An observation

[JonasRoman]

Hi all reefers. Some of you remember the articles I did based on my po4 kinetic studies, where I found that naked CaCO3 surfaces bind po4 in 2 ways, one fast and reversible, and one slow and "for ever", and also discussed the significant ability for CaCo3 stuctrures to absorb po4.

Here is just an easy observation: I just added some new clean sand, and day after po4 immediately dropped, and have been on these significant lower levels since then. Interesting and confirm my previous study.

/Jonas Roman

 

[cdemoss01]

This is awesome. Thank you!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, Dan_P and garf have also been studying this, and garf has used a revolving sand cycle to export phosphate. Add clean sand to the tank, bind phosphate, remove the sand, remove the phosphate from it with lanthanum, add the sand back to the tnak. Repeat as desired.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/desorbing-phosphate-from-sand-with-lanthanum.981286/
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/a...sphate-adsorption.944916/page-6#post-10897524

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Very interesting!

 

[Dan_P]

Hi all reefers. Some of you remember the articles I did based on my po4 kinetic studies, where I found that naked CaCO3 surfaces bind po4 in 2 ways, one fast and reversible, and one slow and "for ever", and also discussed the significant ability for CaCo3 stuctrures to absorb po4.

Here is just an easy observation: I just added some new clean sand, and day after po4 immediately dropped, and have been on these significant lower levels since then. Interesting and confirm my previous study.

/Jonas Roman

Did you clean the sand in RODI?

Are you running this in artificial seawater?

Was the pH the same as in your calcite rock study?

 

[joseph scott]

So since egg shells are primarily Caco3, could someone take a reactor, fill it with egg shells. Then just throw the egg shells away rinse and repeat with egg shells you going to throw away anyway?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So since egg shells are primarily Caco3, could someone take a reactor, fill it with egg shells. Then just throw the egg shells away rinse and repeat with egg shells you going to throw away anyway?

What is the purpose? For supplementing a reef tank?

I see a few issues:

1. Being calcite, will dissolve more slowly than aragonite coral skeletons.

2. It will have a very different profile of additional elements, such as magnesium and various trace elements, thus potentially skewing the water.

3. It has substantial organics (proteins) present that one may not want getting into the water.