Did I unlock all the phosphate from 100#s of live rock?

[Daddy-o]

this guy said he's been using different brand of LC for 14 years and don't use filter sock, just dose it directly into the display tank.

I may be that care free when I have dosed it many times. But on my first try, I am going to be over cautious

 

[piranhaman00]

The particulate formed can kill fish I have heard, no?

 

[excell007]

The particulate formed can kill fish I have heard, no?

That's what's I am saying, and he's also saying, the fishes are swimming into the cloudy water with no issue. I have dosed LC several times this last 5 months. I started at more than 4ppm, I am still at 1.6. I am only dosing to remove a little at a time. But I have tried it directly on the DT(actually on the return section of the sump), on the skimmer, and on a 10 micron sock , I have the same result on all of them. DT is a bit cloudy for approx 2 hours when dosing on return section, but it's not that bad, more hazy than cloudy. I have 13 fishes on the display no issue on the last 5 months I have been dosing this. you will experience a bit of down and up on phosphate level, because the rocks will leach it back when the level on the water is lower than what's on the rocks. I actuall just dosed 7.5ml last night and 7.5 ml this morning. Also in this hobby one reefer's experience on a product is not always the same as other refeer's, so just keep an eye on your livestock.

 

[piranhaman00]

That's what's I am saying, and he's also saying, the fishes are swimming into the cloudy water with no issue. I have dosed LC several times this last 5 months. I started at more than 4ppm, I am still at 1.6. I am only dosing to remove a little at a time. But I have tried it directly on the DT(actually on the return section of the sump), on the skimmer, and on a 10 micron sock , I have the same result on all of them. DT is a bit cloudy for approx 2 hours when dosing on return section, but it's not that bad, more hazy than cloudy. I have 13 fishes on the display no issue on the last 5 months I have been dosing this. you will experience a bit of down and up on phosphate level, because the rocks will leach it back when the level on the water is lower than what's on the rocks. I actuall just dosed 7.5ml last night and 7.5 ml this morning. Also in this hobby one reefer's experience on a product is not always the same as other refeer's, so just keep an eye on your livestock.

Even dosing in filter sock caused cloudiness?

 

[Daddy-o]

The particulate formed can kill fish I have heard, no?

I have only read one horror story about livestock death and it seems that it was related more to not getting the dose right. He had mixed way too much into his drip. After the LC cleared the phosphate, it began attacking alk. Check and double check your math on dosing, and then post it here (before you dose) so that we can all check it. I was working on what my dosage should be this morning and and it came out to 149 drops. Turns out I missed placed a decimal and it should have been 14.9 drops. OMG that would have been BAD!!
Cheers! Mark

 

[excell007]

Even dosing in filter sock caused cloudiness?

Barely, you will notice that it is not crystal clear but it's not that bad. I just dose less than an hour ago, let me take a picure. I will update this post in a little while.
Update:
Here it is about 1.5 hours(I just checked the log) after dosing into a 10micron sock. I am trying to convert this 15YO fowlr into a reef, that's why I am trying to lower phosphate. I don't even see any issue with the 5 new frags on the rack, I have them for 3 weeks and I see some growth.

 

[piranhaman00]

Barely, you will notice that it is not crystal clear but it's not that bad. I just dose less than an hour ago, let me take a picure. I will update this post in a little while.

I dont want any particulate escaping the filter socks, that is the point of the 1um. What size do you use?

 

[excell007]

I dont want any particulate escaping the filter socks, that is the point of the 1um. What size do you use?

Haziness is more when dosing in return section with no sock, desipates in 2 hours, no issue with fishes.
using 10 micron, and it's clogged in 3 days.

 

[piranhaman00]

Haziness is more when dosing in return section with no sock, desipates in 2 hours, no issue with fishes.
using 10 micron, and it's clogged in 3 days.

Stupid question, I never used filter socks... when they are clogged, are they overflowing? How do you tell ?

 

[excell007]

Stupid question, I never used filter socks... when they are clogged, are they overflowing? How do you tell ?

Yes, they will overflow. Change it before the water level inside the sock gets to the plastic ring. On a new sock the water level will be the same as the section of the sump it is located, then the water will rise as the pores gets clogged more and more.

 

[jccaclimber]

When they clog in this case they simply overflow as if you were pouring into an bucket instead of a sock.

 

[piranhaman00]

Yes, they will overflow. Change it before the water level inside the sock gets to the plastic ring. On a new sock the water level will be the same as the section of the sump it is located, then the water will rise as the pores gets clogged more and more.

Interesting, thank you! How far out of the water does the neck of your sock get?

 

[excell007]

Interesting, thank you! How far out of the water does the neck of your sock get?

my sump is 16 inches high, water level is at 11 inches, ring of the filter sock is at 15. I have seen water overflow the sock, no harm done cause it will just overflow inside the sump. It's's a 4 inch sock, 14 inches long.

update: @piranhaman00 , this is a 2 day old sock, water is only about an inch from the top, 3 inches higher than the sump level. I just use zip tie to hang it on my skimmer output and dose the LC inside the skimmer.

 

[piranhaman00]

Awesome, thanks, I am formulating some ideas in my head for how I want to do this!

 

[Daddy-o]

For the longest time this has been my phosphate:

Even with GFO and Phosban, it remained at the .22 range. A week ago I cut all feeding in half and yesterday this was my phosphate

While it is not bad, I am going to continue with my plan to dose LC to get below .1 and raise my feeding back to normal. As I re-read the instructions to the Blue Sky phosphate RX, there is no mention of dosing into a sock of any kind. The socks are not here yet but the LC should arrive today and I am pondering just adding a drop every 20-30 minutes into my skimmer (no socks). By my math, 5 drops should bring me down .03 in my system. Any thoughts?

 

[piranhaman00]

For the longest time this has been my phosphate:

Even with GFO and Phosban, it remained at the .22 range. A week ago I cut all feeding in half and yesterday this was my phosphate

While it is not bad, I am going to continue with my plan to dose LC to get below .1 and raise my feeding back to normal. As I re-read the instructions to the Blue Sky phosphate RX, there is no mention of dosing into a sock of any kind. The socks are not here yet but the LC should arrive today and I am pondering just adding a drop every 20-30 minutes into my skimmer (no socks). By my math, 5 drops should bring me down .03 in my system. Any thoughts?

The guy on that video you posted doesnt dose in socks, just right into sump, looks like tank will get cloudy. Im guessing the deaths are from gross overdoses or something.

 

[excell007]

I have done dosing directly to return section without sock before, and it got cloudy for at least 2 hours. If you doing it slowly, like what you planned to do, it shouldn't be that bad. But it will be hazy for quite a while since you'll be adding every 30 minutes.

I just dosed 7.5ml into my skimmer 5 minutes ago. Pictures below are from yesterday 1.5 hours after dosing and today 1 minute after dosing, you can definitely see the difference.

 

[piranhaman00]

How does it get removed? Skimmer only?

 

[excell007]

How does it get removed? Skimmer only?

My return goes thru a 100 micron sock, then skimmer( not all of the water goes thru the skimmer though). I took a picture just now, it's clear already.

 

[Daddy-o]

I am dosing! The LC was delivered. I have added 3 drops (10 minutes apart) into the skimmer and all seems good. I was blowing off the rocks when the bottle arrived so hard to tell if the cloud is detritus or LC but the fish dont seem any different and the water is not milky/hazy. Now to triple check my math.
Cheers! Mark