"Tristan" wrote in message ...
I would be looking at how and why my phosphates got to where they are
than looking for a solution to a problem that at most seems like a
temporary bandaide. I am not familiar with the product you mention and
do not intend to get familiar withit or any other phosphate or other
ty0pe additive, but a lot of those products that kill off red slime
and lower phosphates do a lot more behind the scenes that is not
readily noticeable, such as effect beneficial bacteria etc......NOt
saying that products does or donp;t, but I would address the problem
why they go high to begin with and rectify that.

I do not know how Blue Life product really works but I know
how other work. Take phosphate sponges or things like phosban.
They contain chemicals called iron oxides and iron hydroxides.
They are almost insoluble in water. In contact with phosphates
in solution washing over them (aquarium water) they bond with
phosphates and create also insoluble iron phosphates on the
crystal surface. When phosban is used up and all iron oxide is
covered with iron phosphate you simply remove the media from
the reactor or a filter bag and replace with the new media...
In effect these products REMOVE phosphates from water column.
Unfortunatelly, some iron ions does go to the water, but is it not
as harmfull as the aluminium ions used for the same purpose in
some other products made of alumina (Al2O3) like PhosGuard.

Here is an article about toxicity of aluminium in reef tank:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...y2003/chem.htm
I wonder if there is any similar article about toxicity of iron ;-)

But that is why the question "what is inside Blue Life?" is important...