Molybdenum and Manganese DIY Supplement

[Rickyrooz]

Randy, which form of Molybdenum and Manganese are water soluble for a DIY reef supplement?

Are either of these safe for dosing? If not, can you recommend a more suitable form?

Molybdenum (as Sodium Molybate)
http://alphachemicals.com/sodium_molybdate

Manganese (as Manganese Dioxide or Manganese Sulfate)
https://www.homesciencetools.com/manganese-dioxide-15-g
http://alphachemicals.com/manganese_sulfate

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The sodium molybdate and manganese sulfate are good choices.

Manganese dioxide is not very soluble.

 

[jzw]

Manganese (as Manganese Dioxide or Manganese Sulfate)
https://www.homesciencetools.com/manganese-dioxide-15-g
http://alphachemicals.com/manganese_sulfate

hey folks, i looked up the alphachemicals Mn @Rickyrooz posted, and it's got a lot of trace impurities... or are the amounts not enough to worry about? see the spec sheet below.

any better options, or has this particular product worked for everyone?

 

[ReeferBud]

Also interested in the question about impurities.

What are the benefits of dosing molybdenum and manganese in a reef aquarium?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

hey folks, i looked up the alphachemicals Mn @Rickyrooz posted, and it's got a lot of trace impurities... or are the amounts not enough to worry about? see the spec sheet below.

any better options, or has this particular product worked for everyone?

This material looks quite good.

FWIW, they do not actually list any other element concentrations, except to state that they are lower than a certain value.

None of these would be a concern for dosing trace element, since you dose so little of even the main element, and everything else listed is much more than a thousand times lower in concentration.

For this reason, purity requirements on trace elements are not significant at all, relative to the purity requirements for things we add a lot of (alkalinity, calcium, etc.).

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Also interested in the question about impurities.

What are the benefits of dosing molybdenum and manganese in a reef aquarium?

They are both needed by all organisms, and manganese is rapidly depleted in reef tanks. Just a little macroalgae growth can remove it all (or essentially all), for example.

That said, I don't agree with the reseller hype around trace elements that element X brings out color Y in corals. Far too simplistic.

 

[jzw]

thanks @Randy Holmes-Farley, i'll go with the alphachemicals Mn!

 

[ReeferBud]

They are both needed by all organisms, and manganese is rapidly depleted in reef tanks. Just a little macroalgae growth can remove it all (or essentially all), for example.

That said, I don't agree with the reseller hype around trace elements that element X brings out color Y in corals. Far too simplistic.

Thanks Randy! I’ll add these to my growing collection of DIY supplements

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You're both welcome.

Happy Reefing.

 

[jzw]

re: manganese

omg...

with everyone's help and mental assistance (@ReefTeacher, @Randy Holmes-Farley), i just made my first DIY additive

using the alphachemicals.com "manganese sulfate" MnSO4 • H2O (i think the bag was 17 bucks), i made 1.5 liters, with a concentration that's 3.2 times the strength of triton's additive, with just this itsy-bitsy-tiny bit of powder...

it's such a physically small amount of dust... ridiculous!

p.s. it gained weight by the second, sucking in moisture from the air... so measure fast lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

That's why it is a "trace" element.

 

[FGK]

I received my Triton test results and I need to increase both Molybdenum and Manganese. I am planning to buy manganese sulfate and sodium molybdate from alphachemicals.com. I need to increase Mo from 0.00 to 12 microgram/l; For Mn from 0.00 to 2.00 microgram/l. 100 gallon tank that has a 90 gallon real volume. I am looking for a recommendation for the mixture and dosage of these two elements.
Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Is that the exact name of each, no hydrating water molecules?

 

[FGK]

Sodium Molybdate Dihydrate - Na2MoO4*2H2O

And

MnSO4*H2O

I am planning to do two separate solutions . I will mix with 500 ml RODI water. I am looking for a guidance of how much grams should I add to this RODI and how much ppm I would add per ml dose.

Thanks

 

[David S]

Just noticed this post and was wondering if anyone has determined how much to dose of the sodium molybdate dihydrate?

 

[jzw]

@David S, we base our Mo demand off of quarterly triton icp tests

 

[David S]

@David S, we base our Mo demand off of quarterly triton icp tests

Thanks for the quick reply.
Here's my situation, though:
I've had several ICP tests, including a few from Triton, and they have always shown my Molybdenum as undetectable.
In spite of the fact that I've dosed Kent's Strontium/Molybdenum supplement for years.
(BTW the Strontium is detectable).
So I thought I might do a DIY using Sodium Molybdate dihydrate. But I need to know how much of it to mix with RODI water and how much of the solution I might consider adding to my tank.
I'm doing this to see if it spurs growth of my macroalgae.

 

[Rickyrooz]

Randy, using the two MSDS sheets posted, how much Sodium Molybdate Dihydrate would it take to raise 10 gallons of water by 0.01 ppm (10 ug/L)? Also, the how much Manganese Sulfate would it take to raise 10 gallons of water by 0.0001 ppm (0.1 ug/L)?
Thank you

 

[jzw]

@David S looks like it's time to separate your strontium and molly dosing. yea, you'll haveta do math, kinda calculate backwards, starting with your system volume. how much is dosed depends on what concentration you end up diy'ing. i make my brother do the calcs now lol.

we haven't done the calcs yet for diy, we're still using our last bottles of ati molly.

 

[David S]

Thanks, perhaps Randy can provide guidance.