Another purigen thread

[fc_uk]

So are there any negatives to running purigen? I've searched the boards, and nothing definitive really.

I've got some bubble, gha, and cyan growing that I can severely limit, but can not nearly eliminate. I know 100% algae removal is not possible, but I've got more than that.

I've also had two tuxedo urchins die upon receipt, though all my other corals and fish are doing fine (so it may have been a problem with the place I got the from).

So, because I know questions will come...

Water Cheistry

SG: 1.024
pH: 8.1
kH: 10.1
Ca: 390
Mg: 1080
NH3/NH4: 0/0 ppm
PO4: 0.04-0.08 ppm
NO2/NO3: 0/0 ppm

Aquarium Mechanics

Sump: 20 gallon aquarium partitioned and used as a sump containing 2-3 inches of sand, 40 snails, chaeto, 10 pounds live rock, and lit for 16 hours of the day using that PAR 27 LED (or what ever it is). Pump used gives a flow of around 900 gph through the sump

DT lighting: 1 hour blue, 7 hours white, 2 hours blue. Marienland LED double bright.

Circulation: one Korellia 1500 gph, one Aqueon 500 gph

Temperature: 26 C

Skimmer: Reef Octopus BH-3000 (rated for 120-150 gallon).

Overflow: Reef octopus capable of 1500 gph I think

Water/Salt

RO/DI Water from a 75 gpd AquaMaxx unit. TDS reads 0 and the meter has been calibrated.
Water changes: 10 gallons every week
Salt: Instant Ocean Sea Salt (I am thinking about changing to Res Sea Coral Pro Salt)

Oh, my aquarium is 75 gallons, with the 20 gallon sump that makes nearly 100 gallons, obviously.

Fish are fed mysis that has been rinsed with ro/di prior to feeding. Only what they eat in 2-3 minutes.

Ask if I have forgotten anything and please tell me that I am missing! I just don't understand where I am going wrong.

In most cases I have confirmed test results with a pharmaceutical grade test, so we can rule bad test kit out...

 

[mariobrothersleeve]

Your mag and cal are low. Purigen is a lite dose that doesnt do much. What happens later down the road is you have a break out of bacteria and now they have a tolerance build up from the purigen and it will be harder to fight the bacteria off. It will do nothing for your algae build up if that is what you are tring to get rid of? A simple upstep in w/c will help you out more

 

[BL1]

I'm not sure about the bacteria thing or how it would build up tolerances to it. Purigen is a filter media that removes nitrogen waste and other impurities not something you dose.

The only downside I see to it is the cost over time, other then that it's like any other filter medium.

 

[mariobrothersleeve]

I apologize, you are correct. I was thinking back to the biocube days and was thinking about chemipure and not purigen.

 

[fc_uk]

Well.... I'm still not running it. Nitrate/Phosphate should not be an issue. I'm running phosban and nitrates test 0. There have been no long term deaths of anything that has sat in the tank and I should not be over feeding.

Obviously, algae is living and growing from something. Since I am out of ideas, the idea behind the purigen was more of a hope and a broad spectrum approach...