .4ppm...

 

[madehtsobi]

i have some "CR" version lee....

 

[JSimpson]

FWIW, you can also buy PhosFree at pool supply stores locally. Cost is around $25 for a gallon or so, which will last a long, long, long time. Bought some at Leslies pool suply awhile back.

 

[RR-MAN]

Yup phosfree works pretty good but you have to dose very little plus make sure to test PO4 before dosing. It sure is way cheaper than GFO.


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[emixa]

i need to get back into adding my GFO and Carbon.

- skimming
- made my own fish food

 

[madehtsobi]

So I have a tlf150 stuffed with some pillow casing floss from Walmart.

Pump is mag9 tee'd into the reactor and other half into the refugium area

I have a brs dosing pump dumping about ~50ml throughout the day that is tee'd into the input tlf and the output into a 5 micron sock in my skimmer section..

I'm using the seaclear "cr" version which is the diluted lacl.... 20ml into a gallon rodi.

Had this setup for about 2 weeks or so and my phos has been around .06 via Hanna URL.

When my gallon runs out I'm thinking of upping the lacl solution to get my phos down a bit more.

 

[emixa]

So I have a tlf150 stuffed with some pillow casing floss from Walmart.

Pump is mag9 tee'd into the reactor and other half into the refugium area

I have a brs dosing pump dumping about ~50ml throughout the day that is tee'd into the input tlf and the output into a 5 micron sock in my skimmer section..

I'm using the seaclear "cr" version which is the diluted lacl.... 20ml into a gallon rodi.

Had this setup for about 2 weeks or so and my phos has been around .06 via Hanna URL.

When my gallon runs out I'm thinking of upping the lacl solution to get my phos down a bit more.

do you have a picture of that?

 

[rlpardue]

Dude, that is quite the little 'speriment! Sounds awesome.

 

[madehtsobi]

Elton, I'll take a few pics for u when I get home!

Yeh so far so good lee!

 

[emixa]

thanks man...kind of interested to see it.

 

[madehtsobi]

Let me know if this works... I'm on my phone

So the mag output has a T and one of the other tubes has another T where the 1/4 tubing from the dosing pump is connected to it and is pushed into the tlf reactor and then goes into the 5 micron sock in front of the skimmer.