How long after dosing silicates is phophate testing reliable ?

[Reef Puncher]

Please stop misinforming people with silicate and Hanna checkers.

Phosphate testing with the hanna checkers WILL be accurate as long as you maintain less than 2ppm silicate.

Idech, you made massive doses of silica (probably over 30ppm if I remember correctly?)

Diatoms will almost always rapidly deplete silicate. You can safely dose 1-2ppm a week for diatoms and still use the hanna checker.

hmm. so if i had over 2ppm it could theoretically throw it off. interesting. suppose i would have to buy a silicate test kit to know. i know for a while i was definitely dosing more than 2ppm as i wasnt getting the diatom bloom. i stopped dosing altogether. just not sure if i can trust the hannah or not yet and without knowing the silicate levels, i suppose i wont know.
i guess i could just test multiple phos kits to the hannah, compare, and when they start matching i know im good.

 

[Reef Puncher]

I’m sorry you view it that way but it’s not misinformation. I’m not the only one saying it, if I were, I would ‘t. You can regularly see people on FB reefing groups talking about it.

The fact of the matter is, since it’s not harmful for the reef, most people don’t test for silicate, so they have no way of knowing if they are above 2 ppm or not. And the Hannah checker gives them impossible readings.

I did dose a lot of silicate one time, a whole lot. The last time, I didn’t dose as much and still got funny results. I might have been over 2 ppm, I don’t know.

So next time I talk about, I’ll mention that 2 ppm limit. That’s all.

yea thats kind of the position im in. i dont test silicates. no clue what my levels are. hmm.

 

[Miami Reef]

most people don’t test for silicate, so they have no way of knowing if they are above 2 ppm or not.

They don’t need to test for it. We can use math to determine how much silicate to add.

yea thats kind of the position im in. i dont test silicates. no clue what my levels are. hmm.

Stop dosing until the diatoms on the glass turn into green algae. Then resume.

 

[Idech]

They don’t need to test for it. We can use math to determine how much silicate to add.


Stop dosing until the diatoms on the glass turn into green algae. Then resume.

I never had any diatoms anywhere, or very little. Let alone on the glass. It’s not so easy to determine when you should stop.

 

[TWYOUNG]

I’m sorry you view it that way but it’s not misinformation. I’m not the only one saying it, if I were, I would ‘t. You can regularly see people on FB reefing groups talking about it.

The fact of the matter is, since it’s not harmful for the reef, most people don’t test for silicate, so they have no way of knowing if they are above 2 ppm or not. And the Hannah checker gives them impossible readings.

I did dose a lot of silicate one time, a whole lot. The last time, I didn’t dose as much and still got funny results. I might have been over 2 ppm, I don’t know.

So next time I talk about, I’ll mention that 2 ppm limit. That’s all.

My personal experience has been the Hanna LR model is not affected by silica like the ULR and phosphorous models are.

 

[Idech]

My personal experience has been the Hanna LR model is not affected by silica like the ULR and phosphorous models are.

That is what I have read from other people’s experience, also.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Is there any unanswered issue that someone still wants addressed in this thread?

 

[Idech]

Is there any unanswered issue that someone still wants addressed in this thread?

Not for me.

 

[Reef Puncher]

Is there any unanswered issue that someone still wants addressed in this thread?

i have an unrelated question. i gave up on silicate dosing after trying for several months. it did produce diatoms, but they didnt outcompete the dinos. Still had lots of dinos. im too impatient to wait out another month or two, so i finally gave in after a 5 month battle and started dosing Dino X last week. It appears to be slowly working.
Your a chemist so i figured you would be the best to ask and if even just answer one of the following questions, that would be great.

What interaction does Dino X ingredient, methylmethanamine have on dinoflagellates? How does it kill them? Do you know the principal action of what that chemical does in this application or in any other uses? it is strictly only used for this purpose of algaecide?

I cant find any info online on if it
A. starves them out
B. Stops their reproduction
C. Destroys their armor
D. Destroys their ability to photosynthesis
E. flat out kills them some other means

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The compound in Dino X is not what you posted.

The compound you mention is a segment of a polymer.

That polymer is not unlike other cationic antimicrobial polymers such as the actual ingredient in Vibrant and Algaefix.

They work by damaging cell membranes.

I have no idea what other membranes it will damage, but I highly doubt it is specific to dinoflagellates.