Lanthanum Chloride

[MillerR.]

Those or you that are dosing or have dosed, did you drip into you skimmer or filter sock? Which method do you think is better?

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

I just dose mine to the overflow which goes directly to the filter sock.

 

[jsker]

Call me crazy, I just add it to the sump.

 

[dmw913]

I add mine to my ATO each time I refill that container. Has worked great for me.

 

[coil1002]

I dose it straight into the filter sock at night. The hope is to have most of the cloud gone before the fish are really active.

 

[Paul B]

Call me crazy, I just add it to the sump.

Your Crazy

 

[MillerR.]

I'm not getting any cloudiness. My phosphates are testing low to zero and my nitrate and nitrite are zero, but I have hair algae. I feed a very small amount of mysis and LRS so it can't be from that. What dosage would you do for 200 gallon system. I am using a 1000 ML IV bag of RO mixed with 3 ML of Lanthanum dripping about 1 drop a second. Does this sound like a good dosage?

 

[jsker]

I'm not getting any cloudiness. My phosphates are testing low to zero and my nitrate and nitrite are zero, but I have hair algae. I feed a very small amount of mysis and LRS so it can't be from that. What dosage would you do for 200 gallon system. I am using a 1000 ML IV bag of RO mixed with 3 ML of Lanthanum dripping about 1 drop a second. Does this sound like a good dosage?

With the hair algae present and growing you are going to get a lower reading for the reason the algae is consuming to nitrates and phosphates What are you testing the phosphates with and nitrates? The product that I have used I used the product straight into the sump. I one I like the most is ATM agent green

 

[MillerR.]

Salifert test kits. I know the algae is consuming it but what I am questioning ( I guess) is is the Lanthanum effective with my PO4 reading so low and is my dosage enough?

With the hair algae present and growing you are going to get a lower reading for the reason the algae is consuming to nitrates and phosphates What are you testing the phosphates with and nitrates? The product that I have used I used the product straight into the sump. I one I like the most is ATM agent green

 

[jsker]

I alway got a false reading using most of the test, but when I purchased the Hanna Ultra Low phosphorus checker. That is when I got a true reading. How does the rest of the tank look? Is there other algae present? I did see where but I will ask this again, how old is the tank.

The reason I am asking is why not get 200 cleaning crew and they would mow through the algae in a week and keep the that clean.

 

[MillerR.]

Tank has been up for 3 years. A little over a month or so I had a crash. I was in the process of selling off my livestock and breaking the tank down then I had a change of heart and just sold off live stock and reduced the live rock ( I had a ton of it). I did massive water changes and let it sit for a while. I put in a test acro frag and all seemed well for a few weeks so added more frags and small fish, damsels, clown goby and royal gramma. Suddenly I had cyano so have been dosing zeovit cyanoclean, the cyano is mostly gone but in the process I got ton of hair algae. None of this was an issue before the crash. Now I am trying to deal with the GHA. Even though my phosphates are not registering I am assuming that is what is fueling the GHA.

I alway got a false reading using most of the test, but when I purchased the Hanna Ultra Low phosphorus checker. That is when I got a true reading. How does the rest of the tank look? Is there other algae present? I did see where but I will ask this again, how old is the tank.

The reason I am asking is why not get 200 cleaning crew and they would mow through the algae in a week and keep the that clean.

 

[jsker]

Tank has been up for 3 years. A little over a month or so I had a crash. I was in the process of selling off my livestock and breaking the tank down. I had a change of heart and just sold off live stock and reduced the live rock ( I had a ton of it). I did massive water changes and let it sit for a while. I put in a test acro frag and all seemed well for a few weeks so added more frags and small fish, damsels, clown goby and royal gramma. Suddenly, I had cyano so have been dosing zeovit cyanoclean. The cyano is mostly gone but in the process I got ton of hair algae. None of this was an issue before the crash. Now I am trying to deal with the GHA. Even though my phosphates are not registering I am assuming that is what is fueling the GHA.

Thank you for the additional information. You are going through the ugly stage of a new system even though it not a new system. Basically you system is trying to establish the bio load and you phosphates and nitrates are out of balance, thus the GHA. As I suggested before, CUC and then let the system settle down for a month or even two.

 

[jsker]

On other comment, good for you for not giving up. I had a crash last year at about this time and I was so bummed, but a year later the tank has come back and better than before

 

[MillerR.]

Thanks for the encouragement. Once the disappointment passed I was able to think clearly to get back into my favorite EXPENSIVE hobby! lol

On other comment, good for you for not giving up. I had a crash last year at about this time and I was so bummed, but a year later the tank has come back and better than before

 

[jsker]

Thanks for the encouragement. Once the disappointment passed I was able to think clearly to get back into my favorite EXPENSIVE hobby! lol

LOL yes it can be expensive but after working through the frustrations it is a very enjoyable hobby. Have you started a build thread? It is alway interesting look back at ones build thread and logging everything so that one can look back at what work and what has not

 

[mtfish]

I'm not getting any cloudiness. My phosphates are testing low to zero and my nitrate and nitrite are zero, but I have hair algae. I feed a very small amount of mysis and LRS so it can't be from that. What dosage would you do for 200 gallon system. I am using a 1000 ML IV bag of RO mixed with 3 ML of Lanthanum dripping about 1 drop a second. Does this sound like a good dosage?

Dosage is a little higher than what I use, but pretty close. I dose 10 ml in one gallon of water and drip into filter sock usually about one drip per second or a little slower. I am using a small submerged pump inside my sump to send water through the filter sock.

 

[Orcus Varuna]

I dose it directly into my skimmer reaction chamber. The flocculant is then immediately skimmed out.

 

[AcroJack]

I'm not getting any cloudiness. My phosphates are testing low to zero and my nitrate and nitrite are zero, but I have hair algae. I feed a very small amount of mysis and LRS so it can't be from that. What dosage would you do for 200 gallon system. I am using a 1000 ML IV bag of RO mixed with 3 ML of Lanthanum dripping about 1 drop a second. Does this sound like a good dosage?

Any reason you wouldn’t just get something to keep the hair algae in check and maintain a more natural phosphate/nitrate balance?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Any reason you wouldn’t just get something to keep the hair algae in check and maintain a more natural phosphate/nitrate balance?

What levels do you consider natural?

Natural reefs typically have levels of nitrate and phosphate below levels many kits can detect.

That doesn't mean it is optimal, if we are not supplying adequate nutrition in other ways, but it might be called natural.

 

[MillerR.]

Like tangs or something? I am assuming my phosphates are coming from the rocks. My bio load for my 200 gallon tank is as follows:

1 Red Mandarin
2 Grammas
1 Coral Beauty
1 Vampire Goby
2 Clown Gobys
5 Barnacle Blennies
3 Springeri Damsels
1 Pistol Shrimp
2 Black Clowns
4 Cleaner Shrimp
2 Cucumbers

These are all small fish which should not be a large bioload for a 200 gallon tank with tons of liverock. Also, I feed only enough food that can be consumed in a minute or so.

Any reason you wouldn’t just get something to keep the hair algae in check and maintain a more natural phosphate/nitrate balance?