Brightwell Extrax Phos?
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djkms
Fish Freak
hmmm, following along, a buddy of mine picked this stuff up for his system. Interested in seeing the results. GFO is messy and these are nice little pellets.
When my friend first introduced them into his aquarium water he said the pellets started steaming lol. I wouldn't think aluminum would do that or could it?
It does say this on their webpage:
Caution: Keep out of reach of children. Extrax Phos material may become hot when first immersed in water.
Does not release phosphate, silicate, or soluble compounds into aquarium system .
http://brightwellaquatics.com/products/extraphost.php
Brightwell aquatics makes some really good stuff...
When my friend first introduced them into his aquarium water he said the pellets started steaming lol. I wouldn't think aluminum would do that or could it?
It does say this on their webpage:
Caution: Keep out of reach of children. Extrax Phos material may become hot when first immersed in water.
Does not release phosphate, silicate, or soluble compounds into aquarium system .
http://brightwellaquatics.com/products/extraphost.php
Brightwell aquatics makes some really good stuff...
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This article discusses aluminum-based phosphate binders:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/july2003/chem.htm
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/july2003/chem.htm
wickedfish
New member
subscribed.
Jonathan that article by Randy is 9 years old, whereas the science is the same I am sure manufacturing processes and binders have progressed. You can also find articles on Iron poisoning from GFO and it's effect and contribution to pinched mantel syndrome in Clams, but yet a lot of people still use GFO.
True the article is old, but the solubility of aluminum oxide in seawater hasn't changed. Perhaps they are washing them better now, however.
It is probably Ok to use. I have been using up small amounts of various types of aluminum oxide binders with my GFO since I have tons of it around from those early tests. At very low doses, I do not see a problem.
But if folks do see any corals closing up, especially leathers, then that may well be the cause, and I'd stop using the product.
I'm not sure what iron tox articles you may have seen, but I'd be interested in seeing them. I can certainly believe that if fine particles of GFO are released to the tank, there may be a concern. I have seen some unpublished studies that show such release (not proven to be particulates, but I think it likely), and that is one reason i prefer to use GFO in a nontumbling application.
That said, I think many of the reported issues when using GFO are from phosphate going too low or dropping too fast, not from the iron itself. Lots of people dose iron and I've not see folks report problems from that.
FWIW, I do not know the chemistry behind this Brightwell product.
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The depletion of phosphate binders depends entirely on the load present in the tank. If you have 0.3 ppm, it will deplete quite fast. If you have 0.01 ppm it will be much slower.
I change mine out after about 2 weeks, but I do not really know how depleted it is by then. Algae on my glass is growing faster by then, however.
I change mine out after about 2 weeks, but I do not really know how depleted it is by then. Algae on my glass is growing faster by then, however.
121
Member
That makes sense Randy.
The media gets covered in a thin bio film after a few days. Would that film affect it's performance? I thought that adding a large amount for a few weeks would quickly remove PO4 for a day or two, then become virtually inactive for the remaining two weeks. I add a few table spoons in a net and change it every two or three days. I'd do the same with carbon because of the film.
The media gets covered in a thin bio film after a few days. Would that film affect it's performance? I thought that adding a large amount for a few weeks would quickly remove PO4 for a day or two, then become virtually inactive for the remaining two weeks. I add a few table spoons in a net and change it every two or three days. I'd do the same with carbon because of the film.
A film probably would reduce the performance. Is the media in the light?
121
Member
Yes. The ExtraX Phos is in a net near the lights.
I thought the bacteria film would grow on the media regardless of light exposure. The surface of the media would only receive light on the outside so most of the pellets would still be in the dark.
I got the media cheap so that's why I'm currently using it. Brightwell products seem to be experimental and never show ingredients. I'm wondering what this 'ExtraX Phos' is actually made of. Has it been verified yet? I'd like to reactivate it, rather than throwing the exhausted media away.
I thought the bacteria film would grow on the media regardless of light exposure. The surface of the media would only receive light on the outside so most of the pellets would still be in the dark.
I got the media cheap so that's why I'm currently using it. Brightwell products seem to be experimental and never show ingredients. I'm wondering what this 'ExtraX Phos' is actually made of. Has it been verified yet? I'd like to reactivate it, rather than throwing the exhausted media away.
I do not believe that there is any definitive commentary on what the product is.
Light might spur some types of film formation, such as algae and cyano. If you are not dosing organic carbon, bacterial films are not especially rapid to grow, but I suppose the Brightwell product may be intending them to grow and that may be how it works if it is some sort of carbon source.
Light might spur some types of film formation, such as algae and cyano. If you are not dosing organic carbon, bacterial films are not especially rapid to grow, but I suppose the Brightwell product may be intending them to grow and that may be how it works if it is some sort of carbon source.
