DIY various trace elements formula to make specific concentration

[speedinc]

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone out there could help me figure out a formula to create various trace elements with specific concentration. i.e. how much of the traces I need to add in grams/milli grams to 50ml of RODI water. I'll list the trace elements I have below on hand. Thanks for the help in advance.

Potassium Iodide (10,000ppm) - 50ml in a dropper bottle
Trace Element I have on hand: Potassium Iodide 99.5% CAS 7681-11-0

Potassium Chloride (100,000ppm) - 50ml in a dropper bottle
Trace Element I have on hand: Potassium Chloride 99.5% CAS 7447-40-7

Sodium Fluoride (30,000ppm) - 50ml in a dropper bottle
Trace Element I have on hand: Sodium Fluoride 99% CAS 7681-49-4

Strontium (50,000ppm) - 50ml in a dropper bottle
Trace Element I have on hand: Strontium Chloride hexahydrate CAS 10476-85-4

Boron (50,000ppm) - 50ml in a dropper bottle
Trace Element I have on hand: Boric Acid 99.5% CAS 10035-06-0

Bromide (50,000ppm) - 50ml in a dropper bottle
Trace Element I have on hand: Sodium Bromide 99.5% CAS 7647-15-6

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

There’s a sticky thread in this topic:

DIY Chemistry Archive

I thought it would be useful to have an archive of DIY chemistry methods. I'll add to it as things come up. Calcium and Alkalinity DIY method comparison https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/randy-recommended-diy-two-part-recipes.984604/ Three Part using Sodium Hydroxide (including Balling Part...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[speedinc]

There’s a sticky thread in this topic:

DIY Chemistry Archive

I thought it would be useful to have an archive of DIY chemistry methods. I'll add to it as things come up. Calcium and Alkalinity DIY method comparison https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/randy-recommended-diy-two-part-recipes.984604/ Three Part using Sodium Hydroxide (including Balling Part...

www.reef2reef.com

Hi Randy, thanks for the link. I did go through it but I needed to make specific concentration as per my post i.e. 10,000ppm - 100,000ppm. None of the sticky thread link provided a formula to mix to specific concentration.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Why do you need those concentrations?

 

[speedinc]

Why do you need those concentrations?

Hi Randy, it's to make the solution below etc.... I use their 3 part methods and figured I could source my own traces and save a lot of $$ in the long run by making my own traces.

Coral Power Fluoride

Our Coral Essentials, Coral Power Fluoride is a concentrated solution of Sodium Fluoride, 30,000ppm (mg/L) for marine aquariums. It is essential for healthy growth of both soft and hard coral,...

www.coralessentials.com.au

Coral Power Potassium

Our Coral Essentials, Coral Power Potassium is a concentrated solution of Potassium Chloride, 100,000ppm for marine aquariums. It is essential for healthy growth of both soft and hard coral, enhanced...

www.coralessentials.com.au

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Well, OK. It's just a lot of extra work to create a different recipe for everyone who wants a different potency and a different volume created just for them when any potency and volume will work equally well.

Also, your solutions are quite concentrated and will have a density above 1 g/mL, making mg/L not equal to ppm. I'm not sure if you company you are trying to mimic made that adjustment or not.


Potassium iodine is 76% iodide by weight. 1 gram provides 760 mg. So 1 g in 6.6 g water gives 760 mg/7.6 grams total = 100,000 mg/kg = ppm. To make it using 50 g water, use 7.6 g KI.

Potassium chloride is 52.3% potassium by weight. 1 gram provides 523 mg K. So 1 g in 4.2 g (mL) water gives 523 mg/5.2 grams total = 100,000 mg/kg K = ppm. To make with 50 ml water, use 11.9 g KCl.

Sodium fluoride is 45% fluoride by weight. 1 gram provides 450 mg F. So 1 g in 14 g (mL) water gives 450 mg/15 grams total = 30,000 mg/kg F = ppm. To make with 50 ml water, use 3.6 g NaF.

Strontium Chloride hexahydrate is 32.8% strontium by weight. 1 g provides 328 mg, so 1 g in 2.3 g water (3.3 g total) gives 328 mg/3.3 g total = 100,000 ppm. For 50 mL, use 21.7 g.

you cannot make boric acid this strong. You need borax or other material. Boric acid solubility limit is 57 g/L, and since it is only 175 boron by weight, the max at 25 deg C is only 9.9 g/L boron = 10,000 ppm.

Sodium bromide is 77.7% bromide by weight. 1 gram provides 777 mg Br. So 1 g in 14.6 g (mL) water gives 777 mg/ 15.6 grams total = 50,000 mg/kg Br = ppm. To make with 50 ml water, use 3.2 g NaBr.

 

[speedinc]

Well, OK. It's just a lot of extra work to create a different recipe for everyone who wants a different potency and a different volume created just for them when any potency and volume will work equally well.

Also, your solutions are quite concentrated and will have a density above 1 g/mL, making mg/L not equal to ppm. I'm not sure if you company you are trying to mimic made that adjustment or not.


Potassium iodine is 76% iodide by weight. 1 gram provides 760 mg. So 1 g in 6.6 g water gives 760 mg/7.6 grams total = 100,000 mg/kg = ppm. To make it using 50 g water, use 7.6 g KI.

Potassium chloride is 52.3% potassium by weight. 1 gram provides 523 mg K. So 1 g in 4.2 g (mL) water gives 523 mg/5.2 grams total = 100,000 mg/kg K = ppm. To make with 50 ml water, use 11.9 g KCl.

Sodium fluoride is 45% fluoride by weight. 1 gram provides 450 mg F. So 1 g in 14 g (mL) water gives 450 mg/15 grams total = 30,000 mg/kg F = ppm. To make with 50 ml water, use 3.6 g NaF.

Strontium Chloride hexahydrate is 32.8% strontium by weight. 1 g provides 328 mg, so 1 g in 2.3 g water (3.3 g total) gives 328 mg/3.3 g total = 100,000 ppm. For 50 mL, use 21.7 g.

you cannot make boric acid this strong. You need borax or other material. Boric acid solubility limit is 57 g/L, and since it is only 175 boron by weight, the max at 25 deg C is only 9.9 g/L boron = 10,000 ppm.

Sodium bromide is 77.7% bromide by weight. 1 gram provides 777 mg Br. So 1 g in 14.6 g (mL) water gives 777 mg/ 15.6 grams total = 50,000 mg/kg Br = ppm. To make with 50 ml water, use 3.2 g NaBr.

Hi Randy,

Thank you for taking your time to provide the formula above. I did some google search and found someone had calculated something similar and I've came up with a spreadsheet of my own. I think some of your above calculation's concentration were incorrectly placed thus providing a very high concentration! Can you please verify my calculation below is correct?

Name	Description	minor or major element(1)	formula	molar mass (gram/mol)	atomic mass of desired element	desired element in chemical by percentage	Trace Concentration to make (ppm)	1L Bottle (grams to add)	50ml Bottle (grams to add)
Boron	Boric Acid AR 99.5% 500g CAS 10035-06-0 15401-500g		H3BO3	61.83	10.81	17.48%	50,000	285.9851989	14.30
Bromide	Sodium Bromide 99.5% LR CAS 647-15-6 46208-100g		NaBr	102.89	79.904374	77.66%	50,000	64.38320886	3.22
Potassium	Potassium Chloride AR 100g 41701-100g		KCI	74.55	39.1	52.45%	100,000	190.6649616	9.53
Iodine	Potassium Iodide 99.5% AR 100g 43001-100g		KI	166	126.9	76.45%	10,000	13.08116627	0.65
Fluoride	Sodium Fluoride AR 99% CAS 7681-49-4		NaF	41.99	19	45.25%	30,000	66.3	3.32
Strontium	Strontium Chloride AR 100g hexahydrate CAS 10476-85-4 51001-100g		SrCl2 · 6H2O	266.62	87.62	32.86%	50,000	152.1456289	7.61

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I think my calculations are correct, but differ from yours mostly because I made them to ppm, which is what you asked for, while your spreadsheet seems to be making them in mg/L.

The more concentrated a solution is, the more those differ, and some of these are very concentrated.

Two other comments:

1. The boron recipe fails for the solubility reason I stated.

2. My KI recipe and Strontium recipe are both for 100,000 ppm, as indicated. I misread what you wanted. If you want 10,000 ppm and 50,000 ppm, respectively , you would use a lot less, obviously. use your calculation, but it is mg/L, not ppm.

 

[FranklinDattein]

I've build a calculator that does something similar and I thought you might like it: https://reef-chat.dattein.com/calculators/balling-dosing-calculator

With it you can:
1. Prepare a modified Randy's recipe with Part C (magnesium) adjusted so that all three solutions can be dosed in equal volumes.
2. Prepare stock solutions of all major and trace elements, at concentrations of choice.
3. Use the stock solutions to match NSW concentrations or enrich the recipe with major and minor trace elements.

I print the recipes and tweak the elements based on trends reported by ICP over time. Say Managanese depletes overtime when using NSW levels. Then, I double the amount of Manganese in Part C and monitor the ICP trend again. The fact I can print and stick to the bottles allows helps me remind at what concentrations are

I started by using Coral Essentials Trace A,B,C mixed on Randy's and overtime, I learned how my tank reacts and which elements were worth making at home and which were not worth dosing at all.


The calculator is new and could have mistakes, so use with caution. Any feedback is appreciated.