aluminum vs iron oxide

steelwrap · 05/11/2013, 12:54 PM

Started using gfo a couple weeks ago and it dropped my alk pretty far. Does aluminum oxide (phosguard) do this also? Any negatives about using aluminum? Thanks, Jeff

nynick · 05/11/2013, 01:47 PM

It does not drop your Alk.

Lots of talk about how Aluminum based products release aluminum into the water but every test I have seen about this ranges from not true to inconclusive. I have used aluminum based ones for years with no ill effects what so ever.

The makers of Phosguard did some testing on their own and it turns out it does release aluminum if severely overdosed and under circumstances that you should not be having in a reef tank anyway, very low PH for example. I can't remember exactly how low but it was so low that you would have to actively try to get it that way....like ph5 or something stupid like that.

Someone from RC (Randy Holmes-Farley??) also did a test that showed aluminum readings that were cleared with a low micron mechanical filter so not dissolved really.

downbeach · 05/11/2013, 02:32 PM

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003...stry#section-7

there is another in Reefkeeping, but it's currently not available(500 Internal server error)

05/11/2013, 12:54 PM	#1
steelwrap Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan City IN Posts: 148	aluminum vs iron oxide Started using gfo a couple weeks ago and it dropped my alk pretty far. Does aluminum oxide (phosguard) do this also? Any negatives about using aluminum? Thanks, Jeff

05/11/2013, 01:47 PM	#2
nynick Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,029	It does not drop your Alk. Lots of talk about how Aluminum based products release aluminum into the water but every test I have seen about this ranges from not true to inconclusive. I have used aluminum based ones for years with no ill effects what so ever. The makers of Phosguard did some testing on their own and it turns out it does release aluminum if severely overdosed and under circumstances that you should not be having in a reef tank anyway, very low PH for example. I can't remember exactly how low but it was so low that you would have to actively try to get it that way....like ph5 or something stupid like that. Someone from RC (Randy Holmes-Farley??) also did a test that showed aluminum readings that were cleared with a low micron mechanical filter so not dissolved really.

05/11/2013, 02:32 PM	#3
downbeach Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Smyrna, Delaware Posts: 3,767	http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003...stry#section-7 there is another in Reefkeeping, but it's currently not available(500 Internal server error)