Dosing Phosphate RX (Lanthanum)

[Afterburner]

My coral list is below. NO3 runs around 2-4ppm (depends on which test I use - Salifert or Red Sea). I am currently running just a Sock and Skimmer (at night with CO2 Scrubber attached but probably needs regeneration) and just added an Algae Scrubber (Santa Monica - DROP1.4). I dose ESV B-ionic two part and Phyto (lots) daily. Yesterday my tank parameters were 1.026 salinity, 8.1 Ph, 7.9 Alk, 0.08 PO4, 2.5 NO3, 1340 Mg, 416 Calcium. I did a 15% water change 10 days ago with Tropic Marine Pro. I test every day when I am home, and from my records have only had to add a few drops of Lanthanum twice this year to stay below 0.10 NO3
CORAL LIST - Most are Frags growing out, a few are colonies:
Hammer, Zenia, Candy Cane, Provona, Green Popcillipora, Stunner Challice, Spongoda - Montipora, Green Slimer Acropora Millepora, Green Montipora Capricornus, Purple Mushroom, Kenya Tree, Toadstool, Gorgonian Eunice, Purple Sea whip gorgonian, Oculina Robusta (Robust Ivory Tree Coral), Green Star Polyp, tiny polysa, Green Stylo, Purple Stylophora, Bird of Paradise, Red Popcillopora, Purple Milli, Yellow Branching Porites, Forrest Fire Digitata Montipora, Digi, GARF Purple Bonsai, Acropora Millepora, Green Birdsnest, Palay Grandi, Green Monti Cap, Torch Purple, Red Head Kid Zoanthids Coral (Zoanthus sp.), Torch (Euphyllia cristata) - Green, Purple & Green Galaxea (Galaxea sp.), Candy Apple Zoanthids (Zoanthus sp.), Rad Dragon Mixy Mixy Zoanthids (Zoanthus sp.), Cali Tort, Oragon Tort, Table Acro, Leptoseris, Carribean Zoa, Lace coral

 

[Afterburner]

Pic of Tank in case you were wondering the size f the corals.

 

[Travis Alderman]

@Travis Alderman
What corals do you have now?
What is your current NO3 reading?

Mainly sps, so acros, entrusting montis. Then I have a lot of chalices, a space invader pectina, goni and a hammer too.

My nitrate is about 8ppm. I have 2 schools of anthias so I feed heavy.

 

[Greg P]

Mainly sps, so acros, entrusting montis. Then I have a lot of chalices, a space invader pectina, goni and a hammer too.

My nitrate is about 8ppm. I have 2 schools of anthias so I feed heavy.

I was hoping your nitrates were lower - with corals in the tank, dosing nitrates helps lower phosphates as the corals will uptake both more easily when they are balanced.

However, I don't think your phosphates are terribly high. You could try raising nitrates a small amount - maybe up to 15 - and see if your phosphates will come down.
But do not raise your NO3 quickly as this can cause your PO4 to bottom out and your corals will not do well - or you could even lose them.

Either go slow with the dosing, or leave things alone if you are nervous.

 

[Recipe2reefing]

I bought a 10 micron filter sock but not an IV bag. If I mix the phosphate rx with RODI water and manually drip it to the filter sock, let say just a cup of water with 18 drops. Prob one drop per second.

I got a 120g, I want to start off with about 25% strength now and see.

I will do a water change the next day.

Check that your rodi water doesn’t already have any phosphates first

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Check that your rodi water doesn’t already have any phosphates first

The trace that might be there is no concern. If some precipitates, its no big deal.

 

[Recipe2reefing]

The trace that might be there is no concern. If some precipitates, its no big deal.

O that means the amount of phosphate that might be in the small amount of water wouldn’t be enough to render that phosphate rx useless.

 

[JonasJ]

I have dosed diluted LaCl (40ml in 3 liters of RODI) for the last 3 months directly into the skimmer neck twice daily through a dose pump and 18ml's of the solution each dose. It has been working out suprisingly well and are keeping my phospates between 0.02 and 0.04. I have one yellow scopas tang, one xanthurum and one desjardini and hav'nt seen any stress to the tangs.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

O that means the amount of phosphate that might be in the small amount of water wouldn’t be enough to render that phosphate rx useless.

Yes.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Check that your rodi water doesn’t already have any phosphates first

Already did, nada

 

[tspreef]

Should you turn off activated carbon when dosing Phosphate RX?

 

[Travis Alderman]

Should you turn off activated carbon when dosing Phosphate RX?

No. You can leave it.

 

[Servopkg]

I'm curious how you would dose this in a small system? I have a fluval evo 13 gal system with no skimmer, nor socks just a media basket in my first compartment that goes through floss than has carbon, purigen and phosgard in it. I have GHA that I want to loosen up to pull off the rocks easier. My current Phosphate levels are 0.03 but imagine that the GHA is sucking up the detectable P03. Tank is 5-1/2 months old. This is the first I am aware that my live rock could be creating the P03- I've really cut back my feeding and the GHA grows still...makes sense its coming from the rock.

Would I get a really small filter sock and drip some of this into the return pump chamber? Can the sock be in the water in this chamber?

 

[Fishingandreefing]

I'm curious how you would dose this in a small system? I have a fluval evo 13 gal system with no skimmer, nor socks just a media basket in my first compartment that goes through floss than has carbon, purigen and phosgard in it. I have GHA that I want to loosen up to pull off the rocks easier. My current Phosphate levels are 0.03 but imagine that the GHA is sucking up the detectable P03. Tank is 5-1/2 months old. This is the first I am aware that my live rock could be creating the P03- I've really cut back my feeding and the GHA grows still...makes sense its coming from the rock.

Would I get a really small filter sock and drip some of this into the return pump chamber? Can the sock be in the water in this chamber?

I would mix the solution in rodi water and slowly drop it through a 10 micron sock. Then wait till a few hours later, do a water change.