Phosguard: why not more?

[pseudorand]

The Phosguard package says to use 1/3c per 50 gallons, changing it every 4 days. It claims more won't work better/faster. Can anyone explain why that is?

Ideally I'd like to use 4 times as much and change it when I do a water change every two weeks.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

If you lower phosphates too fast your corals will suffer and sps especially will die. For gfo I won't even use the recommended dose as that's hurt my corals before. 75% recommended dose for me

 

[MERKEY]

+1 don't strip phos too fast

 

[pseudorand]

If you lower phosphates too fast your corals will suffer and sps especially will die. For gfo I won't even use the recommended dose as that's hurt my corals before. 75% recommended dose for me

No sps yet (save a birds nest that already died). I'm trying to get phosphate under control before I buy any. I'm at 0.1, down from 0.3 a few months ago. So can I just load up on Phosguard for a few months, scale it back when I'm at .05 or so and add sps when it's stable at the recommended Phosguard dose?

 

[xxkenny90xx]

No sps yet (save a birds nest that already died). I'm trying to get phosphate under control before I buy any. I'm at 0.1, down from 0.3 a few months ago. So can I just load up on Phosguard for a few months, scale it back when I'm at .05 or so and add sps when it's stable at the recommended Phosguard dose?

What corals do you have? I bet fish and softies wouldn't mind a fast Po4 drop (but i still don't recommend it). But lps and sps will

 

[pseudorand]

Few corals, but that's not my real question. I want to know why Phosguard says using more doesn't drop phosphate faster. That defies reason -- at least for those of us without chemistry degrees.

 

[HuduVudu]

Few corals, but that's not my real question. I want to know why Phosguard says using more doesn't drop phosphate faster. That defies reason -- at least for those of us without chemistry degrees.

For the reasons that the previous posters have said.

The company is liable if you strip everything from your tank and then complain that everything died.

 

[HuduVudu]

No sps yet (save a birds nest that already died). I'm trying to get phosphate under control before I buy any. I'm at 0.1, down from 0.3 a few months ago. So can I just load up on Phosguard for a few months, scale it back when I'm at .05 or so and add sps when it's stable at the recommended Phosguard dose?

You are forcing your tank. This is a bad way to get started. Just throwing chemicals a biological process never brings the intended results.

My question is why are you trying strip your tank of phosphates and why do you think that your phosphates are too high?

 

[rmurken]

The company is liable if you strip everything from your tank and then complain that everything died.

I have a law degree and am not sure about this. Lol. ;Bookworm;Bookworm;Bucktooth

 

[HuduVudu]

I have a law degree and am not sure about this. Lol. ;Bookworm;Bookworm;Bucktooth

Legally liable or not they will still suffer the backlash from people crashing their phosphate. At the end of the day this is why they say it. I mean really I could probably take a whole bottle of asprin without to many ill effects, but the manufacturer is probably going to want to err on the side of caution with this.

 

[rmurken]

Legally liable or not they will still suffer the backlash from people crashing their phosphate. At the end of the day this is why they say it. I mean really I could probably take a whole bottle of asprin without to many ill effects, but the manufacturer is probably going to want to err on the side of caution with this.

100% agree Seachem is not interested in the headache of lots of customers calling in with dino-choked tanks full of angry corals. Would put a real crimp in their Oz-like hype game.

 

[pseudorand]

You are forcing your tank. This is a bad way to get started. Just throwing chemicals a biological process never brings the intended results.

My question is why are you trying strip your tank of phosphates and why do you think that your phosphates are too high?

I think what I'm really asking is: can I double up on Phosguard and expect phosphate to drop and stabilize at a lower value quicker if I don't care about my current stock of corals.

0.1 is higher than recommend, and I'm trying to get params stable and controllable before I go all in with SPS.

When I set up my tank, I started with LR and crushed coral substrate from a few guys on craigslist and my LFS. At the time, I told myself that starting with wet supply would jump start the tank and avoid new tank syndrome. I didn't add anything other than the clowns and damsel that came with the LR for 5 months.

And things went well. Instant cycle. I never saw anything but nitrate. And the LR has been interesting from day 1.

But when I started measuring things outside the nitrogen cycle, I discovered high phosphate (0.4 was my first reading). I feed lightly (1 cube brine or mysis per day), so I assume the source is years of build up from the LR and substrate.

I know chasing numbers is silly, but I do have persistent problems with either cyano or GHA (never at the same time it seems though). High phosphate seems like a likely culprit.

 

[GoVols]

I think what I'm really asking is: can I double up on Phosguard and expect phosphate to drop and stabilize at a lower value quicker if I don't care about my current stock of corals.

0.1 is higher than recommend, and I'm trying to get params stable and controllable before I go all in with SPS.

When I set up my tank, I started with LR and crushed coral substrate from a few guys on craigslist and my LFS. At the time, I told myself that starting with wet supply would jump start the tank and avoid new tank syndrome. I didn't add anything other than the clowns and damsel that came with the LR for 5 months.

And things went well. Instant cycle. I never saw anything but nitrate. And the LR has been interesting from day 1.

But when I started measuring things outside the nitrogen cycle, I discovered high phosphate (0.4 was my first reading). I feed lightly (1 cube brine or mysis per day), so I assume the source is years of build up from the LR and substrate.

I know chasing numbers is silly, but I do have persistent problems with either cyano or GHA (never at the same time it seems though). High phosphate seems like a likely culprit.

Like all the others have stated, just drop it drop nice and slow or you could end up dealing with dinos.

Not a fan of Phosguard, because it's an aluminum-based product and you just don't get the bang for your buck.

Better off buying a dedicated reactor to tumble / simmer GFO, like Rowaphos.

Fire up GFO inside its own reactor, and start off with 1/4th of the recommended dose.

 

[Reef.]

I think the answer to your question is that the instructions are not that great! I too struggled with trying to follow the instructions and also understand the logic at the same time.,,as in why they suggest not removing the phosguard when .2 is reached as surely the media is either exhausted or still stripping the po4 out of the water, so why not remove it?

in my experience, unless you have the media in the perfect position in the tank, it is not working at 100% so I use more than recommended.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I think what I'm really asking is: can I double up on Phosguard and expect phosphate to drop and stabilize at a lower value quicker if I don't care about my current stock of corals.

Yes, more binder will drop phosphate more.