High phosphates-using reactor and can't get them down

[TimT]

Originally Posted by warriorcookie

First off, you have to get the dosing 100%. Too much by accident is disastrous.

Since I make the Foz Down I thought I'd answer your questions.

You don't have to get the dose 100% accurate. Foz Down is a much safer concentration than other products on the market therefore it is much harder to overdose. What happens if you significantly overdose... you start to get a fine white dust forming on the bottom of the tank. This is the excess Foz Down binding with the alk in the water. You can vacuum it out if you choose to or leave it there. No ill effects either way.

Originally Posted by warriorcookie

Second, any precipitate you don't pull out with filter socks settles in the rocks and what not. What happens to it over time? I've heard lots of anecdotal incidents to give me pause.

When your using it in the correct dosage the flocs that settle out are not visible on the rocks or bottom of the tank. You don't need to try and remove them if you don't want to.

Nothing happens over time as they are inert because it's a one way chemical reaction. The same type of reaction that occurs when adding alkalinity mix to calcium mix. The flocs that form are totally inert unless you add them to Hydrochloric acid.

I've heard lots of anecdotal stories as well. The thing with anecdotal stories is that all the info is frequently not given so one can't make any valid deductions. As well, there are a lot of things that happen in a tank that people are not aware of. I have been using Foz Down in my acro system for a lot of years and not had any problems what so ever. It's a very safe and effective product that renders GFO reactors obsolete.

I am sure that as the hobby continues to mature there will be better methods that become available for nutrient export. Until then, Foz Down is the safest most cost effective method of Phosphate Control.

Cheers,
Tim