Quote:
Originally Posted by Daddyrawg
When you say newly bathed rock you mean after the acid treatment use LC?
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Yes, after the acid bath
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daddyrawg
Can I just skip the dip and go with the LC treatment in a vat? How long does the LC treatment take in a vat?
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Lanthanum Chloride will not dissolve the organic material like algae, detritus, sponges, etc., built up on the rocks. Besides stripping the layer of rock probably highest in bound phosphates, the acid would do that for you.
So... how long does it take? That's hard to say. First, your rock has organic material deep inside it where the acid can't reach that will continue to decay. This will release phosphates as well as nitrogen compounds. Second, there is no telling how much phosphate is bound in the newly exposed layer of rock or how fast it will leach into the water column where the LC can do its magic. I won't BS you here... this is a weeks long process, not days. I acid bathed mine and did the LC thing. Excluding the time my screw-ups cost, the process took about three weeks.
If you can swing it, you'll not have phosphate problems related to the rock. The process also allows some bacteria to be established in the rock so your cycle will be shorter once you put it back into the DT. FWIW, I really like what I ended up with. My phosphates stay very low with very little help.