DIY lanthanum chloride solution
- Thread starter Yehuda Dana
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Not sure this is a good idea......I know that there is quite a process when making good LC for aquarium use.....the manufacturer I have used for years has a fairly extensive process.....it's a 28% solution and I know they filter it through carbon.....I don't know the full process, but you should be cautious. I make a product called Phosphate Rx and have been packing it for the hobby for nearly 20 years.
Sean Clark
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I respect Eric's position on this as anything DIY can lead to issues.
The chemistry behind LC and phosphate binding is just that; chemistry.
Using a quality product is always best.
I use SeaClear and have done so for a decade without issue. I don't dilute it, I drip it straight into my sump. I even had it on a doser at one point. Slow is best. People run into problems when they try to go too fast; not because their particular LC product was not filtered through carbon.
The chemistry behind LC and phosphate binding is just that; chemistry.
Using a quality product is always best.
I use SeaClear and have done so for a decade without issue. I don't dilute it, I drip it straight into my sump. I even had it on a doser at one point. Slow is best. People run into problems when they try to go too fast; not because their particular LC product was not filtered through carbon.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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Can you share what you intend to use it to do?
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Yehuda Dana
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Reduce my PO4 level with
BigTimeIssues
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I was reading about Lanthanam use and found where melevsreef killed half his fish with some. He later explained that using the products specific to our hobby most likely would've been fine and he does still use the versions for our hobby.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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Figured that, but in an operating tank, on rocks not yet in a tank, or rocks taken out of a tank for treatment?
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Yehuda Dana
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On an operating tank with fish and corals
Randy Holmes-Farley
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And are you thinking you want to use a pool product that is predissolved for you, or buy your own lanthanum chloride powder and dissolve it?
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Yehuda Dana
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Buy my own lanthanum chloride powder
Randy Holmes-Farley
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OK.
There's no data that I have seen that suggests what the optimal concentration is in the dosing solution, but unlike most additives, the concentration may matter. That is because you want to preciptiate lanthanum phosphate and not lanthanum carbonate. IMO, that suggests a lower concentration in the dosing fluid may be better.
If you dissolve 10 g of anhydrous lanthanum chloride in 1 L RO/DI water, that contains about 5.7 grams of lanthanum and that has the potential to remove up to about 3.9 grams of phosphate, or 3.9 mg when using just one mL.
Thus, adding 1 mL to 100 L of seawater can remove about 3.9 mg/100 L = 0.04 ppm phosphate.
Note that many solid lanthanum chloride materials may be hydrates and will dilute the potency.
There's no data that I have seen that suggests what the optimal concentration is in the dosing solution, but unlike most additives, the concentration may matter. That is because you want to preciptiate lanthanum phosphate and not lanthanum carbonate. IMO, that suggests a lower concentration in the dosing fluid may be better.
If you dissolve 10 g of anhydrous lanthanum chloride in 1 L RO/DI water, that contains about 5.7 grams of lanthanum and that has the potential to remove up to about 3.9 grams of phosphate, or 3.9 mg when using just one mL.
Thus, adding 1 mL to 100 L of seawater can remove about 3.9 mg/100 L = 0.04 ppm phosphate.
Note that many solid lanthanum chloride materials may be hydrates and will dilute the potency.
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Yehuda Dana
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Many thanks !
