Products

Phosban-L, a new Lanthanum chloride product

melev — Tue, 27 Nov 2018 11:48:44 +0000

Phosban-L, a new Lanthanum chloride product melev Tue, 11/27/2018 - 14:48

I've never been one to shy away from Lanthanum chloride, a product used in our hobby to bind up and export phosphate from a reef tank. Not only did I feel like I'd found the magic elixir the first time I used some, I've been a huge advocate for more than a decade. Two months ago at MACNA, Two Little Fishies introduced their version to the attendees named Phosban-L. Phosban has been a powdered version of GFO for a long time, used in a Phosban Reactor or similar device. Phosban-L is not just a liquid additive, it's a bottle of concentrated Lanthanum chloride. This isn't really a product review, it's more about my thoughts on this topic.

I've been using it now for a few sessions and have enjoyed the same excellent results as I have with other similar products such as Phosbuster Pro (by CaribSea) and Phosphate Rx (by BlueLife USA). You have to mix Phosban-L with RODI water to create a solution you will drip into your system. I've seen and heard heavy warnings about using it very very very slowly, dripping it into a super fine micron sock. The finest micron available at this time that I'm familiar with is a 10 micron sock. In comparison, the average filter sock is 100m to 200m, so you must seek out a 10m sock when dosing this product. And when they say very slowly, they mean it. "It should be dripped ever so slowly into a filter sock" over a period of DAYS, not minutes, not hours. That's exceedingly cautious to me, but then again any time anyone utters the word Lanthanum, people seem to come out of the woodwork stating how careful you need to be. I'm not saying they are wrong, but they are never referring to Phosphate Rx -- because I've asked them to be specific about what they are talking about.

That being said, I'm not nearly that cautious with this product as they are directing. Perhaps being a 20-year hobbyist that has used some form of Lanthanum since 2005 until now has erased any concern, not to mention how many times my livestock has been exposed to it without any socks to trap it whatsoever. Let's say I used a product every 10 weeks; that's five times a year. 5 treatments x 13 years is 65 sessions, and I'd say realistically I've probably used it more like 75 times. The bulk of those (at least 60) dosings were done using Phosphate Rx, because I just love that product. You don't need a reactor, nor deal with all the steps involved with utilizing GFO. You simply drip it into the skimmer section of your sump or right into the display, and a few hours later the water is clear and the PO4 has been exported by a protein skimmer.

About 18 months ago, BlueLife started selling 10 micron socks. Since I'd dosed for over 10 years without using one, I asked what the reason for this was. Primarily it was for safety concerns, but to me the benefit is help avoid the cloud in the display tank in the first place, or helping it be removed more quickly. When you think of aquariums on display to the general public, they have to have crystal clear water every day, so using a 10 micron sock assures the water clarity remains intact even when treatment is going on in the background. I've used such a sock a handful of times, but realistically for my reef it simply seems unnecessary.

Enter Phosban-L. With the warnings I'd read, I wondered if I was being too casual about this. I've used the product four times, in two different systems. And here are my notes:

I mixed up 100ml of Phosban-L with 200ml RODI to make 300ml solution as directed.

Recipe: 5ml of mixed solution per 20g liquid volume reduces PO4 by 1.0ppm

My total system volume is 450 liquid gallons. This accounts for the water in the display tank of the 400g, the water in the 60g Anemone Cube, and the water in the sump and refugium. I've also considered and subtracted for the sandbed and rock the displaces some water, as well as the fact that the inside of each aquarium is actually less than what the tank size is labeled. That's why I figure the water volume is 450g, not more.

450g / 20g = 22.5

22.5 x 5ml = 112.5 ml needed to drop 1.0ppm

My reef tends to be .5ppm or less. Hence, I only used 50% of the recommended dose, because I'm not trying to drop it 1.0ppm.

I dosed 60ml on three different occasions with excellent results. I happen to have a handy 60ml syringe, and pressed the plunger gradually to trickle the solution into an area of high flow in my reef over a period of two minutes. The water got cloudy initially; it cleared up within a few hours. No sock was used. I've dosed this solution at night, and I've used it during the daytime-period. I don't believe it makes a difference what time of day you use these types of products, but my preference is a night when my fish are asleep so I don't have to look at a white cloudy tank.

One 500ml bottle makes 1500mls of solution, or 25 doses for my own system. That's economical for a larger reef, for sure. People with big reef tanks will like this very much.

I also used it in my frag system to see how it would work: That system has a 60g liquid water volume and it measured .1ppm PO4 before I dosed.

60g / 20g = 3
3 x 5ml = 15ml to remove 1.0ppm

I dosed 7.5ml which was really more than was needed since the tank only measured 0.1ppm; and that particular night / the next morning my skimmer overflowed which dumped whatever was in the cup into the sump again, including whatever LaCl it had exported during the night. I cleaned up the mess, got the skimmer running anew, and tested the water a few hours later. PO4 measured 0 on my Elos test kit.

I'm very pleased to report how nicely this product worked for me, and I'm sure I'll use it again. But for the average hobbyist with a more normal-sized aquarium, I'll continue to recommend Phosphate Rx to them because there is no mixing required, and the warnings are far less ominous. All my treatments with Phosban-L have been at 50% of what is recommended (because the Po4 level wasn't high enough to justify using more per treatment). If you are trying something new I'd urge you to use it at 50% strength to familiarize yourself with how it works, and dose a couple of times over a period of a few days instead of trying to use something brand new all at once.
*** Unlike buying products from pool suppliers or hardware stores, I'm glad more products made for the aquarium are becoming available that are designed for us to use without trepidation, because our livestock continues to remain safer that way. Why risk their lives to save a few pennies or dollars? Here are the items I discussed in today's blog, all available in my shop:

Phosphate Rx: http://www.melevsreef.com/product/phosphate-rx
10 micron Sock: http://www.melevsreef.com/product/filter-sock-10-microns
Phosban-L: http://www.melevsreef.com/product/phosban-l

Happy reefing.

Reef Blog

Quad-zoned Dosing Reservoir

melev — Wed, 16 May 2018 16:51:10 +0000

Quad-zoned Dosing Reservoir melev Wed, 05/16/2018 - 19:51

I build a lot of acrylic products for my customers, and take pride in my work. This is dosing reservoir that was recently ordered, and it came out really nicely. Each zone holds 1g of solution, such as Alkalinity + Calcium + Magnesium + Acropower perhaps. Dimensions are as follows: 21.25" long x 5" deep x 12" tall. I used a blue base for a nice look that matches the custom Sump and Top Off Reservoir the buyer ordered.

The single lid is made of polycarbonate, which means it won't warp due to being over a moist environment, and it fits into a recessed area.

John Guest fittings are installed with rigid acrylic 1/4" tubing to pull fluids from each zone. The entire reservoir holds 4-gallons of solutions.

All edges and corners are rounded over for an overall smooth feel.

This exact item is $275, as pictured. If you'd like to get one, please let me know. If enough people want it, I'll make it a permanent item in my shop.

Reef Blog

A nicer fan bracket?

melev — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 20:14:45 +0000

A nicer fan bracket? melev Thu, 04/20/2017 - 23:14

A customer requested I build a fan bracket that fits her rimless sump, so I designed something different that the CNC could cut out. I also changed the order of gluing joints, and I think overall it's a nicer looking final product. This is a single fan holder, and a 120mm fan drops into that spot. I usually build double fan brackets. Small 1/4" notches were cut to fit over the vertical walls of a rimless sump.

Fan trays are a custom-order part, and specific dimensions are necessary for the bracket to fit your existing sump. I usually need the inner width as well as the outer width of the sump, and pictures always help.

If you need 80mm or 120mm fans, I stock them. And can make the bracket you need for those to stay securely in place over your sump.

http://melevsreef.com/product/fan-tray-bracket
http://melevsreef.com/product/icecap-smart-fan

Reef Blog

Video: How to dose Phosphate Rx

melev — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 00:38:19 +0000

Video: How to dose Phosphate Rx melev Mon, 03/13/2017 - 03:38

I've been using Phosphate Rx for a decade, and it's my preferred product to keep PO4 levels under control. No GFO for me. I've mentioned it many times, but decided "I guess I need to do a video about this product after all." I do realize I could have explained the process in about sixty seconds because it's that simple, but I wanted this to be a fun video. Hope you liked the flashback.

Purchase Phosphate Rx here: https://melevsreef.com/reefshop/dry-goods/additives-and-solutions/phosphate-rx
Purchase 4" 10 micron filter socks here: https://melevsreef.com/reefshop/dry-goods/media/filter-sock-10-microns

Reef Blog

Autofeeder for rimless tanks

melev — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 19:32:39 +0000

Autofeeder for rimless tanks melev Sat, 01/07/2017 - 22:32

Years ago, I came up with an acrylic bracket to keep food in the display tank instead of letting it float across the surface and into the overflow (thus down into the sump, wasted and uneaten). I called it the Eheim Chimney, as it was made to fit the Eheim Autofeeder system. Turns out it fits the Apex AFS just as nicely. I usually suggest the person simply put it on top of the overflow box since that's a great place where it won't be knocked off into the tank. If the overflow box doesn't have a lid, I can make that as well.

What about those rimless tanks, or tanks with an external overflow? I had a friend recently ask me to make one for his rimless tank. We looked at the clamp mechanism that comes with the Eheim Autofeeder, and realized it has enough room for a maximum thickness of up to 1/2" glass, plus the 1/4" acrylic I use. This is what it looked like on my 3/8" thick glass, once installed. It grips the tank and the acrylic chimney, and it was merely tightened snugly, not cranked down like a crazy man.

The chimney section has to be under the opening the food drops out. We placed it here for the picture, but most people would likely install it near the back corner. Most importantly to me, it had to have that clean look.

We tested it on my tank, and later he reported it worked perfectly on his. I may be making these to sell from my site in addition to the normal type.

Reef Blog

A custom fan tray

melev — Mon, 28 Nov 2016 06:55:05 +0000

A custom fan tray melev Mon, 11/28/2016 - 09:55

While every fan tray I build is custom made to fit a particular sump, this one took more time and a little imagination to fit one customer's needs. This bracket will fit on a rimless sump, nestling down on the front wall and the inner partitian and stay there. I added a front and back piece to hug the spot so it won't be going anywhere accidentally.

It holds two 120mm fans, and is made of 1/4" clear acrylic. It actually took more time than it should have, but that's the nature of creativity versus a cookie-cutter product. I kinda like it. :)

Reef Blog

Gryphon AquaSaw - Model C-40

melev — Fri, 07 Oct 2016 03:01:02 +0000

Gryphon AquaSaw - Model C-40 melev Fri, 10/07/2016 - 06:01

When it comes to cutting up corals, there are hand tools, and then there are time-savers like a table top bandsaw. The Gryphon C-40 AquaSaw is something I purchased over two years ago at MACNA, and only opened it up for the first time two weeks ago. I thought I'd do an unboxing video, but that never happened. When I was recently in the midst of fragging colonies, I opened up the box, put it together, plugged it in and was instantly impressed with how well it worked. Cutting away dead skeleton, creating small frags from larger colonies of montipora and chalices, it kept up beautifully. I'm really glad I got the 42" model with the extra height. This week's video is about how sweet it is.

Reef Blog

Unexpected puddle

melev — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 23:17:44 +0000

Unexpected puddle melev Tue, 08/23/2016 - 02:17

Earlier today, the SmartATO began beeping while I was working at my desk. Thinking nothing of it, I ignored it for about 4 minutes while I wrapped up what i was doing. When I went over to unplug it, I saw a small flood in the fishroom and grabbed my camera. The cause of this was by a quick-disconnect I shorted out a week ago, and hadn't fixed yet. I tried to fix it, got frustrated and blew it off. You know what happens when you leave something unfixed on a reef, right? Well... storms in the area had changed barometric pressure, causing my skimmer to overflow leading to a messy fishroom floor. Grabbed my camera to share the mess with you and why it happened, because only another reefkeeper can relate and all of you are my family.

Reef Blog

Biopellets - what you need to know

melev — Fri, 19 Aug 2016 15:51:21 +0000

Biopellets - what you need to know melev Fri, 08/19/2016 - 18:51

One of the topics I wanted to address as a full video is biopellets. Short answer: they work. Earlier this year, nitrates spiked in my reef and despite lots of effort it didn't get them down and keep them down, so I opted to get biopellets running again on my 400g reef. The results were spectacular, as expected.

Reef Blog

Melev's Reef Mugs Now Available

melev — Sun, 31 Jul 2016 07:30:58 +0000

Melev's Reef Mugs Now Available melev Sun, 07/31/2016 - 10:30

It's those little things that make life more enjoyable right? Here's something new I'm very proud of, a good looking coffee mug with my favorite website emblazoned on both sides. No matter how you hold it, you'll show your friends which website you turn to for knowledge and purchases. You can order mugs here: https://melevsreef.com/reefshop/reef-wares/the-mug

Reef Blog