Lanthanum Chloride

[homer1475]

I originally posted this in the newbie section and got no response, So I thought I might get a better look at it here instead.



So I read to to help leach out the phosphates in BRS dry pukani I need to use lanthanum chloride. A product called free & Klear made by Sea Klear is to be used. I just want to make sure I'm buying the correct product.

http://www.poolsuppliessuperstore.co...FRCOaQod-YILKA (http://www.poolsuppliessuperstore.com/poolsupplies/Free-And-Klear.html?adpos=1t1&creative=66983807445&device=c&matchtype=b&network=g&gclid=COigsYqxgssCFRCOaQod-YILKA)

I'm doing 50# of dry pukani in a large brute container, with a heater and powerhead to cycle. If I read the thread properly, I need to use the phospahte remover, dump water, refill, repeat. During this process since I'm using salt water it will also be cycling my rock?

Just want to make sure I'm doing this right as I've never used dry rock before. I've only every had to cure live rock, and I certainly don't need a huge PO4 issue in my new tank.

[MaLi]

homer ... you have the right product. I am not really sure the approach you read is the right one. If I were you I will use about 5 ml of SeaKlear per gallon of water and have a water change every 24h. LaCl will react almost instantly with Phosphate if that is around forming a precipitate. You need a powerhead or a pump to have that water in motion all the time.
As far as how many times you need to do it, I have no clue. I think no one knows if rocks will store phosphates just on the surface or there is also a volume storage. You may need to measure phosphate level.

hope it helps,
MaLi

[bertoni]

I don't think you should be dumping the water very frequently, if at all. At the end of the phosphate treatment, I'd discard all the water and the precipitate and rinse the rock well, but water changes aren't necessary, although they might help if the rock has a lot of organic debris and you're trying to cycle it to create an ammonia filtration capacity.

[stephenhall1987]

I don't think you should be dumping the water very frequently, if at all. At the end of the phosphate treatment, I'd discard all the water and the precipitate and rinse the rock well, but water changes aren't necessary, although they might help if the rock has a lot of organic debris and you're trying to cycle it to create an ammonia filtration capacity.

+1

I'd keep the same water. Dose the SeaKlear, wait a few days, test phosphates, and repeat if necessary. Since the phosphates are absorbed into the rock, you can't really predict exactly how much lanthanam chloride you need. You have to dose it to clean the water, give the rock time to leach more phosphate out, test, and then repeat.

When you're sure the rocks are clean of phosphate, I'd clean the rocks off, and do a 100% water change.

[homer1475]

Thanks guys!

Wasn't 100% sure on how to go about using it. The thread OP said to change water every time you dose, and someone else said to just leave the water beThink it might have actually been Bertoni).

[Spectral_Ranger]

Agree with bertoni, you don't need to change the water frequently. I think I changed mine twice during the three weeks or so it took to cure. The water gets real funky after the first four or five days, so just didn't seem right for it to be stewing in that. Then I think I did it again after a week and a half just because. I cured mine in RO/DI water, no salt. I cycled after the cure, so didn't want to waste the salt. I also kept temp at like 85 while curing to try and cook out all the organics and get them to decay faster. Once my phosphates got low and didn't rise 24 hours after dosing the Lanthanum Chloride, they were good to go. Been running the tank now for almost a year and have had no phosphate issues.

[MaLi]

... you are all right, but all depends on what homer... plans to do with the rocks. If he accepts de idea of a cycle when starting using the rocks, he should not care much about water changes. If opposite, he plans to host the cycle with the phosphate reduction process, so his tank will get populated up front, I think water change is a must. Just MHO.

hope it helps,
MaLi