Marc Weiss Phosphate and Silicate Magnet

[Aquanaut66]

Anyone have any comments on this product? Decent product for controlling browm algae (diatom bloom). Safe to use in a FOWLR 90gal?

-Thanks

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I don't know what it is made from, but I would be worried if it is alumina. Do you have any of that material now?

How old is the aquarium?

Do you use purified water?

Here's an article on silica:

Silica in a Reef Tank
http://advancedaquarist.com/issues/jan2003/feature.htm

[Aquanaut66]

Aquarium is 3 wks old. I do not use purified yet, although I will be getting a RO Sys shortly to avoid this in the future. Typically there is high silicates in this area. Everything looks as if it is rusting in the tank,like a fine cocoa powder. My wife is not too crazy the way it looks, however it does match the furniture.

The product claims to be non-toxic, and not have aluminum. It also claims not to leech back in to the system when tired.

Someone recommended it to me, I always seek more info when I do not know much about something. Better safe than sorry.

Is distilled water better to top off with for now??

-Thanks

[gtrestoration]

Everything looks as if it is rusting in the tank

IMO, this is just part of the cycle of a new tank. Since you should not have much (if anything) in the tank the requires much light at this point you might try reducing the time the the lights are on.

I think that time will solve the problem.

You might read Randy's...
Tap Water in Reef Aquaria (http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/jan2004/chem.htm)

As far as botttled water goes, some say there is a chance that distilled water may have traces of copper, and drinking water or "Spring Water" can have have high levels of many things or at least higher than you might want to build up in your tank.

I tried using spring water once to make lime water and ended up with a snow storm in the bucket.

Steve U

[Boomer]

The product claims to be non-toxic, and not have aluminum

I don't beleive them and say it is still activated alumina, maybe a higher grade, such as those from Selecto Scientific

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'll check out their description in more detail to see what exactly it says. In the meantime, I'd use purified water of some sort and just wait out this fairly common stage of the initial tank cycling.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

On their web site, they claim that the Phosphate and Silica Magnet is iron hydroxide, so it is similar to Phosban, Rowaphos, and Phosphate Killer.

http://www.marcweissco.com/pdf/PSM.pdf

That said, I do not know how effective it is are reducing silica in marine aquaria.

[Aquanaut66]

Thanks Randy. Since this original post I have talked to a half dozen or so people in this area. They have used it before and like the results, a few have used it since day one with no ill effects. I have since ordered it and will give it a shot. In the meantime I am going to research a RO system. While I have your ear, IYO are sterilizers worth the investmet for a FOWLR tank??

Thanks again

Jeff

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

A UV sterilizer?

If you are keeping fish prone to unusual diseases, like seahorses, it might be. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't spend the money on them.

[Aquanaut66]

Sorry Randy, yes a UV Sterilizer

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I've never used one, but some folks have apparently had good experiences with them in the situations that I describe above.