Liquid Phosphate Remover Dosing Calculator

[Larry L]

Could you do the same for the Seaklear Phosphate remover?

I've looked at their instructions before and I don't know to calculate a dosage. The other products all say something along the lines of "1 ml in X gallons of water will reduce phosphates by Y ppm". Seaklear says if your phosphates are at e.g. 250 ppb (0.25 ppm) then dose 1 ounce per 1000 gallons of water, but doesn't tell you how much of that 250 ppb will be removed.

 

[SixNix]

Tks for this amazing Tool m8.
Save me a lot of Brains

 

[Zerobytes]

It is a great tool! My experience is that it takes a good bit more that this tool or the really complicated instructions. But I kind of like that as I don’t want to overdose and seems I can control better if it takes more.

 

[The Big Chill]

I put together a calculator to help with dosing the right amount of some of the popular liquid phosphate removers that are based on lanthanum chloride (Blue Life™ Phosphate Rx™, Brightwell® Aquatics Phosphat-E, Two Little Fishies PhosBan®-L, and Acrylic Tank Manufacturing Agent Green™):

http://larryl.emailplus.org/fish/dosing-instructions-phosphate-removers.html

Hope you find it helpful.

Very nicely done! Thanks for the calculator!

 

[ReefReady9]

I make a Lanthanum remover that I sell. I calculated the dose as Lanthanum Phosphate and in the tests I made it seems to fit with the Hanna ULR values. I have not sold many but the calculation seems to work for the customers too.
Never add more than that takes away half the phosphate value You have measured. Never use Lanthanum for values under 0,1 ppm phosphate.

If the desired level is 0.03ppm why would you not use Lanthanum to achieve that level?

 

[ReefReady9]

How is the calculated dose determined? By assuming all lanthanum ends up as lanthanum phosphate?

I suspect that is what manufacturers do, and if so, it is likely an underestimate of the amount needed.

It most certainly is an underestimate. I used the suggested value two days in a row and got nowhere near the reduction promised :/

 

[Stigigemla]

For beginners I recommend 0,1 as a good phosphate level.
In my personal 420 gallon tank I have problems with low phosphate.
I will never use 0,03 as a suitable level in home tanks. Its very easy to crash a tank with to low levels. I have seen to many examples of that.

If the phosphate level is bouncing up again it comes from phosphate bound in the live rock dissolving.
Remember if You strike your level down to zero it will hurt or kill corals. You need a safety margin.
Many people count the total outer volume of their tank and as before: You need a safety margin.

Aluminium or iron based phosphate remover in a reactor with slow flow (a tank volume a day) makes a slow reduction and it is easy to control.

 

[schooncw]

I just purchased a bottle of Phosban-L. I have a 120 mixed reef with no SPS and can not get my PO below 0.5. I use Salifert test kits. I have a lot of rock and much of it is 20 plus years old. Also, the LFS I really trust, adds it directly to his tank without dilution; any follow this method? Any advice or thoughts? I should add that I run GFO 24/7.

 

[Larry L]

I have a 120 mixed reef with no SPS and can not get my PO below 0.5.

Are you having any algae issues? If not, I wouldn't even mess with it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I just purchased a bottle of Phosban-L. I have a 120 mixed reef with no SPS and can not get my PO below 0.5. I use Salifert test kits. I have a lot of rock and much of it is 20 plus years old. Also, the LFS I really trust, adds it directly to his tank without dilution; any follow this method? Any advice or thoughts? I should add that I run GFO 24/7.

I've not used lanthanum products, but you should be careful to not go too far as too low of phosphate might be worse than elevated phosphate.

 

[schooncw]

I've not used lanthanum products, but you should be careful to not go too far as too low of phosphate might be worse than elevated phosphate.

Thank you for your response.

 

[schooncw]

Are you having any algae issues? If not, I wouldn't even mess with it.

No undesirable algae at all!

 

[cjpitt80]

Lanthanum seems to severely affect PO4 readings with Hanna HI774. Levels never seem to go down which can lead to overdosing which can DEFINITELY cause harm (ask me). If using, I'd do the math and go very slowly with reducing levels

 

[schooncw]

Thanks for your reply. I have the bottle but have not used any and yes, I will be very careful with it, prob dripping in 1/4 ML to start in what is prob 100 gallons of water.

 

[Green1181]

Lanthanum seems to severely affect PO4 readings with Hanna HI774. Levels never seem to go down which can lead to overdosing which can DEFINITELY cause harm (ask me). If using, I'd do the math and go very slowly with reducing levels

cjpitt80

I had the same issue yesterday, my PO4 was increasing on my Hanna ULR after dripping Lanthanum into a 10 micron sock. Did you end up getting accurate PO4 results with the meter after a bit of time?

 

[csb123]

I put my water through a couple of coffee filters before testing, when using LaCl. I feel it gives more accurate readings.

 

[cjpitt80]

I put my water through a couple of coffee filters before testing, when using LaCl. I feel it gives more accurate readings.

How are you able to determine if it's more accurate? I run my water thru a syringe driven 45um sterile filter and see no difference

 

[cjpitt80]

cjpitt80

I had the same issue yesterday, my PO4 was increasing on my Hanna ULR after dripping Lanthanum into a 10 micron sock. Did you end up getting accurate PO4 results with the meter after a bit of time?

There is serious doubt as to the accuracy of my Hanna PO4 readings vs Triton. More is here https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/accuracy-of-phosphate-icp-analysis.381738/page-6

 

[Green1181]

There is serious doubt as to the accuracy of my Hanna PO4 readings vs Triton. More is here https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/accuracy-of-phosphate-icp-analysis.381738/page-6

Thanks interesting read, I took a reading last night and it dropped a little, also sent and ICP
test at the same time so will be interesting to compare the results.

 

[csb123]

How are you able to determine if it's more accurate? I run my water thru a syringe driven 45um sterile filter and see no difference

I did the Hanna ULR phosphate test daily for 1 month to figure out production. And, to fine tune daily LaCl dosing.
The results of the unfiltered sample where inconsistent, with higher and some lower readings. I assume it is due to interference of particles suspended in the sample.