Dosing Lanthanum Chloride - A Personal Experience

[Spieg]

SeaKlear makes a lot of products, and I don't want to get the wrong one. Can someone link to the correct product?

Is it this?

 

[Ardeus]

How many drops per every 10 Gallons are you dosing? what formula are you using? Lanthanum Chloride is a good alternative to lower phosphates!, it's grate!!! but must be dosed with a lot of care!, never drop more than 0.5ppm of phosphates per day. -> 1.7 drops will lower 0.1ppm of phosphates in 10 Gallons.

My tank has 200 gallons and I normally dose 5ml dilluted in 500ml of rodi water over the course of 2 or 3 hours into a 5 micron filter sock. It lowers phosphates from about 0.3 to 0.15. I don't know if it's the lanthanum or the drop un phosphates, but the bubbletips absolutely hate it and it takes over a month for them to recover.

I have a high reading of lanthanum on ICP tests. Today I will send another one after having used lanthanum 3 or 4 weeks ago.

 

[vanpire]

SeaKlear makes a lot of products, and I don't want to get the wrong one. Can someone link to the correct product?

Is it this?

Label looks exactly like mine. Except my bottle is smaller and white. Mine also says "Powerful phosphate remover designed...." while yours says, "Strongest phosphate remover...."

I am pretty sure it is the one as I use. Remember that this is strong stuff. A little goes a long way, I haven't even use 10% of my bottle in the years I have used it.

 

[Juan Andrés Botero R]

My tank has 200 gallons and I normally dose 5ml dilluted in 500ml of rodi water over the course of 2 or 3 hours into a 5 micron filter sock. It lowers phosphates from about 0.3 to 0.15. I don't know if it's the lanthanum or the drop un phosphates, but the bubbletips absolutely hate it and it takes over a month for them to recover.

I have a high reading of lanthanum on ICP tests. Today I will send another one after having used lanthanum 3 or 4 weeks ago.

I think that dose is too much!, 20 drops are 1ml of Sea Klear, to lower from 0.3 to 0.2 in my 144 gallon tank I dose 17 drops, so about 24 drops for your 200 Gallon tank will drop 1ppm, that's about 1.2 ml.

To lower from 0.3 to 0.15 you only need 1.8 ml. where is the rest going....(excess of LT in your tank). Take note that LC is not good lowering phosphates bellow 0.1ppm!...

I dose LC into the cope of the skimmer, in wet mode!, I diluted in half of a litter and drop it at a speed than 30 drops per minute, also place the 10 micron sock to catch any suspension . my Triton ICP reading for Lanthanum is cero!

The only thing adverse that I've notice in LC, is a drop or extinction of the Gammarus population, so I change to GFO - RowaPhos and replenish it to lower the cost!

 

[Ardeus]

Here are the instructions for aquarium use:

"For initial doses (until phosphate levels are at zero) apply 3ml of product per 100 litres of aquarium water."

I emailed them because this doesn't make sense and seems dangerous, but they have a problem understanding math and I tried again:

I had already read those instructions and if I dared to follow them, I'm afraid I would nuke my tank.

Since the instructions say that the dosage for aquariums is derived from the pool instructions, I think there's something wrong with these instructions.

The instructions for pools say: 1000 ml will remove 6 ppm of phosphates from 50000 litres (or 1 ml will remove 3 ppm of phosphates from 100 litres of water).

It would cause serious problems in a reef tank if I dosed 1ml per 100 litres of water and removed 3 ppm of phosphates.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I wouldn't take aquarium chemistry advice from a pool chemical company. lol

 

[Joedubyk]

I've had SPS grow quite well w/ good color at MUCH higher phosphate readings than people are dosing chemicals in their tank to lower for. Mine are still in the .15-ish range.

 

[acropora4u]

I reduced my phosphate using the seaklear product, did ICP test and it showed a high level of LC in my water... should i worry about the corals- they all look ok to me..

 

[Spieg]

Don't think it poses any threat to corals... I've heard others say it can be a problem for some fish though. Best practice is to dose into a 5 or 10 micron filter sock to remove the LC that bonds with PO4.

 

[Nate Chalk]

Warning lanthanum will kill fish. I just dosed 8 drops over the course of 2 days in 4 drop increments.

dosed in sump return pump chamber. should be done in overflow. 180 gallon tank with .15 phos reading. First dose lowered to .13, second dose dead blue tang, clownfish heavily effected breathing heavy.

 

[ZoWhat]

Warning lanthanum will kill fish. I just dosed 8 drops over the course of 2 days in 4 drop increments.

dosed in sump return pump chamber. should be done in overflow. 180 gallon tank with .15 phos reading. First dose lowered to .13, second dose dead blue tang, clownfish heavily effected breathing heavy.

Yes. I can confirm that Blue Hippos in particular seem to be effected the most with even the slightest dose of LaCl

All Tangs are sensitive to LaCl but Hippos are especially sensitive. As soon as my LaCl hits the water my Hippos hides in the corner and becomes lethargic

 

[Juan Andrés Botero R]

What brand did you use?

 

[Dimorb]

lanthanum chloride will kill fish and bleach corals if overdosed.

You cant dose pure lanthan into your aquarium.. need to be diluted alot before adding.. also dose should be over several days.

I've been dosing lanthan a couple of years with and without problems.

With problems - always to concentrated dose to the level of phospate in the water or dosed to much to quick.

You will have to manage the dose when phospate reduces otherwise the lanthan will be a problem for both fish and corals and also the entire system since it influence kH.

I've done hobby "tests" with lanthan, ICP and bleaching of acroporas to see what level they tolerate.. some doesnt tolerate very low doses and others can handle alot more..

Also.. fish that dies of when lanthan chloride were to high doesnt show any signs anywhere afterwards - been sending my fishes for autopsy to find a pattern.

 

[Spieg]

Don't dose directly into tank or sump. Dose into a 5-10 micron sock to catch the precipitated buildup so your fish don't get exposed to it. I've never had fish or coral show any distress using this method.

 

[Nate Chalk]

What brand did you use?

Sea klear

 

[Nate Chalk]

Yes. I can confirm that Blue Hippos in particular seem to be effected the most with even the slightest dose of LaCl

All Tangs are sensitive to LaCl but Hippos are especially sensitive. As soon as my LaCl hits the water my Hippos hides in the corner and becomes lethargic

Super sad i didnt find this reading before dosing

 

[Spieg]

Sea Klear is what I use also. It's highly concentrated and needs to be diluted with RODI before dosing.

 

[Nate Chalk]

real sad at my ignorance

 

[Nate Chalk]

real sad at my ignorance

But hopefully this can be a lesson for someone else in the future

 

[Nate Chalk]

Do we know what lanthunum actually does to the fish?