Homemade Manganese

[docscorals]

I read on here that some reefers mix their own manganese. I’ve been using Reef Moonshiners, but I am starting to go through a lot more because of the number of flower pot and Euphyllia I’m growing. Where do people get the dry mix to make it? I heard it is much more cost effective.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

There are tons of recipes for these sorts of things in the DIY archive:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-chemistry-archive.987116/

This is what I use:

Manganese gluconate is 12.4% manganese by weight.

Dissolve 1 gram of the solid material in 1 L of RO/DI. That solution contains 124 mg of manganese, so the concentration is 124 mg/L or 124 ug/mL.

Adding 1 mL to 100 L of tank water will boost aquarium manganese levels by 124 ug per 100 L or 1.24 ug/L.

Original source:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-for-manganese.1084418/post-13137396

 

[docscorals]

Appreciate it Randy.

Is this the material you use? I found it on Amazon.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes. :)

 

[rowenaad]

i find my mix got oxidised rather quickly … but i store in semi transparent dropper bottles. You may wanna use light proof storage

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

i find my mix got oxidised rather quickly … but i store in semi transparent dropper bottles. You may wanna use light proof storage

What was the symptom?

 

[rowenaad]

i find my mix got oxidised rather quickly … but i store in semi transparent dropper bottles. You may wanna use light proof storage

What was the symptom?

Its light pink when freshly mix then the color faded over time with red/brownish residual gathers at the bottom

 

[rowenaad]

i find my mix got oxidised rather quickly … but i store in semi transparent dropper bottles. You may wanna use light proof storage

What was the symptom?

But just realised mine is manganese sulphate not gloconate

 

[docscorals]

i find my mix got oxidised rather quickly … but i store in semi transparent dropper bottles. You may wanna use light proof storage

Thanks!

 

[Peer.Boerner]

I had an ICP test (Trooic Marin) about 3 months ago which showed undetectable Manganese. I have a 43 net gallon reef and I’d like to dose the manganese gluconate diy recipe. How do I know how much to dose given that I can’t test for it? I also know manganese tends to be consumed quickly. I have a collection of LPS which includes a Goniapora. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Sharing the math used would be appreciated too so I can learn how to calculate on my own. Many thanks in advance!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I had an ICP test (Trooic Marin) about 3 months ago which showed undetectable Manganese. I have a 43 net gallon reef and I’d like to dose the manganese gluconate diy recipe. How do I know how much to dose given that I can’t test for it? I also know manganese tends to be consumed quickly. I have a collection of LPS which includes a Goniapora. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Sharing the math used would be appreciated too so I can learn how to calculate on my own. Many thanks in advance!

One can only give educated guesses, but dosing the equivalent of full natural levels a couple of times a week is likely an OK plan in a reef tank with a reasonable amount of growing photosynthetic organisms.

 

[Peer.Boerner]

One can only give educated guesses, but dosing the equivalent of full natural levels a couple of times a week is likely an OK plan in a reef tank with a reasonable amount of growing photosynthetic organisms.

Thanks @Randy Holmes-Farley

 

[Mchava]

@Randy Holmes-Farley If using this DIY mix you recommended at the top of the thread, what would be dose per 100L? Would I be safe to dose 1ml/100L twice a week or should I dose only once a week?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Can you post a picture of your tank to help me judge demand?

 

[Mchava]

Can you post a picture of your tank to help me judge demand?

Tank is an octopus lux90 36x18x18

 

[Peer.Boerner]

Very nice. Following along. FYI. I’ve been dosing 1/2 ml of that recipe in 50 net gallons in what I’d think was a moderately stocked tank. Anecdotally, I don’t see anything bad happening and I feel there is more growth and extension of my goniapora. Not a scientific response but wanted to share.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Tank is an octopus lux90 36x18x18

OK, thx. Not huge demand there. One last question, do you have a refugium or ATS? Algae consume a ton of manganese.

 

[Mchava]

OK, thx. Not huge demand there. One last question, do you have a refugium or ATS? Algae consume a ton of manganese.

None

 

[Mchava]

Very nice. Following along. FYI. I’ve been dosing 1/2 ml of that recipe in 50 net gallons in what I’d think was a moderately stocked tank. Anecdotally, I don’t see anything bad happening and I feel there is more growth and extension of my goniapora. Not a scientific response but wanted to share.

Yeah, it’s mostly my gonis that are not fully opening up. I know they can be harder to keep happy but since I’m just getting into trace dosing I want to do it right as much as possible.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

OK, thx. Not huge demand there. One last question, do you have a refugium or ATS? Algae consume a ton of manganese.

OK, so I'd suggest adding 0.5 ug/L per week. With testing you might add more, but that seems safe to add.

Thus, if using this recipe:

Manganese gluconate is 12.4% manganese by weight.

Dissolve 1 gram of the solid material in 1 L of RO/DI. That solution contains 124 mg of manganese, so the concentration is 124 mg/L or 124 ug/mL.

Adding 1 mL to 100 L of tank water will boost aquarium manganese levels by 124 ug per 100 L or 1.24 ug/L.

I'd add about 0.4 mL (0.4 g) per 100 L once a week. Spreading that out through the week is also fine.