DIY zinc solution?

[Sebae]

Hello,

I've done both ATI and triton testing and both have revealed 0 µg/l zinc. I have plenty of zinc gluconate sitting around and was wondering if it would be possible to DIY a solution to bring my levels up to the target value of 4 µg/l.

Would this be a possibility? I certainly don't want to overdose.

Sincerely,

Sebae

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Zinc gluconate is fine if its not a tablet with lots of other stuff in it (if so, we can review those ingredients.

Zinc chloride is a fine thing as well.

 

[Sebae]

Thank you. Unfortunately they are tablets and I will either purchase the Triton supplement or ZnCl going forward. However, for a temporary dose, would it be possible with the tablets? The ingredients are as follows: Zinc gluconate (50 mg) with other ingredients being cellulose, magnesium stearate, silica, and vegetarian coating.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thank you. Unfortunately they are tablets and I will either purchase the Triton supplement or ZnCl going forward. However, for a temporary dose, would it be possible with the tablets? The ingredients are as follows: Zinc gluconate (50 mg) with other ingredients being cellulose, magnesium stearate, silica, and vegetarian coating.

I'd dissolve the tablets in RO/DI (for Fergon iron tablets, I soak overnight till the tablet falls apart, shake it up, then let it settle) and let it settle overnight, then use the clear liquid.

The liquid volume will then have close to 50 mg zinc in it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

To add 4 ug/L, you'd dose that 50 mg to 12,500 L, which is likely a lot bigger than your tank.

Dissolve it in 100 mL of RO/DI, then it is 50 mg/100 mL, or 0.5 mg/mL.

One mL will boost 125 L of tank water to 4 ug/L.

 

[Sebae]

Thank you very much!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Let us know how it works out.

 

[jzw]

@Randy Holmes-Farley

randy,

would this be an ok form of zinc chloride?

https://www.amazon.com/HiMedia-GRM6...&qid=1522802729&sr=8-3&keywords=zinc+chloride

thanks so much.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Probably fine, but it doesn't list a purity.

This one does (99%):

https://www.amazon.com/Zinc-Chlorid...&qid=1522841984&sr=1-4&keywords=zinc+chloride

 

[Jimmyneptune]

How do you mix the zinc chloride? The 500 Mg bottle has a product description showing : Assay (EDTA Titration) : 98.00 - 102.00%
Here is the link for the product: http://himedialabs.com/TD/MB046.pdf

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I’m not sure I understand the question. You just dissolve it in fresh water and dose that solution.

 

[Jimmyneptune]

My bad, the 500 gram bottle would be 500 mg per what amount of fresh water i mixed the bottle into.
mixed into 1 liter of water = 500mg per liter.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Zinc chloride is 48.6 zinc by weight.

500 grams thus contains 240 grams of zinc.

If you dissolve that in RO/DI until you get to 1 L of total volume, then each 1 mL will contain 1/1000 of that amount, or 240 mg zinc per mL.

You are going to need a much more dilute solution for dosing.

Do you have a scale to weigh out a portion of the 500 g, or do you want to di it by diluting the solution above again?

Assuming the latter, take 1 mL of the solution (240 mg of zinc) and dissolve it in 1 L total RO/Di water, to give a concentration of 0.24 mg/mL (240 ug/mL).

The total NSW level of zinc is about 6 ug/L in seawater, so if you add 1 mL of this second solution (240 ug) to 40 Liters of seawater, you will add the full NSW level of zinc, 6 ug/L (which may be way more than you'd want to dose, unless the level is zero).

 

[Jimmyneptune]

I do like the idea of using the material dry


I wanted to use the zinc for recommendations from the Triton method:


Zn: We recommend the corrective dosage of 1.77 ml for 1 day.
Zn: We recommend a daily maintenance dose of 0.18ml. If this dose is very low, then this can be alternatively be dosed weekly (daily dose x7).



I was considering using the Zn dry so I would not have to store a mixed solution

So If I was to use a scale, food scale, to weigh the Zn thee 240/500 =.48 gram

Corrective dosage: If I want 1.77ml I can do 1.77 x .48 = .8496 gram
Daily Dosage: .18ml I can do .18 x .48 = .0864 or 7 x for one week is .6048 gram


My scale weighs to the gram so I would need to estimate

Would I be playing with fire if I do just a 1 gram corrective dosage?

Also, every 2 weeks .6048 X 2 = 1.2096 just do 1 gram?
Would that stay close to the desired range?


If this is too much estimating do you have any suggestions for a scale that will weigh dry material in a quatity lower than a 1 gram?

Currently I weigh my salt when doing water changes, I use weight to weigh out the Randy 2 part that I use, and any other material that I can use a scale to measure additives.

Thanks

 

[LimestoneCowboy]

I do like the idea of using the material dry


I wanted to use the zinc for recommendations from the Triton method:


Zn: We recommend the corrective dosage of 1.77 ml for 1 day.
Zn: We recommend a daily maintenance dose of 0.18ml. If this dose is very low, then this can be alternatively be dosed weekly (daily dose x7).



I was considering using the Zn dry so I would not have to store a mixed solution

So If I was to use a scale, food scale, to weigh the Zn thee 240/500 =.48 gram

Corrective dosage: If I want 1.77ml I can do 1.77 x .48 = .8496 gram
Daily Dosage: .18ml I can do .18 x .48 = .0864 or 7 x for one week is .6048 gram


My scale weighs to the gram so I would need to estimate

Would I be playing with fire if I do just a 1 gram corrective dosage?

Also, every 2 weeks .6048 X 2 = 1.2096 just do 1 gram?
Would that stay close to the desired range?


If this is too much estimating do you have any suggestions for a scale that will weigh dry material in a quatity lower than a 1 gram?

Currently I weigh my salt when doing water changes, I use weight to weigh out the Randy 2 part that I use, and any other material that I can use a scale to measure additives.

Thanks

@Jimmyneptune Did you ever end up doing this? How did it work? I am embarking on doing the same to supplement the Reef MS method. Thx

 

[JcxViper1]

Zinc chloride is 48.6 zinc by weight.

500 grams thus contains 240 grams of zinc.

If you dissolve that in RO/DI until you get to 1 L of total volume, then each 1 mL will contain 1/1000 of that amount, or 240 mg zinc per mL.

You are going to need a much more dilute solution for dosing.

Do you have a scale to weigh out a portion of the 500 g, or do you want to di it by diluting the solution above again?

Assuming the latter, take 1 mL of the solution (240 mg of zinc) and dissolve it in 1 L total RO/Di water, to give a concentration of 0.24 mg/mL (240 ug/mL).

The total NSW level of zinc is about 6 ug/L in seawater, so if you add 1 mL of this second solution (240 ug) to 40 Liters of seawater, you will add the full NSW level of zinc, 6 ug/L (which may be way more than you'd want to dose, unless the level is zero).

Did I do my math correct? If you want a solution that would let you dose 1ml to raise 100liters by 2ug/l, you would need to mix .41152g of Zinc Chloride in 1 liter RODI?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Did I do my math correct? If you want a solution that would let you dose 1ml to raise 100liters by 2ug/l, you would need to mix .41152g of Zinc Chloride in 1 liter RODI?

To raise 100 L by 2 ug requires 200 ug or 0.2 mg.

To do that with one mL, the concentration needs to be 0.2 mg/mL.

0.41 g = 410 mg that is 48.6% zinc by weight, or 0.2g or 200 mg of zinc. Put that in 1 L and the concentration becomes 200 mg/L or 0.2 mg/mL, so yes, the math looks good.

 

[JcxViper1]

To raise 100 L by 2 ug requires 200 ug or 0.2 mg.

To do that with one mL, the concentration needs to be 0.2 mg/mL.

0.41 g = 410 mg that is 48.6% zinc by weight, or 0.2g or 200 mg of zinc. Put that in 1 L and the concentration becomes 200 mg/L or 0.2 mg/mL, so yes, the math looks good.

Awesome. Thank you. I'm new to this making your own chemicals that you cannot measure with out an ICP test thing

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.