Phosphate not dropping after adding Phosguard?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Feb 10, 2024

rennjidk said:
I'd like to follow up again, in regards to Phosguard specifically, if you don't mind.

I came across a reef central link from 2007 which referenced a study you published, linking Phosguard specifically to leeching Al. I've also found a few more recent quotes like this one on R2R

I have seen a few indirect mentions citing your study, stating that as long as it is rinsed thoroughly and not tumbled, the risk of Al leeching is miniscule, due to the concentrations in your origin experiment. I was just wondering if you cared to elaborate, or if your opinion has changed over the past couple years. (I'm in no way challenging your findings or the original study, I'm just curious of your current day thoughts)

Furthermore, there's a strong exothermic reaction when it is rinsed with water, as well as, quite a bit of off gassing. Can you explain what exactly is getting released? It's not every day us non-chemistry folks add water to something and get met with a face full of smoke/vapor.

Thanks in advance!

The push by Seachem to diss my experiment was really ridiculous.

I worked with them to run new studies they wanted which continued to show aluminum released. I stand by those studies as well as studies showing the effects on organisms by adding aluminum that I published.

Then they ran their own study. They chose a method with a lower limit of detection (based on their own info) that was above the levels I detected. Of course they saw none, and claimed succes that there was no release. I mean seriously, they take us for idiots.

Certainly Phosguard had a historic issue with closing up leather corals that predated me. Adding aluminum to a reef tank had the same effect.

Rinsing helps and I’d certainly do it. Phosguard is ok in small amounts, but if leathers or other corals close up, I’d stop it.

EVOL_LOVE · Feb 10, 2024

Seachem makes two different products for phosphate and silica. I have used both and found Phosbond works better to control phosphate than Phosguard. Also, Phosbond contains GFO for phosphate which Phosguard doesn't.