Is Chemi Pure Blue causing Dinos?

[rja]

This is sorta a loaded question. I run Chemi Pure because I have a Toadstool and i’m afraid of chemical warefare. I understand Chemi Pure Blue contains GFO which is likely the cause of my imbalanced system (nitrates climb while phos remains zero. Should I stop running chemi pure and just run pure carbon? I am now experiencing Dinos.

I am thinking of dosing phos but wont chemi pure just suck it up?

Thank you.

 

[homer1475]

Yes, and yes.

Just run regular old carbon( I Like rox.08), and skip the chemipure for now. I believe ( i've never used chemipure), but regular chemipure is just carbon.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

This is sorta a loaded question. I run Chemi Pure because I have a Toadstool and i’m afraid of chemical warefare. I understand Chemi Pure Blue contains GFO which is likely the cause of my imbalanced system (nitrates climb while phos remains zero. Should I stop running chemi pure and just run pure carbon? I am now experiencing Dinos.

I am thinking of dosing phos but wont chemi pure just suck it up?

Thank you.

Chemipure Elite contains GFO.

Chemipure Blue does not make such a claim to having GFO and is unlikely to have a big effect on phosphate.

Don't believe it's misleading claim that it binds phosphate. It won't do so from seawater. They conveniently fail to make that distinction.

 

[rja]

Chemipure Elite contains GFO.

Chemipure Blue does not make such a claim to having GFO and is unlikely to have a big effect on phosphate.

Don't believe it's misleading claim that it binds phosphate. It won't do so from seawater. They conveniently fail to make that distinction.

okay so what might you think is to blame for zero phos? should i follow through with dosing it at least for the short term? i feed pellets, sorta lightly once a day. I have 2 clowns and a firefish in my 29g system and do weekly 5gal water changes. perhaps only every 2 weeks?

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Zero phosphates Could absolutely be causing your dinos.

It's unlikely chemipure Blue, is doing it though.
Elite has GFO. blue should not.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

okay so what might you think is to blame for zero phos? should i follow through with dosing it at least for the short term? i feed pellets, sorta lightly once a day. I have 2 clowns and a firefish in my 29g system and do weekly 5gal water changes. perhaps only every 2 weeks?

How old is the tank? New dead calcium carbonate rocks will lower phosphate, and any organic export method such as skimming or the Chemipure can remove organics before they break down to nitrate and phosphate.

 

[rja]

How old is the tank? New dead calcium carbonate rocks will lower phosphate, and any organic export method such as skimming or the Chemipure can remove organics before they break down to nitrate and phosphate.

11 months now. i did add a couple new rocks to the system. perhaps that caused the spurt. I have always had undetectable phosphate though. I have a small fuge in the back which is likely causing some drop as well.

I think I will dose trace phosphates. perhaps start low until i see at least 0.03. I want to continue my water change regiment because it helps me maintain my elements.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

11 months now. i did add a couple new rocks to the system. perhaps that caused the spurt. I have always had undetectable phosphate though. I have a small fuge in the back which is likely causing some drop as well.

I think I will dose trace phosphates. perhaps start low until i see at least 0.03. I want to continue my water change regiment because it helps me maintain my elements.

Mist folks dosing phosphate have to add far, far more than they expect due to the binding to rock and sand. Starting slow is not needed in a low P case.

 

[rja]

Mist folks dosing phosphate have to add far, far more than they expect due to the binding to rock and sand. Starting slow is not needed in a low P case.

thank you for the tip. in terms of neophos, do you have any ml/gal ratio you think I should start with?

What’s the worst that can happen with a phos overdose? algae? I much prefer that to dinos.

within reason of course, to no toxic levels.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

thank you for the tip. in terms of neophos, do you have any ml/gal ratio you think I should start with?

What’s the worst that can happen with a phos overdose? algae? I much prefer that to dinos.

within reason of course, to no toxic levels.

I’d dose 0.03 ppm per day until you have at least that much 24 h later. If you run out of the Brightwell product, I recommend switching to food grade sodium phosphate from Amazon.

 

[newreef1]

Chemipure Elite contains GFO.

Chemipure Blue does not make such a claim to having GFO and is unlikely to have a big effect on phosphate.

Don't believe it's misleading claim that it binds phosphate. It won't do so from seawater. They conveniently fail to make that distinction.

What do you recommend between the chemipure, elite and blue. I have 2 chemipure which helped clear my water and now after adding fish I’m seeing a cloudy (bacterial bloom) I believe so I just bought chemipure blue to see if that helps, (my ammonia is also .25 for almost a week, and nitrates are always high). I only added 1 chemipure blue for 75 gallons, I have 200 gallons. Not sure what to continue with, I also have bags of carbon and purigen but hoping to stick to less stuff in the future if possible. Not sure which chemipure to go with regularly in the long term.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What do you recommend between the chemipure, elite and blue. I have 2 chemipure which helped clear my water and now after adding fish I’m seeing a cloudy (bacterial bloom) I believe so I just bought chemipure blue to see if that helps, (my ammonia is also .25 for almost a week, and nitrates are always high). I only added 1 chemipure blue for 75 gallons, I have 200 gallons. Not sure what to continue with, I also have bags of carbon and purigen but hoping to stick to less stuff in the future if possible. Not sure which chemipure to go with regularly in the long term.

I'm not sure why you'd have a bacterial bloom, but exporting more organics may help. All of the products you mention can do that.

Unless phosphate is elevated, if you want to use chemipure for any reason, I'd use one without GFO in it (so not the elite).

 

[newreef1]

I'm not sure why you'd have a bacterial bloom, but exporting more organics may help. All of the products you mention can do that.

Unless phosphate is elevated, if you want to use chemipure for any reason, I'd use one without GFO in it (so not the elite).

Great so I only added one last night and didn’t make any difference, I might add some more chemipure which has helped in the past but I had only two packets for 50 gallons so probably need more for the tank load. Thank you!