Instructions and Guidelines
Determine the silica concentration in the aquarium using an accurate test kit before supplementing. Identify all sources of silica in the aquarium (e.g. fresh water, salt mix, etc.) before determining a rate of dosing for this
supplement. Begin with a dosage of 1 drop per 20 US-gallons per day, which will increase the silica concentration in this volume by ~0.01 ppm. Observe sponges for signs of growth improvement for at least two weeks, which may be significant enough to notice within the first week of dosing. Allow two weeks at this dosage before increasing the dosing volume; increase dosage by up to 10% per week as the perceived silica requirements of the organisms dictate. Maintaining the silica concentration in a range of 0.5 - 2.0 ppm will generally suffice for most systems; in general, the greater the biomass of silica-dependant organisms and the more available other necessary nutrients are, the greater the demand for soluble silica becomes. If diatom growth becomes abundant, discontinue dosing for 3 - 4 days and then resume dosing at a lower dosage. Note that daily, rather than less frequent, dosing is strongly recommended, as adding a large amount of soluble silica to any marine aquarium all at once is highly likely to result in a diatom bloom. Each ml of Brightwell Aquatics SpongExcel will increase the concentration of soluble silica [SiO2] in 1 US-gallon (3.785 L) of water by ~4 ppm, or ~0.20 ppm per drop. Determine the required daily dosing rate (recommended to weekly dosing) by measuring the aquarium's [SiO2] at the same time each day over a one- to two-week period. Estimate the volume of water in the entire aquarium system; divide the daily decrease in [SiO2] by 0.20; multiply this number by the volume of water in the system to get the daily dosage required (drops) to maintain a table
[SiO2].
A word about feeding Sponges: Sponges need to be fed and respond well to Coral Amino and to Restōr, as well as our planktonic foods such as PhytōChrōm, PhytōGold, PhytōGreen, & Zooplanktōs. In addition, it is absolutely necessary to use a silicate booster, such as SpongExel. SpongExcel will cause sponges to uptake more latent organic matter and increase their growth rate, particularly in systems housing spongivorous fishes such as marine angelfishes, butterflyfishes and the like.
Caution: Silica solutions are caustic; in case of contact flush skin and/or eyes with fresh water for 15 minutes. Drink 16-oz. fruit juice if swallowed and seek immediate medical attention. Wear protective eyewear and gloves when handling. Keep out of reach of children. Not for human consumption.