Lanthanum and Disaster.

So my LFS, who is usually quite competent, talked me into a little lanthanum chloride for a minor phosphate increase. I bought a bottle of the Throve product.

I put the recommended dose in my tank and went out to pick up a few other things. By the time I got home, all my SPS was closed. Don't panic and all that...

Until my fish started acting poorly.

Dead so far are my purple tang, velvet fairy wrasse, diamond goby, and half my chromis.

I'm so angry, and I'm not even sure who to be angry with. I feel like I did something dumb, but how is using the recommended dose of a product designed for the application you're using it for after some online reading a high risk activity?

Oh well.

 

oh no, I'm so sorry for your loss!!

 

Same thing just happened to me. My story is on my build.

 

Sorry to hear. LC is tricky, I've seen a number of LFSs around here pushing it too, maybe they want to sell more replacement livestock? IDK, probably more of a price point thing, but unfortunate either way.

 

Sorry to hear.

 

Most people using the swimming pool versions of the product slow drip it diluted into a 5 to 10 micron filter sock to catch the precipitate and prevent negatively impacting the fishes respiration system. I usually mix 5mls of phosfree with 1 gallon of rodi and drip it over 12 to 18 hours. Someone mentioned in the super long thread on lanthanum on another forum about the fact that the aquarium versions aren't mentioning filtering the precipitate and that it can clog fish gills if you use too much, too fast on a high phosphate system.

Sorry for the loss. My number one fish is a purple tang and I'd hate for anything to happen to it. If you ever try it again I'd read that "long" thread on the topic first. I will say that it works. Used it several times to knock out phosphate to zero on the Hanna with no losses. Tangs seem to be reported the most, or have the highest casualties, with respiratory problems when causing to much precipitate in the tank.

 

Yeah,

I know it works I guess. I've used it in previous tanks with some signs of caution but no serious problems. I guess I just had no real sense for how bad it could go.

Fish are still gasping, but those that didn't for yesterday seem to be improving. I'm slowly doing water changes throughout the day. Considering some marine snow to try to drive the precipitate into the skimmate.

Any suggestions?

 

I'd look into a diatom filter and start running your water through it. I've read extensively on LaCl and went against it after reading ow sensitive fish can be to the precipitate.

 

Only thing to do now is water changes or run a low micron filter. The fishes gills will clear over time.

 

Just for the record, the company is taking steps to make me whole on my losses and I appreciate their swift response. They have been very considerate and helpful throughout the process and I'm now more likely to buy their products than I was before.

I should also note the problem was apparently related to a bad batch of product; this should not happen with a correctly sized dose of lanthanum chloride (not that I will ever be testing that hypothesis).