was thinking about reusing the power phos that has been sitting in the original container. I opened it up today and it is still very moist, wich is a requirement for use. What do you think?
Are you "reusing" the power phos, or "using up" what was leftover?
I think most would agree that re-using any phos-media is a bad idea, even though Kent Marine's FAQ says that you can re-use the media by baking it....
Randy Holmes notes in his "Phosphate and the Reef Aquarium" article that:
"inorganic binding media have the potential to partially dissolve into the aquarium water, releasing their primary components (aluminum and iron, for example), as well as impurities that may be incorporated into them. Despite claims to the contrary, these materials are also likely to reversibly bind phosphate, and so may release the phosphate back into the water under certain circumstances."
So "re-using" sounds like a bad idea!
However, if you are not re-using the media--i.e. if you only used a portion of the original container, and are now "using up" the rest of it--I think it might be okay.
(Of course, if there's no exp. date printed on the product--it's always a good idea to check with a manufacturer....)
