Phosguard...

[RC Anemone]

From what I understand by using an aluminum based phosphate remover such as phosguard, aluminum is released into the aquarium. Which is enough of a reason to not use it if you have corals.

But I would like to know if aluminum based products release phosphates once the media reaches its full capacity? Is this a myth? It seems everywhere I look everyone mentions these two problems in regard to aluminum based products. That it releases aluminum into the aquarium and that once it has reached its full capacity all of the phosphates collected go back into the tank. :( Do all of the collected phosphates re-enter the water column unlike GFO products?

Thank you. :)

[outy]

they do not leach all of the phos back into the water. if they do at all its not much.

[Atomahawk]

As Outy said if it do's it's probably not much. I would say that most of those that claim that it did were probably not monitoring the levels often enough and had the impression it did because they were importing more phosphate during a given time period. Example day 1 10ppm phosphate day 5, 2 PPM Day 10, 0 PPM day 17 3 PPM.

Without realizing it the last 7 days the product was exausted and they kept dumping more phosphate in the tank. It's easy to get the impression that the product may have leached some of what it accumulated back in the tank, when in fact it was just new phosphate that accumalated.

Resins and gac's are like a gas tank, once it's full, it's full. It can only hold so much. Thats why when a product like this says it's good for 300Gal thats not being truthful. if I have 300 Gal and 20 parts phosphates will it all be removed? What if I have 40PPM? They all have a certain capacity or saturation level, once it's met it's time to dump it. Thats why testing often is important whan one has a problem.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

All such phosphate binders (including GFO such as Rowaphos) bind more phosphate at higher water phosphate levels and less phosphate at lower phosphate concentrations.

If you load them up at high water phosphate concentrations, and put them into low water phosphate concentrations, some phosphate will come off. I've measured that myself. The amount released can be considerable under those circumstances.

[Snap-on]

I didn't know that, thanks.

[RC Anemone]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8120298#post8120298 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
All such phosphate binders (including GFO such as Rowaphos) bind more phosphate at higher water phosphate levels and less phosphate at lower phosphate concentrations.

If you load them up at high water phosphate concentrations, and put them into low water phosphate concentrations, some phosphate will come off. I've measured that myself. The amount released can be considerable under those circumstances. Hello Randy, thank you again for your help. You're so good at seeing everyone gets an answer, if I could, I would even ask my non chemistry questions here. :D

Now let me see if I have this correct... In truth all phosphate binders, aluminum and GFO both, will release collected phosphates back into the water under the right conditions. The "right" conditions being as you described. But basically absent of those circumstances, high phos in low phos water, all of these products do not leach anything back into the aquarium once collected?

[Atomahawk]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8120298#post8120298 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
All such phosphate binders (including GFO such as Rowaphos) bind more phosphate at higher water phosphate levels and less phosphate at lower phosphate concentrations.

Ok I'm a little confused, Is it based on volume or capacity of the product to bind more effiently at high levels (stacking phosphates so to speak) or simply out of increased exposure to the higher levels of phosphates making it easier for the products to bind phosphates?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8120298#post8120298 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
If you load them up at high water phosphate concentrations, and put them into low water phosphate concentrations, some phosphate will come off. I've measured that myself. The amount released can be considerable under those circumstances.

But do's this mean that once your levels dropped, they would leach back into the system? Or are you talking about physically moving the product from one tank to another?

Thanks in advance

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The "right" conditions being as you described. But basically absent of those circumstances, high phos in low phos water, all of these products do not leach anything back into the aquarium once collected?

They may also slowly release phosphate as it becomes replaced with something else,maybe organics, but I expect that process is minimal and slow.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

or simply out of increased exposure to the higher levels of phosphates making it easier for the products to bind phosphates?

The amount they bind is dependent on the final concentration in the water. So they have more capacity at 0.5 ppm phosphate than at 0.05 ppm phosphate.

But do's this mean that once your levels dropped, they would leach back into the system? Or are you talking about physically moving the product from one tank to another?


It means both "could" happen, but only if there is more phosphate on the media than it can hold at the lower level. Just dropping the phosphate dopes not mean it will come off unless it is "overloaded" relative to the lower concentration.