PhosGuard vs Birdsnest??

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copperkills

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Ok so I setup my GFO yesterday, left it at a nice low flow initially as to not shock my system (Phospate levels were undetectable prior to startup)...I just went down and checked and my lovely pink birdsnest has retracted ALL of its polyps..and I dont like the way it looks naked lol...I shutoff the reactor and ten mins later the polyps are slowly starting to fillout.....coincidence?  I did some reading in relation to Alum Oxide and it was supposed to have nil effects at reg pH levels....anyone have a similiar experience with other types of GFO...I dont really want to start it up again....My duncans also havnt opened fully....softies uneffected.

????
 
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Zakk

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It's for the greater good.  I do seem to recall my duncans didn't seem to like the GFO at first, but I just let it run.  Duncans also seem to close up when they are ready to split new heads too, so who knows.  If you're using the white balls, it has a much stronger impact on the chemistry and more likely things will react. 
 
G

Gietz

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I st started the bulk reef GFO and my Duncan's if anything has seemed to extend more. 
 
Darryl_V

Darryl_V

Super Active Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2011
Location
Woodstock, Ontario
well firstly GFO and aluminum oxide are two different things.

second I dont think that you would be able to notice such a fast reaction.  Likely the polyps recided for another reason and then of course after a little while came back out.  For all you know your fish bumped into it.

Just make sure you dont have high PO4...and start with a lower amout.
 
Quartapound

Quartapound

Active Member
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Oct 16, 2011
Location
Kitchener, Ontario
Agree with Darryl,

GFO(iron oxide based) and phosguard (aluminum oxide based) are very different things.


if you go searching, you'll find that a lot of hobbyists who have used Phosguard or other aluminum based phosphate removers have seen a negative impact on their corals.

here's an AA article  http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2004/6/review

I bought phosguard without researching, then read up on it when I got home....  decided not to use it, and wait for Bill to get Rowaphos back in stock. (which doesn't have much/any negative feedback associated with it...)

I let my algae problem go unchecked for almost a month while I waited for Rowaphos... didn't like how it looked but I'm glad I returned the Phosguard.  I'll be willing to try GFO in the future also.


I'd be wary of Seachem's product.
 
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crazybizzle

Guest
throw the phos guard out now. it is horrible seriously. it leaches out quick and does not last long at all
 
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Zakk

Guest
There's a couple of guys that really push the aluminum oxide (the white balls/pellets) as a 'quick fix'.  I used it when I was bringing my high phosphates down, and I think it was a big contributor to the dino problem I eventually had. 

Here's my numbers.  On June 22nd I was reading .78 PPM phosphate in the tank.  I added seachem on june 23rd under advice of one of our esteemed lfs people.  There was a steady decline of PO4. The second of July I was reading .19 and I switched out the seachem and switched to ROWA.  It dropped to .16 by the 13th at which time I switched to BRS GFO.  By the 24th I was at .05 and have hovered around there ever since.  Judging solely by my results (all this was run through a TLF phosban reactor), the seachem worked, but too quickly, the ROWA wasn't overly effective, and the hi-cap was the best long term performer.  For all of this I tested with both a salifert and a hanna checker.  The hanna isn't perfect, but the salifert is open to interpretation as well, but they were both close enough to each other, and I would do 1 salifert test and 2 hanna tests just to be sure. 

Just for me, I like the BRS stuff because you don't have to worry if you leave it in a little too long, and I have had no big spikes since July 28th.  I just tested and I got a reading of .03 (which can be actually .00-.07).  In fact the only time the phosphate crept up, was when I battled dinoflagellates and turned off the GFO, it crept back up to .12 (some guys were adding phosphate as a possible 'cure' to dinos).  Since I haven't had anything like that since, I do attribute that battle to changing my water parameters too quickly.  In fact during that period my nitrates spiked to 50 ppm, and they had been undectable before. 

I guess what I'm saying in a really long drawn out way, was I really don't like seachem PhosGard, and I do question the effectiveness of ROWA.  If I was going to 'fix' a neglected tank again, I would run a cup of BRS hi-cap in a reactor, and swap it out weekly, until my numbers hit .05PPM  No more quick fixes for me ever again.  Slow and steady, and LOTS of testing.  ;D
 
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Zakk

Guest
The big boys in the hobby always preach "nothing good ever happens fast", and I think they're absolutely right.  When I was reading .78 I freaked right out (and of course had slime algae over every square inch of rock), and wanted to FIX it. 

Now everything is about stability.  I don't really mess with anything, and I worry even if the salinity is off on my water change.  The results have been great.  Dosing and ATO has helped, as has regular filter sock changes and things like that.  I used to run bio balls that would only get partially swapped out every 6 months, it's a wonder I didn't always have high nitrates. 
 
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Zakk

Guest
pulpfiction1 link said:
well what caught my attention was the comparison of the different removers and the fact you posted the actual numbers,I'm sold,BRS high cap is the only way
Click to expand...

I'm glad I kept a detailed log, it pinpoints what I changed, and the result it caused. 
 
teebone110

teebone110

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2011
Location
London, Ontario
Website
www.thefragtank.ca
For what its worth, I have had excellent results with BRS regular grade GFO http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/1-pound-453-grams-bulk-gfo-granular-ferric-oxide.html

I change my reactor approximately every 2 months and don't test for phosphates. To simplify things, my eyes can usually tell me whats going on in regards to my phosphate levels. I notice closer to the end of the GFO lifespan, there will be some algae growth so I know its time to change my reactor.

If your first using it, you will need to change it more frequently to get the levels down since it is probably leaching from your liverock, etc. Once levels are stabilized, regular media changes are essential to the overall success to your system.
 
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Zakk

Guest
I never used the regular stuff, so I agree it probably works well, I think the difference is in how much it can hold before needing to be replaced.  I still swap it monthly anyway, I'd likely do fine with the regular grade, but just don't want to mess with what is working well for me now. 
 
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