Should i wash out my PhosGuard?

kcobain111

Member
hello i just bought some PhosGuard it's supposed to bring my phos levels down. Should i wash it out before i put in into use?
 

who dey

Active Member
put it in the media bag and run some ro/di through it to get rid of any really fine material that may spill into your tank. then place it in your filter basket :happy:
 

taz_12777

Member
IMO you should always rinse anything going into your tank to get the "extra" stuff off that you don't want.
 

trainfever

Active Member
Pour some into a filter bag of some sort or an old stocking and then rinse it. There is not much residue to rinse off. Then just chuck it into your filter or wherever you have maximum water flow.
 

kcobain111

Member
That's what i figured but i don't want to mess anything up. Thanks for the Reply's
And i just got me a Flame angel!
 

reeferman1

Member
Can you place Phosban in a media bag and put it in the main cavity of the skimmer for circulation? How long should it be circulating and when to take it out. Thanx.
 

larrynews

Active Member
it says do NOT rinse before use...it must me in a flow throuh contact chamber so that water can direct through it...says it can be effective for several months...hth
 

reefnut

Active Member
The PhosGuard should always be rinsed before using... not only does it have aluminum oxide dust on it, it also gets very hot when it first gets wet. Also be sure to only use RO/DI or Distilled water.
FWIW, PhosBan and other Iron Oxide media's are much better to use. Iron, if leached can be readily used up by algae... aluminum oxide can not.
 

reefnut

Active Member
PhosGuard™ rapidly removes phosphate and silicate from marine and freshwater aquaria. It is not recommended for phosphate buffered freshwater. PhosGuard™ is highly porous for high capacity and bead-shaped for optimum water flow. It outperforms all competing products. 500 mL easily treats over 150 gallons*. This product is sold by volume. Cited weight is minimal weight.
Sizes: 100 mL bagged, 250 mL, 500 mL, 1 L, 2 L, 4 L, 20 L, 100 L
DIRECTIONS: For best results, PhosGuard™ should be placed so as to maximize the flow of water through it. It may be used in a canister filter, box filter, or any high flow area of a trickle filter. In some situations it may be necessary to use in a filter bag. Use 250 mL (~1 cup) for every 300 L (75 gallons*). Leave product in place for 4 days, then test phosphate or silicate concentrations with either MultiTest: Phosphate™ or MultiTest: Silicate™. If the concentration of the component you are trying to decrease has not dropped to around 0.02 mg/L, then replace the PhosGuard™, otherwise leave in place until levels begin to climb again. As long as concentrations remain under control, the product is not exhausted. Each 500 mL of PhosGuard™ treats over 600 L (150 gallons*) (i.e. will remove up to 30 mg/L phosphate in 600 L (100 gallons*) of water, depending on the initial phosphate/silicate concentrations and the current biological load. Over treating is not recommended. PhosGuard™ is not an exchange resin, it does not release anything into the water. It does not leach phosphate or silicate back into the water and may be removed, dried, and returned to service until exhausted. Continuous use of small quantities is better than intermittent use of larger quantities.
Caution!
May generate heat on initial contact with water. Pre-wet by adding to a double volume of freshwater (e.g. 250 mL of product in 500 mL water), followed by a rinse.
 

reefnut

Active Member
That is directly off their website. I have some at the house... I'll have to take a look but I'm pretty sure mine says the same thing.
Are you looking at something other than PhosGuard??
 

larrynews

Active Member
fine, not to get in a pissing match but i'm also looking at it right now and it says "do NOT rinse PhosBan before use!" i just read the entire container says nothing about rinsing first so i guess do what you feel safe with....
PhosBan (Phosp. Adsorption Media) 150g
Take care of your phosphate problem with Two Little Fishie's PhosBan, a new product in the Julian Sprung1s Formula line. PhosBan is a highly porous super adsorbent granular filter media made from ferric oxide hydroxide. PhosBan binds so much phosphate that it can effectively keep phosphate levels in aquariums low for months. It is ideal for use in marine, reef aquariums, and freshwater aquariums. PhosBan gives long-lasting cntrol of phosphate levels for a clean aquarium and enhanced growth of hard and soft corals. PhosBan Phosphate Adsorption Media. Problem solved.
Instructions:
Do not rinse before use. It can initially turn the aquarium water slightly brownish due to release of fine particles. This is temporary and harm- less to fishes, plants and inverts. To be effective. It must be used in a flow- through contact chamber, not merely placed in the aquarium. Put it in filter bag or between 2 layers of fine filter floss in a canister filter or filter chamber of a wet/dry filter or sump. Position so that the water is directed through it. It crumbles easily and should be packed firmly so that the granulars do not tumble, which would grind them. In a canister filter, the flow can be reduced with a valve on the output so that it is possible to measure zero phosphate in the water leaving the canister.
 

reefnut

Active Member
You're talking about something completely different. PhosGuard and PhosBan are two different products made out of two completely different materials.
 

reefnut

Active Member
lol, no your not an a** :) ... thanks for clarifying it. FWIW, IMO PhosBan is a superior product.
 

reeferman1

Member
Reefnut, can you place Phosban in a media bag and put it in the main cavity of the skimmer for circulation? If not I have a Biowheel 200 that I'm not using, but maybe I can place the Phosban in a media bag and drop in where the filters go without the wheel. Would this work and how long should it be circulating and when to take it out. Thanx.
 

reefnut

Active Member
I wouldn't put it in the skimmer. PhosBan makes a cheap media reactor that works really well... but putting it in a HOB filter should work.
It's hard to tell when PO4 removers are exhausted. They say PhosBan can be ran for months but I think that would really depend on the amount of phosphates that goes into the system. What I do in my 110g is run a small amount of media 24/7 and just change it out monthly. In my 55g I don't run it at all.
 

kcobain111

Member
Thanks for scarin me guys...no Just kidding. When i cleaned out the PhosGUARD there was a huge cloud of dust that came out of it. As safe as they asy it was i didn't want all that in my tank... :)
 
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