Carbon to fix side effects of phosguard?

ReefsandGeeks · 01/12/2015, 08:03 AM

a little more than a week ago I added a media bag of phosguard to my canister filter (it is well maintained, untill I get a tank with a sump) to fight quickly growing film and brown hair algae. Within a couple days I noticed the film algea wasn't growing back after I'd clean the glass. The brown hair algae is still there, as it's tough to get off the rocks, but I don't know if it's growing or not.

The problem is about the same time I noticed the film algea stopped growing, my zoes closed up, and have been either completely closed, or only open eough for their skirts to stick out, and havent' geen growing. my birdsnest seems fine, and half of my acros seem fine while the other half have had very little PE. I read online that phosguard can leach aluminum into your tank, and depending on who you ask, it's 50/50 whether you will be fine or have prolems. So I remeoved the phosguard and added a bag of fresh carbon to my filter. Will the activated carbon remove the aluminum (or whatever other contaminents phosguarde may have leached) or are there other measures I'll need to take?

Although I've always been a fan of seachem, this is the first product I've gotten from them that has shown negative effects in my tank. With as many people as have problems with it, you'd think they'd at least put not safe for reef tanks on it or something. my fish show no negative effects.

ReefsandGeeks · 01/12/2015, 11:44 AM

No one has an idea if carbon can remove aluminum from water? I'll see if the coral look better this evening after I get home from work. I put the carbon in last night around 7, so by the time I see them it will have been about a day with carbon and phosguard removed. If they ar opened up and looking better I'll be pretty sure the carbon is working, if not I'm not sure if I should do anything else. Water change maybe? If so, how much water should be changed? I'd like to wait for a water change because I'm waiting on new filters. My TDS is going up on my current filters.

Maybe I should have put this thread under the chemistry section. Does anyone know how to move a thread? not sure if I need an admin to do that or not. Thanks

wolfblue · 01/12/2015, 12:12 PM

I cant comment on aluminum leaching, but I think GAC will remove it at some rate. I tried Phosgaurd some years ago and it did not seem to remove phosphates very well. I was testing with Hach PO-19.

outssider · 01/12/2015, 05:45 PM

tds in your ro/di wont be effected much by the pre filters. tds is removed by the membrane and the resin.

Mcgeezer · 01/12/2015, 06:49 PM

Pardon my French....but phosguard sucks. I had nothing but problems when I used it. Stick with quality GFO like Rowaphos or BRS high capacity

ReefsandGeeks · 01/13/2015, 06:51 AM

yeah, I woun't be using the phosguard anymore. I put some in my 3 gallon freshwater and it's keeping algae down, but beyond that I woudn't use it on my reef again. I'm going to try other methods to keep algae drowth down, like less feeding, more frequent water changes, and perhaps reduced light cycle. If that doesn't work I'll add GFO. I'm avoiding it for now because I'm on a tight budget with some large expenses expected to be comming soon. Hence why i went with phosguard, as I dn't have a reactor, so I could just throw it in a media bag in my filter.

Now my goal is to get the water fixed so my zoas will open back up and start growing again. I'll have my new filters in 2 days and will do a water change then. I don't have a TDS meter (budget again) but my filter rate has slowed significantly, and I've gotten algae problems in the last month or so. Maybe my DI resin is exhausted? Anyway, I checked my zoas yesterday and they seemed to be opening up ever so slightly more than they have been. If I didn't do anything to the tank, I might not notice, so maybe it's just me looking for improvment more so than them actualy getting better. Time will tell if they will improve with GAC and a water change.

01/12/2015, 08:03 AM	#1
ReefsandGeeks Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 1,708	Carbon to fix side effects of phosguard? a little more than a week ago I added a media bag of phosguard to my canister filter (it is well maintained, untill I get a tank with a sump) to fight quickly growing film and brown hair algae. Within a couple days I noticed the film algea wasn't growing back after I'd clean the glass. The brown hair algae is still there, as it's tough to get off the rocks, but I don't know if it's growing or not. The problem is about the same time I noticed the film algea stopped growing, my zoes closed up, and have been either completely closed, or only open eough for their skirts to stick out, and havent' geen growing. my birdsnest seems fine, and half of my acros seem fine while the other half have had very little PE. I read online that phosguard can leach aluminum into your tank, and depending on who you ask, it's 50/50 whether you will be fine or have prolems. So I remeoved the phosguard and added a bag of fresh carbon to my filter. Will the activated carbon remove the aluminum (or whatever other contaminents phosguarde may have leached) or are there other measures I'll need to take? Although I've always been a fan of seachem, this is the first product I've gotten from them that has shown negative effects in my tank. With as many people as have problems with it, you'd think they'd at least put not safe for reef tanks on it or something. my fish show no negative effects.

01/12/2015, 12:12 PM	#3
wolfblue Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 300	I cant comment on aluminum leaching, but I think GAC will remove it at some rate. I tried Phosgaurd some years ago and it did not seem to remove phosphates very well. I was testing with Hach PO-19. __________________ --John AALSO Level III

01/12/2015, 11:44 AM	#2
ReefsandGeeks Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 1,708	No one has an idea if carbon can remove aluminum from water? I'll see if the coral look better this evening after I get home from work. I put the carbon in last night around 7, so by the time I see them it will have been about a day with carbon and phosguard removed. If they ar opened up and looking better I'll be pretty sure the carbon is working, if not I'm not sure if I should do anything else. Water change maybe? If so, how much water should be changed? I'd like to wait for a water change because I'm waiting on new filters. My TDS is going up on my current filters. Maybe I should have put this thread under the chemistry section. Does anyone know how to move a thread? not sure if I need an admin to do that or not. Thanks

01/12/2015, 05:45 PM	#4
outssider Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Reseda, Ca. Posts: 1,717	tds in your ro/di wont be effected much by the pre filters. tds is removed by the membrane and the resin.

01/12/2015, 06:49 PM	#5
Mcgeezer Reef gardener Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: DeLand, Florida Posts: 1,205	Pardon my French....but phosguard sucks. I had nothing but problems when I used it. Stick with quality GFO like Rowaphos or BRS high capacity

01/13/2015, 06:51 AM	#6
ReefsandGeeks Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 1,708	yeah, I woun't be using the phosguard anymore. I put some in my 3 gallon freshwater and it's keeping algae down, but beyond that I woudn't use it on my reef again. I'm going to try other methods to keep algae drowth down, like less feeding, more frequent water changes, and perhaps reduced light cycle. If that doesn't work I'll add GFO. I'm avoiding it for now because I'm on a tight budget with some large expenses expected to be comming soon. Hence why i went with phosguard, as I dn't have a reactor, so I could just throw it in a media bag in my filter. Now my goal is to get the water fixed so my zoas will open back up and start growing again. I'll have my new filters in 2 days and will do a water change then. I don't have a TDS meter (budget again) but my filter rate has slowed significantly, and I've gotten algae problems in the last month or so. Maybe my DI resin is exhausted? Anyway, I checked my zoas yesterday and they seemed to be opening up ever so slightly more than they have been. If I didn't do anything to the tank, I might not notice, so maybe it's just me looking for improvment more so than them actualy getting better. Time will tell if they will improve with GAC and a water change.