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sharkey
09/29/2006, 03:59 AM
Hi
Has anyone got information on the effect of iron on skimmers? Why do I ask this crazy question, we have a waste water treatment plant installed at work and one of the last stages is to pass a low current into mild still plate and it binds and thickens the protein particles which in turn rise to the top to get skimmed off. I think that's the general idea. So being a Marine tank nut I got thinking. I have heard of deltec owners in Germany adding steel wool into the bottom of there skimmers? Has anyone got more information?

Randy Holmes-Farley
09/29/2006, 09:12 AM
I'm not familiar with why that plate is used in your treatment facility.

Iron metal itself should, IMO, have little or no impact on skimmers in a reef aquarium. Soluble iron, however, is sometimes limiting for the growth of certain organisms (like macroalgae) and if you remove that limitation, the water chemistry may change in a variety of different ways. Also, adding a lot of soluble iron that then precipitated as fine iron oxide and hydroxide particulates can help pull organics from the water and onto the new oxide surfaces.

In your case, the action may relate as much to the flow of water through the plate as any chemical effect on its surfaces. FWIW, metal objects in natural waters are really not typically exposing much metal after a short period of time, but rather are coated with bacteria and such.


FWIW, I routinely add soluble iron, and recommend that folks growing macroalgae also do so.

These articles have more:


First Iron Article: Macroalgae and Dosing Recommendations
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/aug2002/chem.htm

Second Iron Article: Iron: A Look at Organisms Other than Macroalgae
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/oct2002/chem.htm

sharkey
09/29/2006, 12:05 PM
Thanks for the reply randy ;)

I'm working today so im going to get some more information. They have a manual so I will get a copy The head tech was talking about it removing the proteins inside the water column that's why it was at the end of the cycle. He also said that we have to change the plates about once a year as they wear out. They ran the plant with fresh water to try it out and there was iron floating on the service looked like it was binding with stuff? It has 12volt running into it.

PS something interesting they said they normally put a bank of aluminum in it for cleaning up the water but in the plant we need to remove oils etc not get it to a higher standard as it goes into waste/Storm water . And believe it or not they had to add salt to the water to get it all going. We also add other chemicals to get the Ph right. As you can see chemistry isn't my strong point ;)

Randy Holmes-Farley
09/29/2006, 12:34 PM
Oh, it is electrified? Then it might be intentionally corroding and releasing large amounts of iron that might bind to many organic molecules and alter their properties. I'm not sure I'd want to add that much iron to a marine aquarium, but it might be OK. I've not noticed any impact on skimming after dosing iron, but I'll admit I never looked for an effect and it would take a big effect for me to notice it.