Lanthanum chloride for Phosphate reduction?

[Backreefing]

Hello I’m posting this in SPS because this is in regards to keeping SPS colorfull .
I’ve had medium to low levels of phosphate forever like .01-.3 . Good- ehh IDK because I had that .3 causing a browning event . Nitrates have been holding at 2-5 ppm for months so I discontinued vinegar doseing early this year. Back to phosphate. Even with.01-.02 my montipora and acropora suffered. When the levels rose up to.03 I found a dead zebra snail removed it and tryed Lanthanum chloride ( phosaban L )
It works it reduced.3 to .03 in two days. Since I have been adding half a cap full into 5 gal of top off water . Now it’s getting dosed through the ato . And everything is lovely. This stuff is magic for me anyway.
Whitch leads me to ponder, why is everything dieing dispite low phosphate. Testing is with a Hanna phosphorus tester. I have went down the rabbit hole thinking that our test kits are not telling us all pertinent information. I think there is DOCs or phosphate not registering on kits .
Has anyone else tryed doseing Phosaban L , long term? And it’s affect on SPS / color ?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I would guess it’s not the phosphate that is the problem. .1 is not bad, it’s perfect for my tank. Especially when talking about montipora, that stuff is pretty hardy.

How is your lighting and flow?

 

[Backreefing]

Flow is ok- strong back and forth with Jabao power heads .
Lights are metal halides in Cayman fixtures with Phoenix bulbs and two blue plus t5s as secondary dusk to dawn lights. My concern is what isn’t showing up on test kits. But this lanthanum chloride is the magic bullet.

 

[Backreefing]

I see other reefers with much higher phosphate levels then myself and they’re fine and I’m seeing stn and suffering sometimes with .02 ?
Now it’s very low .01 and much happier.

 

[Thales]

How are you filtering out the precipitate from the Lanth?

 

[Backreefing]

Protein skimmer and regular old canister filter

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Hello I’m posting this in SPS because this is in regards to keeping SPS colorfull .
I’ve had medium to low levels of phosphate forever like .01-.3 . Good- ehh IDK because I had that .3 causing a browning event . Nitrates have been holding at 2-5 ppm for months so I discontinued vinegar doseing early this year. Back to phosphate. Even with.01-.02 my montipora and acropora suffered. When the levels rose up to.03 I found a dead zebra snail removed it and tryed Lanthanum chloride ( phosaban L )
It works it reduced.3 to .03 in two days. Since I have been adding half a cap full into 5 gal of top off water . Now it’s getting dosed through the ato . And everything is lovely. This stuff is magic for me anyway.
Whitch leads me to ponder, why is everything dieing dispite low phosphate. Testing is with a Hanna phosphorus tester. I have went down the rabbit hole thinking that our test kits are not telling us all pertinent information. I think there is DOCs or phosphate not registering on kits .
Has anyone else tryed doseing Phosaban L , long term? And it’s affect on SPS / color ?

What is dying? Corals? Fish? Inverts? All of the above?

 

[Thales]

Protein skimmer and regular old canister filter

Dosing into the skimmer?

 

[Dburr1014]

I don't think we are seeing the whole picture.

A rapid depletion of phosphate, imo, is harsh on coral.

0.01 or even 0.02 is very low, again imo, not good for corals.

Lanthium chloride should be dosed very slowly into a 10 micron sock. Is this how your dosing it?

I really think we need more information.

 

[Lemons]

You've shocked the system... dropping everything down by 10x in two days is an insane drop...

Also why are you adding it to your ATO water??

Im pretty sure lanthium is ment to be dosed by the 0.1ml at a time (diluted solution too)

 

[Backreefing]

It’s being dosed directly to the aquarium through the ATO . It’s getting half a cap full every 5-6 days a little at a time as the ATO refills. Protein skimming and or mechanical filtration removes the lanthanum chloride.
Lanthanum chloride is a binder it binds to phosphorus in the aquarium creating a participle which is filtered out.
And yes Lemons it did shock the aquarium dropping phosphate so quickly. It was my first time with it and I had to figure out it’s potency. It is effective. It will cloud the water for a day if you use a lot . So I put it in the make up water to be gentle. Melevsreef has a video on it . The shock did cause a frag that was good as dead to RTN . Little else bad .

 

[Mark Gray]

I like Lanrinum Chloride but you got to do it slowly I think you may have shocked everything

 

[TheBear78]

Stability.
Rapid change in either direction is bad.

 

[Garf]

mechanical filtration removes the lanthanum chloride

Sand beds would do a good job of that. Now, if that’s a long term problem or not is a different question.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I’m not familiar with that product and I can’t find the dosing recommendations but I use tropic marin elimiphos pretty regularly and don’t have any problems dosing it right into the sump or display. TM recommends 1ml/25g per day. I don’t dose it into my skimmer or 10 micron sock etc.

 

[Thales]

I’m not familiar with that product and I can’t find the dosing recommendations but I use tropic marin elimiphos pretty regularly and don’t have any problems dosing it right into the sump or display. TM recommends 1ml/25g per day. I don’t dose it into my skimmer or 10 micron sock etc.

Not catching the particulate has been linked to all kinds of issues specially when overdosing

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Not catching the proximate has been linked to all kinds of issues specially when overdosing

I think you’re confusing me and the OP. I don’t have any problems using tm elimiphos, unless awesome corals and healthy fish are a negative. Tropic Marin’s instructions are very clear and I’ve used it for years now as described without any issues. The majority/if not all of the problems you’re referring to come from hobbyist buying products that are meant for swimming pools and going mad scientist to make it reef safe……just to save a few bucks. Even though they buy/sell $1000 for 1” frags

 

[Thales]

I think you’re confusing me and the OP.

I'm not. Just posting the instructions because you said you couldn't find them, then a general comment. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Thales]

Here are the elimiphos directions just for fun

 

[Thales]

Sorry - to address the original questions -

Whitch leads me to ponder, why is everything dieing dispite low phosphate.

Prolly has nothing at all to do with the phosphate. The worry about the single parameter of phosphate as a causitive agent is oversold.

Has anyone else tryed doseing Phosaban L , long term? And it’s affect on SPS / color ?

Should have no effect on color, but the precipate could irritate frags more thank other more established corals.

When was the 2 day drop?

I don't think your phosphate is your problem, though trying to do something about it may contribute to the problem. We don't have enough background on your tank to really give you more input.