DIY Lanthanum Dosing

[piranhaman00]

I always like this video when people talk about lananthum. Big tank full of coral and tangs and doses straight into the water causing lots of cloudiness. No issueZ

 

[areefer01]

I always like this video when people talk about lananthum. Big tank full of coral and tangs and doses straight into the water causing lots of cloudiness. No issueZ

That does not make it best practice.

Sort of like me jumping off a 100 foot cliff into the ocean below and whooping it up after I land it. You, on the other hand, make the same jump yet bust your head open because the wave and tide action lowered the water depth during your jump. You missed the fine details and suffered the results.

See Richard drink
See Richard drive
See Richard die
Don't be a Richard

In short - the more you know the better prepared you are.

 

[MrLargo]

I run LaCl into a 5 micron filter sock in the overflow box, fed by a small dedicated pump. The sock still blocks up quite a bit, and quickly, and when it does a white film starts forming on my display glass, which can only be removed with a magic eraser. This is the most annoying part for me, the tangs seem ok for now (regal tang, YT, bristletooth), but if sock overflows it goes through a filter roller, over an ATS, pass the skimmer and through the entire sump before going into the display again, so maybe that helps. Works amazingly well though, dropped my phosphate from 8(ICP result, don't ask how much neglect there has to be to get there, let's just say our third child was born around that time) down to 0.04 over the course of a few months once all the phos have finished leeching out of the aragonite and LR, also run GFO for the last bit, seems lacl bottomed the phos at around 0.12, GFO seems to do the rest. It is a bit of a cheaper route than GFO too (or more bang for buck even if you regenerate the GFO with sodium hydroxide), well here where I stay anyway, costs around $100 for about 2 or 3 years' supply of the crystals from a glass manufacturing place. Mixes it at 5gram/liter, dose around 200ml on a 100 gallon tank per day. I have around 35 fish in there, and feed very heavily. On a lightly stocked tank GFO is probably a better bet, and less effort to make sure the filter socks stay clean.

I am currently dosing LaCL and have noticed a white film forming on my glass. I just used the razor blade and it’s only slightly coming off if I really lean into it.

Can you tell me more about this, and how to remedy? A magic eraser? Did you have to drain your tank to do this?

I am finally getting my PO4 in check and now my display is hazy white, so frustrating, but glad I see a reason from your post, as I was otherwise still searching…

 

[gbroadbridge]

I am currently dosing LaCL and have noticed a white film forming on my glass. I just used the razor blade and it’s only slightly coming off if I really lean into it.

Can you tell me more about this, and how to remedy? A magic eraser? Did you have to drain your tank to do this?

I am finally getting my PO4 in check and now my display is hazy white, so frustrating, but glad I see a reason from your post, as I was otherwise still searching…

Where are you dosing? All the precipitate should be captured by a filter sock and skimmer.

 

[MrLargo]

In the past, I have dosed too much, too fast and watched my wrasses hyperventilate for a few hours. It can be dangerous if done haphazardly.

Since then, I’ve dosing lanthanum daily into a reactor and it has been life changing. I use a Kamoer doser and spread it over 24 daily doses directly (through a tee) into a standard reactor with a pleated filter. It keeps my phosphate right where I want it.

@Randy Holmes-Farley where would one acquire the lanthanum you use in your recipe? I currently use Seaklear but I wonder if there’s a cheaper option as I dose ~5ml/day

I like your application and use of a reactor. Can you post a pic of how you get the drip in there/the setup? Thanks!

 

[MrLargo]

Where are you dosing? All the precipitate should be captured by a filter sock and skimmer.

I was dosing into a 5micron sock that would clog from algae, etc within a day, then I read a few having success by dripping into the body of the skimmer.

I have been doing this now for 3 days…

 

[KnH]

I have no issue dosing into my skimmer with no white film on my glass but I run my daily dose over a week. So very low dose per day

 

[MrLargo]

I have no issue dosing into my skimmer with no white film on my glass but I run my daily dose over a week. So very low dose per day

Good to know. Are you doing this constantly, or just as needed?

 

[KnH]

Just when I need to. I just mix the maximum daily dose in 1000ml ro water and drip it over a week. It’s a slow process but I feel it’s safer. Time to test again

 

[kenchilada]

I have no issue dosing into my skimmer with no white film on my glass but I run my daily dose over a week. So very low dose per day

I tried a million ways of dosing this because of my very sensitive sailfin tang.

Dosing a weak drip into the skimmer was the only way I could dose without causing distressed breathing in the sailfin tang. All my other fish (including 5 other tangs) were fine.

I believe socks do nothing because much of the lanthanum simply passes through the sock unreacted. I tried socks down to 1 micron.

 

[Mickey]

I've been using Randy's DIY solution for LaCl which I then dilute with 4 parts RO/DI then dose into my sump without filter socks. I think highly dluting it has helped avoid the precipitation. My phosphate level has been slowly decreasing (started at over 1.50 - yes I mean over 1.00) and my tangs seem totally unaffected.

I believe the key is to use a dilute solution and go slow.

 

[schooncw]

I am currently dosing LaCL and have noticed a white film forming on my glass. I just used the razor blade and it’s only slightly coming off if I really lean into it.

Can you tell me more about this, and how to remedy? A magic eraser? Did you have to drain your tank to do this?

I am finally getting my PO4 in check and now my display is hazy white, so frustrating, but glad I see a reason from your post, as I was otherwise still searching…

Wait until you see what's in your pumps, powerheads, etc., etc. I'll never use it again.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Wait until you see what's in your pumps, powerheads, etc., etc. I'll never use it again.

You found precipitation on pumps?

I’ve not seen folks report that, and while I am not claiming it isn’t lanthanum of some sort, decreased phosphate will likely increase the tendency for calcium carbonate precipitation.

 

[schooncw]

You found precipitation on pumps?

I’ve not seen folks report that, and while I am not claiming it isn’t lanthanum of some sort, decreased phosphate will likely increase the tendency for calcium carbonate precipitation.

That may indeed, be so, because I went too heavy and fast with LAN but when I stopped, I recall having to do a complete cleaning of my sump and everything in it and had never seen such a mess-or that kind of mess-before.
This “miracle” would take my PO down so effortlessly but I would have to repeat the dose the very next day and the next and so on…..user error, as it usually is. What exacerbated my experience, is that the rock in this system is 30+ years old and as soon as the PO got taken out of the water column, it would just equalize again.

 

[areefer01]

You found precipitation on pumps?

I’ve not seen folks report that, and while I am not claiming it isn’t lanthanum of some sort, decreased phosphate will likely increase the tendency for calcium carbonate precipitation.

I've experienced a bit of residue on pumps after a heavy dose of LC. I've seen it using both Brightwell Phosphate E and a diluted SeaKlear. It isn't either products fault in my opinion but rather the dose size. In my case a larger dose, more particulates or cloudy water, which is what I think this residue is. At least that is the only explanation I have.

I use a Marineland canister filter and take my refugium off line from main display. Add the dose, turn on the canister filter, and let it run until clear. Usually about 20 to 30 minutes. The image below is after a couple of days use. I should note that my phosphate peaked at 2.2 ppm and have been lowering in small amounts over the past 45 to 50 days. So my experience may be the extreme.

I do not see any major difference other than my alkalinity has needed to be manually adjusted. Used to run between 8.2 and 8.4 but now between 7.6 and 7.8. Personally speaking leaving the phosphate at 2.2 ppm was easier

 

[Mickey]

Well, so far my pumps and powerheads are fine and it's been about 6 months using this method, which as I said before is diluted with 4 parts RODI. My live rock is also 20 years old as tank has been set up since 2004. I tried Phosphate Rx last year and following the dosage on the bottle it quickly brought the phosphate level down and tank was cloudy as expected, but phosphate quickly climbed back up. I decided to try the diluted dose and I dose continuously over 24 hours, 7 days a week. Phosphate level has steadily gone down from a high of 2.5 in December 2023 to .29 as of last week. I'll test again tomorrow and will be reducing my dose by half as it gets close to .1 where I'd like to keep it. Unless I start seeing negative affects, I'll probably continue dosing is continuously at a diluted amount.

 

[FranklinDattein]

I am currently dosing LaCL and have noticed a white film forming on my glass. I just used the razor blade and it’s only slightly coming off if I really lean into it.

Can you tell me more about this, and how to remedy? A magic eraser? Did you have to drain your tank to do this?

I am finally getting my PO4 in check and now my display is hazy white, so frustrating, but glad I see a reason from your post, as I was otherwise still searching…

I've had the same problem and it drove me crazy. It took me a while to figure out that Lanth was the cause, as my first thought was carbonate precipitation due some mistake in the two part mixture.

As you noticed, the film is very stubborn and for a while I thought it was beyond repair, but I managed to get rid with it with a razor blade. I got these scrapers from Amazon that use generic razor blades for shaving.

I also tried brand new blades on the Tunze magnet cleaner and it helped a bit, but nothing closer to the razor blade. I've also tried the sharp blades from the hardware store and that not didn't work, but also made some deep scratches.
I haven't tried a magic cleaner, but 20y ago I damaged the front glass of a brand new tank with a scourer and that was enough to never get a sponge near the glass ever again.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I was dosing into a 5micron sock that would clog from algae, etc within a day, then I read a few having success by dripping into the body of the skimmer.

I have been doing this now for 3 days…

What is the source of your Lanthanum Chloride?

I haven't seen any effect like that in my tank, but I use reagent grade from a chemical supplier...
Before that I used Blue Life Phosphate RX for a long time, also with no issues.

 

[MrLargo]

using the Sea

What is the source of your Lanthanum Chloride?

I haven't seen any effect like that in my tank, but I use reagent grade from a chemical supplier...
Before that I used Blue Life Phosphate RX for a long time, also with no issues.

Using the SeaCleer pool version, diluted...

 

[MrLargo]

I've had the same problem and it drove me crazy. It took me a while to figure out that Lanth was the cause, as my first thought was carbonate precipitation due some mistake in the two part mixture.

As you noticed, the film is very stubborn and for a while I thought it was beyond repair, but I managed to get rid with it with a razor blade. I got these scrapers from Amazon that use generic razor blades for shaving.

I also tried brand new blades on the Tunze magnet cleaner and it helped a bit, but nothing closer to the razor blade. I've also tried the sharp blades from the hardware store and that not didn't work, but also made some deep scratches.
I haven't tried a magic cleaner, but 20y ago I damaged the front glass of a brand new tank with a scourer and that was enough to never get a sponge near the glass ever again.

Wow, thanks for the tip on the razorblade scraper from amazon. I had to use the small flat blades from hardware store, they work but dull quickly and had to really put pressure on them to carve off the white build up...