"Bespoke" macro and trace elements...

JFD

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 7, 2018
Messages
76
Reaction score
85
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello all, @Randy Holmes-Farley ,

Some time ago I've decided to start making my own trace elements and have started with Iodine, Molybdenum, Strontium and Manganese. Today I have received all elements I needed to make these solutions in line with the help I got in the forum.

I have been using a well known ICP/Dosing method brand for the last few months and would like your help to validate my "maths/assumptions" to calculate the concentrations of each trace element. The idea is to make my solutions with the same concentration of this brand (not naming them deliberately) to allow me to continue to dose the same amounts they recommend without any calculations!

So for Iodine:

If I am told that the last analysis was 51 µg/l and the reference is 60 µg/l and my tank net water volume is 750l it means that I am lacking 6.75mg of Iodine for the whole 750l of water. Am I assuming correct?

Also, if the recommendation is to dose 1.35ml of their solution, does that mean that such solution would have a concentration of 5mg/ml or 5g/l?


Molybdenum:

The analysis was 5.935 µg/l and the reference is 12 µg/l for the same 750l means that I am lacking 4.545mg for the whole 750l of water.

The recommendation is to dose 45.45ml of their solution, does that mean that such solution would have a concentration of 0.1mg/ml or 0.1g/l?


Strontium:

The analysis was 7.017 mg/l and the reference is 8 mg/l means that I am lacking 0.735g for the whole 750l of water.

The recommendation is to dose 91.88 ml of their solution, does that mean that such solution would have a concentration of 8mg/ml or 8g/l?


Manganese:

The analysis was 1.33 µg/l and the reference is 2 µg/l means that I am lacking 0.503mg for the whole 750l of water.

The recommendation is to dose 5.03 ml of their solution, does that mean that such solution would have a concentration of 0.1mg/ml or 0.1g/l?


Thanks a lot and good reefing! :);)
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
66,580
Reaction score
62,881
Location
Arlington, Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
That iodine level is very close to normal. Beside my natural tendency to say iodine is unimportant, I think you may find it has changed a lot before you next dose. In my tank it went from that level after dosing to 5 times lower in a few days.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
66,580
Reaction score
62,881
Location
Arlington, Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Correct on the manganese calculations.

Bear in mind that all of these come from solid materials that are only partly active ingredient, so you will need to add more of any salt used to make them.
 
OP
OP
JFD

JFD

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 7, 2018
Messages
76
Reaction score
85
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Cheers Randy - much appreciated!

Yes if I don't continuously dose Iodine, it will very quickly go to 0... So, I've used the last few ICP analysis to determine the consumption and I am not dosing continuously 0.8 ml of that solution daily (via a peristaltic pump).

All the rest I've used your help and the threads on the forum to come up with the amount of solid material I need to add to make those solutions, here they are:

1589325710359.png


The borax I've used is Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate.

The percentages in the tables are the percentage of the element we want in the solution present in that compound (hopefully all are correct)...

In any case @Randy Holmes-Farley, really appreciate the invaluable help!

Cheers all...
 
OP
OP
JFD

JFD

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 7, 2018
Messages
76
Reaction score
85
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Cheers Randy -
Sounds good.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Cheers!

Will do and thanks again for the help...

Should have a good view with the next ICP in around 20 days. In the meantime if I see any adverse effects whilst dosing the solution will do an ICP and will see if there was any issues.
 
OP
OP
JFD

JFD

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 7, 2018
Messages
76
Reaction score
85
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Are you ready for an update on this?

I'm waiting for the ICP test results which I've sent last week... Once I have them I will!

However, so far no adverse effects noticed! :)
 
OP
OP
JFD

JFD

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 7, 2018
Messages
76
Reaction score
85
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I had the results coming in earlier and it seems those concentrations should be good... :) And as such I will keep using them along with additional solutions (like Iron and Nickel)...
 
OP
OP
JFD

JFD

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 7, 2018
Messages
76
Reaction score
85
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi all,

Looking at more recent ICP results I will need to add Nickel and Potassium as well...

So was wondering if I can use Nickel Powder and Potassium Hydroxide to increase both Ni and K?

If so, assuming Nickel powder is 99.85% Ni can I use 0.1g of power to make a solution of 0.1 g K per lire of RODI?

I've calculated the % of Potassium in Potassium Hydroxide and came up to 68%... as such if I want to make a solution with 78 g Potassium per litre of RODI I will need to use 114.71 g of KHO?

If I could get a kind confirmation of my assumption and calculations would really really appreciate! ;Happy

@Randy Holmes-Farley - many thanks in advance for any help (really appreciate)! :D
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
66,580
Reaction score
62,881
Location
Arlington, Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Potassium hydroxide will raise alkalinity and pH.

I would not add any metallic materials to the tank. They are reactive and may get taken up by an organism before reacting and dissolving. Metals do not just dissolve in water.
 
OP
OP
JFD

JFD

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 7, 2018
Messages
76
Reaction score
85
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thank you very much for the help Randy!

So, can I assume the best regarding potassium will be potassium sulphate, which by my calculations will have ~45% K in it...

Also in terms of Nickel, what would you suggest to dose Nickel Chloride? Suspect will be hard to get in the UK.... :)
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
66,580
Reaction score
62,881
Location
Arlington, Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Potassium chloride or potassium sulfate are fine. If you can’t get a nickel salt, maybe you could dissolve it in acid which produces hydrogen gas so be careful.
 
OP
OP
JFD

JFD

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 7, 2018
Messages
76
Reaction score
85
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Potassium chloride or potassium sulfate are fine. If you can’t get a nickel salt, maybe you could dissolve it in acid which produces hydrogen gas so be careful.

Thank you for the suggestion Randy... I found 3 companies that source Nickel Chloride (to education and industry) however, don't think they will sell to the general public - will call them on Monday to enquire.

In any case, thanks for the suggestion as I suspect I won't be able to buy NCl2, but I'm sure I can get some HCl at ~35%...


Again many thanks, really appreciate your prompt and valuable help.
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 76 51.7%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 75 51.0%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 37 25.2%
  • None.

    Votes: 32 21.8%
  • Other.

    Votes: 9 6.1%
Back
Top