Purigen?

[Hemmdog]

He wrote this in 2008:


I do not believe it is publicly known exactly what the Purigen polymer is. But many of these act in similar ways. These sorts of polymers will bind organic materials, and may bind a slightly different subset of the organics in reef aquarium water than will GAC, so I'd say that to some extent they can be complimentary and using both is a fine plan.

I use GAC for my system, but cannot demonstrate that it is better than Purigen in reef aquarium water.

I’ve tried just Purigen and it doesent keep the tank clean for long. Gets clogged quick. When you use GAC and it I feel like it also extends the life of both. They clean each other’s overlap. I find I have to feed often to just keep my nitrate and phos above 0. I now just grab a bag of chemi pure blue 75g. Throw it in the sump before the return, works like a charm. Then every few months run gfo to remove the aluminum the purigen puts in.

 

[Hemmdog]

I’ve tried just Purigen and it doesent keep the tank clean for long. Gets clogged quick. When you use GAC and it I feel like it also extends the life of both. They clean each other’s overlap. I find I have to feed often to just keep my nitrate and phos above 0. I now just grab a bag of chemi pure blue 75g. Throw it in the sump before the return, works like a charm. Then every few months run gfo to remove the aluminum the purigen puts in.

Chemi pure blue is just GAC and Purigen

 

[Belgian Anthias]

I use Purigen mixed with carbon in a bag. Small quantity of media in each bag, 4 bags in the reactor, oldest bag changed out for new once a month. Keeps the media functional at a relatively steady level and without resulting in sudden changes in water chemistry. I also run a skimmer, not just for efficient removal of amphipathic organic molecules and excess bacteria, but also for gas exchange including CO2 scrubbing.

What is your reason for mixing CAC with Purigen?

 

[Belgian Anthias]

I’ve tried just Purigen and it doesent keep the tank clean for long. Gets clogged quick. When you use GAC and it I feel like it also extends the life of both. They clean each other’s overlap. I find I have to feed often to just keep my nitrate and phos above 0. I now just grab a bag of chemi pure blue 75g. Throw it in the sump before the return, works like a charm. Then every few months run gfo to remove the aluminum the purigen puts in.

They clean each other’s overlap?
I know what GAC is able to do. From Purigen I find little information of what it does exactly. Maybe you can help me?

Do you have information about Purigen leaking aluminum?

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Chemi pure blue is just GAC and Purigen

Purigen adds alluminium to the water?

 

[Hemmdog]

Purigen adds alluminium to the water?

So I’ve been told

 

[Hemmdog]

They clean each other’s overlap?
I know what GAC is able to do. From Purigen I find little information of what it does exactly. Maybe you can help me?

Do you have information about Purigen leaking aluminum?

No but phosphate removal is either gfo or a form of aluminum. They don’t disclose what’s in it. That would be to easy.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

So I’ve been told

By who, please?

 

[Hemmdog]

Several LFS owners in the Bay Area

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Several LFS owners in the Bay Area

I cannot find any reports on purigen leaching aluminum into water.
Nor can I find any info on synthetic polymers containing alluminium-

There are two types of polymers: synthetic and natural. Synthetic polymers are derived from petroleum oil, and made by scientists and engineers. Examples of synthetic polymers include nylon, polyethylene, polyester, Teflon, and epoxy. Natural polymers occur in nature and can be extracted. They are often water-based. Examples of naturally occurring polymers are silk, wool, DNA, cellulose and proteins.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Several LFS owners in the Bay Area

Are you getting confused with Marine Pure perhaps?

 

[Hemmdog]

Are you getting confused with Marine Pure perhaps?

No , I just was under the impression the Purigen balls were ultra porous calcium carbonate blended with aluminum oxide. Both are very cheap to manufacture; Purigen has a reletavely low price point, so it made sense to me. Maybe it is just calcium carbonate. Being regenerable is easy to achieve. It’s just like cooking live rocks but the media is more rapidly accepting of the rodi water.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

No , I just was under the impression the Purigen balls were ultra porous calcium carbonate blended with aluminum oxide.

Sounds like marine Pure, not Purigen

 

[Hemmdog]

Sounds like marine Pure, not Purigen

Oh ok. What is Purigen made of then?

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Oh ok. What is Purigen made of then?

Synthetic polymers.
Synthetic polymers are derived from petroleum oil, and made by scientists and engineers. Examples of synthetic polymers include nylon, polyethylene, polyester, Teflon, and epoxy.

 

[Hemmdog]

Synthetic polymers.
Synthetic polymers are derived from petroleum oil, and made by scientists and engineers. Examples of synthetic polymers include nylon, polyethylene, polyester, Teflon, and epoxy.

It doesent feel like that have you used the product ?

 

[Scrubber_steve]

It doesent feel like that have you used the product ?

No, but I ordered some today to test it out

 

[Hemmdog]

No, but I ordered some today to test it out

Nice let me know what you think!

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Nice let me know what you think!

It could be a while

 

[Belgian Anthias]

Suggestions!

Passing fresh made seawater ( with distilled water) over Purigen and compare the water for content before and after treatment. It should not remove trace elements.
Test using fresh made seawater and urean, a liquid fertilizer technical grade, which is 7.5% NH4-N 7.5% NO3-N and 15% ureum-N (CH4N2O-N) Seachem claims Purigen removes ureum. Urea (NH2)2CO) is polar ( left behind by GAC) and hydrophilic ( left behind by a skimmer). In active seawater it is transformed to ammonium fast. In an active aquarium the possibility Purigen may remove a lot of urea is very low. Most nitrogen from food consumption is released directly as ammonium. It is easy to claim it removes ureum as no one will be able to measure it in an active aquarium. One may assume Purigen does not remove ammonium and nitrate.
Testing for the removal of fenols ( responsible for the yellowing)? Fenol is hydrophobic, with a polar and bigger apolar part and may be removed by a skimmer and GAC.
Testing for bio-toxins removal is not difficult but very expensive as native toxin samples for diagnostics are sold at very high prices.

More suggestions?

Looking out for a lab able to do the sample tests for a reasonable price.