PhosGuard

[neoreef]

Hi,
Anyone have any experience/info on Seachem's PhosGuard for phosphate/Silicate control?
I am thinking that my itty bitty 55 gallon tank would be too small for a phosphate reactor, so I am wanting to try this stuff in my mechanical filter.

 

[reefnut]

There are two main types of phosphate removers. Aluminum oxide base (white) and Iron oxide base (Rust Color). I emailed Seachem's to see if they had any research showing the possibility of aluminum being released into the water column. Here is their response.
The amount of aluminum that is released is in the microgram range. In other words, an extremely low level that from a chemical standpoint would be characterized as "non-soluble" i.e. non-soluble material is not released into the solvent (i.e. water). Any search on the solubility characteristics of aluminum oxide would show it to be considered completely insoluble in water.
As we learn more about this effect we will publish information on our website and change our marketing/packaging as appropriate.
Although they claim its insoluble there are many reports of some soft corals, expesially leathers being effected when using a alu oxide media. If you're going to use a phosphate remover I would go with something like phosban... or other iron oxide media.

 

[saltynewbie]

check out steveweast's thread called "phosphate my take on things" or something like that... he uses rowaphos which is supposed to be the best.

 

[neoreef]

Thanks, Salty and ReefNut,
I've been reading the Steveweast threads, thus my interest in removing phosphate.
Thank you for emailing Seachem, but the response from them does not make a ton of sense. "the microgram range" means nothing. Concentration is the necessary information. Or how much Phosguard releases how much aluminum in the microgram range? Does pH have an effect on solubility? It does for most things.
Ah well, it seems they don't know. They are waiting for the customer to test their product. I'm afraid that's me...
Without a fluidized bed reactor, the iron type is supposed to clump together and become ineffective, so I am hesitant to use that in my filter, since it is not fluidized, and I am thinking the right filter would be overkill for my tank.
Thanks for the help, though.
Has anyone out there tried this stuff?

 

[kpk]

Like reefnut said there is aluminum based and iron oxide based. I actually had some phosgaurd from when i set my tank up and had a little left over. After reading steve weast's thread I thought I would give it a try again. The next day my zooanthids looked like crap. Softies don't like aluminum. So If I was to purchase anymore I would get the irox oxide kind for the soft corals.

 

[tunze]

:thinking: The mushrooms in my tank definitely didn’t like the introduction of Phosguard into my filters. They haven’t expanded like they usually do. However the phosphorus loving algae's hate it even more. PO4 is now undetectable with my test kit after a few days. I'm prolly going to remove the Phosguard now and search other avenues of Phosphate removal. I'm not too crazy on the idea of releasing aluminum into my tank.

 

[neoreef]

Thanks,
I have been noticing my zoos don;'t look too good, but the algae is down significantly.
hmm.

 

[reefnut]

Originally posted by neoreef
Ah well, it seems they don't know.
That's kinda what I got out of it all also. I have used Phosguard for a while but decided to look into it a few weeks ago. I plan to switch after I use up the rest of the phosguard...

 

[neoreef]

Thanks,
I have been noticing my zoos don;'t look too good, but the algae is down significantly.
hmm.