possible to Over dose Sodium Silicate?

[threebuoys]

I've been fighting dinos for some time now. Primarily prorocentrum. Out of desperation, I've gone crazy with Sodium Silicate dosing. I'm dosing daily at about 2.5 times the normally recommendaed dose. On day 4 now. My microscope confirms I have a diatom infestation, so my dinos should be starving. My question (I should have asked sooner), am I likely to create an overdosing problem? I seem to recall other posts that indicated that the silicate level quickly adjusts back to normal. That's why I'm dosing daily, but.........

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It’s certainly possible to overdose, but that dose is not a problem. It will just take longer for organisms to use it up.

 

[CountDigi]

I would be more concerned with alkalinity levels, as I have read the silicate dosing can increase alk levels.

I have also been dosing high levels of silicate to fight the same type of dino. I have been dosing 4ml per day in a 326L system. Have noticed the alkalinity levels go from 8.5ppm to 10.5ppm over the space of 21 days. Big big jump. May dial back to kalkwasser reactor to slowly bring levels back down.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I would be more concerned with alkalinity levels, as I have read the silicate dosing can increase alk levels.

I have also been dosing high levels of silicate to fight the same type of dino. I have been dosing 4ml per day in a 326L system. Have noticed the alkalinity levels go from 8.5ppm to 10.5ppm over the space of 21 days. Big big jump. May dial back to kalkwasser reactor to slowly bring levels back down.

The rise in alk is typically not big enough to worry about. Your alk rise is small over 3 weeks. Are you dosing anything else? If not, your alk demand must be very low. Cis nitrate falling or being fused? That will boost alk when nitrate is consumed.

 

[CountDigi]

I would be more concerned with alkalinity levels, as I have read the silicate dosing can increase alk levels.

I have also been dosing high levels of silicate to fight the same type of dino. I have been dosing 4ml per day in a 326L system. Have noticed the alkalinity levels go from 8.5ppm to 10.5ppm over the space of 21 days. Big big jump. May dial back to kalkwasser reactor to slowly bring levels back down.

The rise in alk is typically not big enough to worry about. Your alk rise is small over 3 weeks. Are you dosing anything else? If not, your alk demand must be very low. Cis nitrate falling or being fused? That will boost alk when nitrate is consumed.

My sps visibly has alot of new growth, so i do not think it is a lack of consumption. I had nitrates drop to 0.2ppm when the dinos started. Also had alot of GHA at the same time. I have been dosing silicates, AF life source mud every two days, iodine and fluoride correction as per my icp, and continuum nitro daily to get nitrates bacl up. Nitrates are currently at 4ppm now.

Can you link an article for fusing nitrates and alk changes? Would love to learn more

 

[gbroadbridge]

I've been fighting dinos for some time now. Primarily prorocentrum. Out of desperation, I've gone crazy with Sodium Silicate dosing. I'm dosing daily at about 2.5 times the normally recommendaed dose. On day 4 now. My microscope confirms I have a diatom infestation, so my dinos should be starving. My question (I should have asked sooner), am I likely to create an overdosing problem? I seem to recall other posts that indicated that the silicate level quickly adjusts back to normal. That's why I'm dosing daily, but.........

How long is fighting dinos for some time? :)

Silica dosing is no magic bullet - it took quite a few weeks before I started seeing a reduction in Dinos.
You need to maintain other efforts too, keep up the nutrients, manual removal if possible, etc.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

My sps visibly has alot of new growth, so i do not think it is a lack of consumption. I had nitrates drop to 0.2ppm when the dinos started. Also had alot of GHA at the same time. I have been dosing silicates, AF life source mud every two days, iodine and fluoride correction as per my icp, and continuum nitro daily to get nitrates bacl up. Nitrates are currently at 4ppm now.

Can you link an article for fusing nitrates and alk changes? Would love to learn more

Sure. A drop nitrate, or dose that is consumed adds 2.3 dKH for each 50 ppm nitrate drop (the reverse is true for a nitrate rise).

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