Lanthanum Chloride

[Rognin]

So I've started curing my old LR that was infested with everything (litterally, hydroids, aptaisia, majano, grape culpera, bristle worms etc etc etc).

My new tank has all dry rock and I might want to add a little of the cured old Jakarta LR as it has some nice shapes.

So I've done a 4 day vinegar bath (no one warned me about the putrid smell, JESUS!).

Rinsed and repeated for a second 3 day bath (wasn't as bad of a smell but still!)

Done a 2 day bleach bath to get the rock all white.

Now I'm up to the lanthanum chloride (which I've got).

I have a 45gal cooler that I'm putting my 57lbs of LR into for the bathing. How much Lanthanum (I was calculating 25ml), but can I over dose? Should I over does?

Also, once that is all done, I start re-curing the rock in salt water with Ammonia to bring it live again?

Thanks!

[slief]

If you are going to dose Lanthanum, I would suggest rinsing the rock well first, let it soak for 24 hours and then test with a low range PO4 tester. I use a Hanna Phosphorus tester. You may not even need to dose LaCl. If you do, it's a process because any PO4 you have is trapped in the rocks and one treatment won't eliminate. Also keep in mind that when LaCl comes in contact with PO4, it binds to the PO4 causing the PO4 precipitate. If you don't export it, it will stay in the rocks only to break down in the future as PO4.

If you decide to go that route, I would create some very high circulation in your holding tub. I would set a power head up so that it is pumping into a 10 micron filter sock. You would then want to setup an IV bag. For Po4 removal in rocks, I'd suggest one liter of water to 10ml of LaCl which will drop PO4 by .10 in 500 gallons of water. In a smaller container, obviously the results would be higher. Set your drip rate at about 1 drop per second and drip directly into the filter sock. The sock will need to be suspended so water doesn't overflow out of it sending the precipitate back into the water column where it will settle back into the rocks. The IV bag will take several hours to drain at 1 drop per second. The 10 micron sock will clog up fairly quickly depending on your PO4 levels so be prepared to keep an eye on it and swap out socks every hour or as needed before they overflow. The 10 micron sock is critical for exporting the PO4 out of the water but again, you need very good flow through the rocks to get as much of the PO4 out of the rocks and into the water column. A good power head pumping the water into the sock will be critical in getting the PO4 precipitate out of the water column and into the sock.

Once you have done a treatment, I would suggest filling the water back up, letting it set for 24 hours or more, retest the water to see where PO4 levels are at and repeat as necessary. Also keep in mind that if you are using tap water, there will likely be PO4 in the water so knowing what the PO4 level of your tap water would be somewhat important in determining what if any PO4 is leaching out of your rocks.

That said, I am not sure how other do it but this is the way I would do. You don't want the precipitate to remain in the water or rocks because it will eventually break down and leach back out into your water.

This is a very good and informative thread on the use of LaCl for PO4 removal. I'd suggest reading it in it's entirety as there is much you can learn from it.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1474839&highlight=lanthanum

[Rognin]

Great thanks!

Yeah I had a PH moving the water. But no socks.

I was going to use RODI for the treatment so it wouldn't have any phospates.

Maybe get a HOB filter with floss and GAC instead of a sock? As long as the water is moving and the filter can catch most of the binded P)4 then it should work right?

Thanks again!

[slief]

Great thanks!

Yeah I had a PH moving the water. But no socks.

I was going to use RODI for the treatment so it wouldn't have any phospates.

Maybe get a HOB filter with floss and GAC instead of a sock? As long as the water is moving and the filter can catch most of the binded P)4 then it should work right?

Thanks again!

I'd save the RODI water. Just use tap water and run the tap water through the same process before putting the rock in it. It wouldn't take but a few ML of LaCl in 1/4 liter of water to remove any PO4 from the tap water using the same method in conjunction with the sock. Then again, I am not sure how bad your tap water is with other stuff in the water. That said, I'd at the very least use tank for the first pass or two. Then RODI for the last soaking.

Definitely use RODI in the IV bag though for the LaCl solution. As a side note, I use Sea Klear PO4 remover which is available at most pool supply places. The same stuff from the same manufacturer is packaged for marine aquarium use and supplied to public aquariums. Every 6 or so months, I use this method to treat my tank. Only difference is that I use 5ml of LaCl to 1 liter of RODI in the IV bag. This will reduce my PO4 levels by up to .06 in my 600 + gallon system. The key is the 10 micron sock and a very slow drip rate. The slow rate helps insure that any residual LaCl doesn't escape the filter socks and the filter socks insure that any precipitate doesn't escape as the precipitate can hurt the fishes gills and can be deadly to tanks. I'm very careful when I use that stuff and in doing so, I never see any cloudiness in my tank and never have a negative reaction from my fish despite the radical drop in PO4 levels. The only inhabitant that has any negative reaction is my RBTA's who tend to shrink up for a few days after treatment. This has only happened once though.

[Pife]

I have dripped it into my skimmer with great success. I would defiantly use a sock in your situation though. You don't want all that bound po4 getting back into the rock.