Guide: Lanthanum Chloride dosing for Phosphate control

[MichaelB]

lol. I understand water changes being great, and especially since I’ve gotten much better results recently by performing more frequent water changes, I’m probably not going to stop.

Was just very curious about this process and whether it could be used on a tiny tank with a tiny skimmer.

Thank you @derek_SR for the great write-up

No idea of the product mentioned here. Though sounds interesting. I found success in my biocube32 with Rowaphos, the other chemipure etc wasn't effective enough. It would possibly risk bottom out your tank at the levels your running guessing how effective it's been for me so far.

Before using the Rowaphos i couldn't get po4 below 1, now i hang around .5 and below. I love the biocube over all heck I must having 3 of them. Yet their filtration system sucks. My skimmer in it is also next to useless currently. Needs to be adjusted some kinda way. It's skims some days than skims nothing for weeks.

Dosing something into the skimmer sounds a little more complicated than I want to get into for my small biocubes not much room for mistakes in small tanks. I would consider it for the larger tank if p04 ever becomes a issue. So i definitely been following along here for the general information. Though i don't understand this enough to have any real confidence in trying it as of yet.

I tendnto wanna know enough about something i could write a paper on it before trying it. Lmao probably why i still never hooked up the dosing pump i got 6 months ago.

 

[Turkeysammich]

Imo. This is only for larger systems where a water change is not reasonable to control phosphate. It is also extremely advanced reefing. So unless you have a strong understanding of the upsides and the down sides. Please don’t try it. It can go sideways real fast.

 

[RandyC]

No idea of the product mentioned here. Though sounds interesting. I found success in my biocube32 with Rowaphos, the other chemipure etc wasn't effective enough. It would possibly risk bottom out your tank at the levels your running guessing how effective it's been for me so far.

Before using the Rowaphos i couldn't get po4 below 1, now i hang around .5 and below. I love the biocube over all heck I must having 3 of them. Yet their filtration system sucks. My skimmer in it is also next to useless currently. Needs to be adjusted some kinda way. It's skims some days than skims nothing for weeks.

Dosing something into the skimmer sounds a little more complicated than I want to get into for my small biocubes not much room for mistakes in small tanks. I would consider it for the larger tank if p04 ever becomes a issue. So i definitely been following along here for the general information. Though i don't understand this enough to have any real confidence in trying it as of yet.

I tendnto wanna know enough about something i could write a paper on it before trying it. Lmao probably why i still never hooked up the dosing pump i got 6 months ago.

rowaphos is GFO.

 

[L/B Block]

I tend to agree with Thomas in that water changes in a tank that small are the easiest/cheapest/safest way to do most anything. But I don't see why a small skimmer wouldn't work, as long as the skimmer is effective (some small ones aren't really).

Here's a couple more article series on DOC/GAC and may inform how often you want to change your carbon and so on:

https://reefs.com/magazine/total-organic-carbon-toc-and-the-reef-aquarium-an-initial-survey-part-i/

and

Granular Activated Carbon, Part 1: Modeling of Operational Parameters for Dissolved Organic Carbon Removal from Marine Aquaria

Chemistry Department, The Pennsylvania State University. In this first part of a two part series, the authors will introduce granular activated carbon and explain the experimental goals and mathematical models used in their research.

reefs.com

Ok -for the purposes of dosing-can I just drill a hole in the top of the lid right over the middle of the neck and install a quick connect 1/4 inch bulk head?

Or is just better to feed into the line between the Venturi and air silencer? I have a RO 150 essence with silicon tube.

I can see some issues though if the protein skimmer starts to overflow though o

 

[Turkeysammich]

Ok -for the purposes of dosing-can I just drill a hole in the top of the lid right over the middle of the neck and install a quick connect 1/4 inch bulk head?

Or is just better to feed into the line between the Venturi and air silencer? I have a RO 150 essence with silicon tube.

I can see some issues though if the protein skimmer starts to overflow though o

Yes and no. So you can drill a hole in the top and drip it in. You want to maximize the contact time. Thus introducing the lanthium at the bottom of the skimmer.
So will it work at the top ? Yes. But not as efficient.

 

[L/B Block]

Yes and no. So you can drill a hole in the top and drip it in. You want to maximize the contact time. Thus introducing the lanthium at the bottom of the skimmer.
So will it work at the top ? Yes. But not as efficient.

Makes sense. Thanks.

 

[Arvin R]

Makes sense. Thanks.

If drilling to install a line from the top. I would install a hard line on the bottom side and have it go 1in below the water line of the skimmer.

 

[L/B Block]

If drilling to install a line from the top. I would install a hard line on the bottom side and have it go 1in below the water line of the skimmer.

Rather get a manifold to connect the silicon hose to silencer and Venturi and connect in another line for the LC and the hose to the CO2 scrubber if I decide to put it back online..

Getting a new lid is cheap- getting a new body -ehhh.

 

[derek_SR]

If drilling to install a line from the top. I would install a hard line on the bottom side and have it go 1in below the water line of the skimmer.

I think I'm going to do this. I don't know why I haven't already done this. You think like a hole with a john guest bulkhead kinda thing?

The ONLY annoying thing about doing the skimmer method is having to re-thread the line whenever I clean the skimmer, this would solve that!

 

[L/B Block]

I think I'm going to do this. I don't know why I haven't already done this. You think like a hole with a john guest bulkhead kinda thing?

The ONLY annoying thing about doing the skimmer method is having to re-thread the line whenever I clean the skimmer, this would solve that!

Something like that. My only concern is is that the skimmer body is circular so it wouldn’t have a tight fit -allowing for additional noise to pop through and possibly some other issues..

 

[JVU]

I think I'm going to do this. I don't know why I haven't already done this. You think like a hole with a john guest bulkhead kinda thing?

The ONLY annoying thing about doing the skimmer method is having to re-thread the line whenever I clean the skimmer, this would solve that!

Following along with interest.

You’ll still have to disconnect the quick connect fitting to take the lid to the sink though?

 

[derek_SR]

Following along with interest.

You’ll still have to disconnect the quick connect fitting to take the lid to the sink though?

My interpretation was to actually drill a hole down into the body of the actual skimmer - wouldn't need to touch except for the once a year when I pull the entire skimmer for a deep clean.

 

[richiev]

Does LC get crusty/hard in the tubing? I'm curious how thin a dosing line one can use, and therefore how thin the hole could be.

 

[derek_SR]

Does LC get crusty/hard in the tubing? I'm curious how thin a dosing line one can use, and therefore how thin the hole could be.

Not really - the crust doesn't form until it hits the po4 in the water, so you'll see it around the end of the tube a bit sometimes. I am using standard 1/8" silicone tubing and haven't had any issues in a year.

 

[JVU]

My interpretation was to actually drill a hole down into the body of the actual skimmer - wouldn't need to touch except for the once a year when I pull the entire skimmer for a deep clean.

Oh I see, not going through the skimmate collection cup or lid at all. Quite a bit more permanent of a mod.

 

[derek_SR]

Oh I see, not going through the skimmate collection cup or lid at all. Quite a bit more permanent of a mod.

Yes...this is true. But it's a small hole that's easily plugged. I really like the skimmer and plan on keeping it for some time. I also don't ever plan on using any other method of po4 control so I think it's worth it.

 

[richiev]

Maybe another basic question, but why drill into the skimmer body versus have the tube output directly at the skimmer water intake?

The cheapest version being a rubber band holding it there. The slightly more advanced version would be 3d print a holder that fits around the inlet and holds the tube in place.

Would be pretty easy to design.

 

[derek_SR]

Maybe another basic question, but why drill into the skimmer body versus have the tube output directly at the skimmer water intake?

The cheapest version being a rubber band holding it there. The slightly more advanced version would be 3d print a holder that fits around the inlet and holds the tube in place.

Would be pretty easy to design.

if I were to go this route, I would just plug the hose directly into the ozone intake. The reason I don't is because I would be concerned about the lanthanum particulate gumming up the pump. It does tend to cling to things. Maybe I will experiment with this some more though and report back. Getting my skimmer pump out to clean/inspect is such a PITA though I'd rather just drill the damn thing.

 

[Gudhjem]

Thanks for the writeup. I'm curious why you run the tube down into the skimmer body. Why not drill a whole in the lid and drip from the top? Seems gravity will put the drops in the same place as the tube would, and then there's less clogging, and less impact on the foam head.

 

[Turkeysammich]

Thanks for the writeup. I'm curious why you run the tube down into the skimmer body. Why not drill a whole in the lid and drip from the top? Seems gravity will put the drops in the same place as the tube would, and then there's less clogging, and less impact on the foam head.

I explained that in post #25.Basically It will bubble out.