Sodium hydroxide

bertoni · 03/18/2006, 02:59 PM

Sodium hydroxide (lye) can be dissolved into RO-DI water and used to kill Aiptasia, either by injection or by coating the anemone. The Red Devil brand, if available, seems to work well. It is sold as a drain cleaner.

When mixed with water, this chemical will release a lot of heat. For safety, mix small quantities, perhaps a few milliliters of water, in a heat-resistant container, and always add the sodium hydroxide to the water. Adding water to sodium hydroxide can cause the water to boil and spray a caustic solution onto you. If mixed in large quantities, the fumes can be dangerous!

Sodium hydroxide will damage or kill any organism it contacts, so be careful. Like calcium hydroxide, it can form blobs that circulate around the tank and cause destruction if they land on a coral or other organism. This chemical will raise the pH and add alkalinity to the tank, so start out with small amounts, perhaps a 1ml syringe, and watch your water parameters carefully and frequently.

Most importantly, this solution can be very dangerous to people! Avoid any contact with skin or any other part of you. The warnings on the Red Devil container are quite serious.

bertoni · 03/18/2006, 03:00 PM

This thread is part of a series. The base thread is located here.

03/18/2006, 02:59 PM	#1
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Sodium hydroxide Sodium hydroxide (lye) can be dissolved into RO-DI water and used to kill Aiptasia, either by injection or by coating the anemone. The Red Devil brand, if available, seems to work well. It is sold as a drain cleaner. When mixed with water, this chemical will release a lot of heat. For safety, mix small quantities, perhaps a few milliliters of water, in a heat-resistant container, and always add the sodium hydroxide to the water. Adding water to sodium hydroxide can cause the water to boil and spray a caustic solution onto you. If mixed in large quantities, the fumes can be dangerous! Sodium hydroxide will damage or kill any organism it contacts, so be careful. Like calcium hydroxide, it can form blobs that circulate around the tank and cause destruction if they land on a coral or other organism. This chemical will raise the pH and add alkalinity to the tank, so start out with small amounts, perhaps a 1ml syringe, and watch your water parameters carefully and frequently. Most importantly, this solution can be very dangerous to people! Avoid any contact with skin or any other part of you. The warnings on the Red Devil container are quite serious. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

03/18/2006, 03:00 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	This thread is part of a series. The base thread is located here. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni