Adding silica to all for reef

[Spare time]

Everytime my DI resin gets close to being fully used up, I get more sponges. I had way more before I started to use DI resin (long story why I didn't). I was thinking of adding a little bit of silica to my dosing regime, but I was curious if I can add it to all for reef?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

My concern is pecipitation of magnesium hydroxide, from the high pH silicate bringing hydroxide and the magnesium in AFR.

Perhaps there's a happy medium where silicate and hydroxide can coexist (say, pH 8.5), but I wouldn't bet on it.

 

[J1a]

Everytime my DI resin gets close to being fully used up, I get more sponges. I had way more before I started to use DI resin (long story why I didn't). I was thinking of adding a little bit of silica to my dosing regime, but I was curious if I can add it to all for reef?

You can always add it into your ATO

 

[Spare time]

You can always add it into your ATO

Unfortunately I don't have one

 

[Spare time]

My concern is pecipitation of magnesium hydroxide, from the high pH silicate bringing hydroxide and the magnesium in AFR.

Perhaps there's a happy medium where silicate and hydroxide can coexist (say, pH 8.5), but I wouldn't bet on it.

Hmm okay I guess it would he easier separately. Maybe I could add it to an iron supplement? Might just add it to a little spare bottle with a dropper that I have

 

[J1a]

The problem is that sodium silicate has very high pH. That's why it's not ideal to mix with other dosing chemcials.

I don't have a spare pump for it. So I just pour some into the sump every morning.

 

[KrisReef]

(I love this forum, but posts like this leave me with more questions than answers. Great way to learn, but it takes work.)

Life has so many mysteries.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hmm okay I guess it would he easier separately. Maybe I could add it to an iron supplement? Might just add it to a little spare bottle with a dropper that I have

I wouldn't do that either, since it may precipitation iron hydroxide.

 

[Spare time]

I wouldn't do that either, since it may precipitation iron hydroxide.

Ah sounds good haha

 

[Midrats]

How about ditching the DI. According to an ICP test, silicates are the only thing that gets past my RO so I don't even bother with DI anymore. Plus the CO2 in my source water chews through DI it's a waste of $$$.

 

[Spare time]

How about ditching the DI. According to an ICP test, silicates are the only thing that gets past my RO so I don't even bother with DI anymore. Plus the CO2 in my source water chews through DI it's a waste of $$$.

I need to do an ICP on it to make sure. I don't do water changes (unless I am cleaning out the sump or some clump of detritus once or twice a year) so I need to be cautious about what could build up. I used to not use it and my tank seemed fine. I did this because I didn't have a flush bypass on my ro unit which would cause me to burn through DI resin every time I turned on the faucet.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

How about ditching the DI. According to an ICP test, silicates are the only thing that gets past my RO so I don't even bother with DI anymore. Plus the CO2 in my source water chews through DI it's a waste of $$$.

You tested the RO pre-DI?

 

[Midrats]

You tested the RO pre-DI?

I leave the DI chamber on my RODI blank. Can I trust ATI? I don't know.

 

[Spare time]

I also want to make sure this is ok I saw another thread mentioning it but I figured I'd double check.

 

[J1a]

I also want to make sure this is ok I saw another thread mentioning it but I figured I'd double check.

This is ok for silicate dosing.