What exactly is Purigen and how does it work?

[roger saltwaters]

Nitrates have been climbing a little in an otherwise perfect tank. My helpful LFS guy recommended Purigen. I'm pretty much totally down with dumping whatever random chemical I'm told will make everything ok again, but what is this stuff?

 

[Ocelaris]

I don't know anything about the product, but long term nutrient export will get you a lot further than short term fixes. Maybe to ease you over an over abundance of nutrients it may help, but unless you want to keep buying it forever there are cheaper export methods long term.

 

[roger saltwaters]

It's not really expensive. 10 bucks and supposedly can be regenerated.

 

[ReeferReefer]

Can't tell you exactly what it is but it some sort of polymer that binds nitrates. It works ok for me. Seems to be better on Nanos. Hard to say if it is working or not since I use it in conjuction with other export methods including a refugium and GFO. It's cheap enough and unintrusive enough for me to keep using. Just get a big bottle and recharge it half at a time. Doesn't seem like a ton of people use it so it may be snake oil.

 

[RMS18]

I started using Purigen during my Dino issue along with a few other things. I noticed algae on the glass slowed down and my nutrients dropped a bit exercising the same feeding techniques. I was told by a old school reefer I bought a sump from that he used it and swore by it. He said you can not use to much. So I gave it a try and no issues only some positives. Yes you can reuse it but for the price I'll just buy new.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

IMO (as a polymer chemist), Purigen (an organic polymer) is more likely to work by binding organic matter before it breaks down to nitrate, than actually binding nitrate from seawater, where huge levels of chloride and sulfate will compete for binding sites.

 

[RobBaglieri]

I have used both Purigen and Phosguard. Purigen seems to be a little easier to use. Phosguard needs to be removed after a few days while you can leave the Purigen in the tank. Phosguard seems to remove phosphorous based on charge but I may be wrong.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I have used both Purigen and Phosguard. Purigen seems to be a little easier to use. Phosguard needs to be removed after a few days while you can leave the Purigen in the tank. Phosguard seems to remove phosphorous based on charge but I may be wrong.

Yes, Phosguard is aluminum oxide and it binds phosphate. It is not really a competing product for Purigen, which does not bind inorganic phosphate.

 

[RobBaglieri]

I would think that food and poop would be sources of organic phosphate. What is the source of inorganic phosphates?

I remember that inorganic phosphate is required for energy in the form of ATP and organic phosphate is required for nucleotides (DNA and RNA). If that is the case, why do we work so hard to keep these near zero?

 

[reeftank220master]

I've used it and it is very good stuff..Also will remove metals from the water as well

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I would think that food and poop would be sources of organic phosphate. What is the source of inorganic phosphates?

I remember that inorganic phosphate is required for energy in the form of ATP and organic phosphate is required for nucleotides (DNA and RNA). If that is the case, why do we work so hard to keep these near zero?

Organisms that digest organic matter release the inorganic phosphate that results. People and fish pass it mostly in urine, partly in feces. Other organisms have other ways.

Near zero is a relative term. Many kits cannot read down to natural seawater levels of phosphate, so it seems zero, but some is needed by photosynthesizing organisms, and too low can be a worse problem than too much.

 

[roger saltwaters]

Hmmm. Thanks for the input. I put it in last night and haven't tested again yet. But I did notice that a frogspawn I have that has been kind of shriveled is noticeably more extended today. Weird.

 

[beaslbob]

a temporary nitrate spike can actually be a sign of a stable system. Could be algae is consuming a ammonia spike directly forgoing nitrates for nitrogen. But that should be temporary.

IMHO one key is to have algae consume the ammonia/nitrates be it corraline, hair, macros in a refugium, halimeda in the display, or algae on an algae turf scrubber.

 

[Kungpaoshizi]

Purigen is awesome for clarity, but long-term not so much. You'll have to worry about phosphate eventually. Look at carbon dosing. (nopox gets my vote)
You may need MORE nitrate though in the end. You'll chuckle after you learn about it..

 

[roger saltwaters]

Ok just tested after 24 and no real difference yet.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ok just tested after 24 and no real difference yet.

In what? Nitrate? If it has any effect it will be slow to show. I would not recommend it as among the best ways to reduce nitrate.

 

[roger saltwaters]

In what? Nitrate? If it has any effect it will be slow to show. I would not recommend it as among the best ways to reduce nitrate.

Yes nitrate. What would be a better way and why?

 

[RMS18]

Yes nitrate. What would be a better way and why?

Are you running gfo? Carbon? Water change schedule? Feeding schedule?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes nitrate. What would be a better way and why?

Most of the standard nitrate methods are more effective:

Organic carbon dosing (vodka, vinegar, biopellets)
Sulfur denitrator
Carbon denitrator
Growing macroalgae
Algal turf scrubber
denitrifying media
deep sand beds
skimming
etc.

I cover them here:

Nitrate in the Reef Aquarium - REEFEDITION
https://www.reef2reef.com/blog/nitrate-in-the-reef-aquarium

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, I think Purigen is a good way to bind organics, and in some ways may compliment GAC use since it may bind some different organic molecules than GAC. So it is a decent product, just not for nitrate (IMO).