To change ChemiPure Blue or not to change?

[reefiniteasy]

I am loving my softy tank. It’s packed with Zoas and some mushrooms. I am enjoying it way more than my lps anemone tank. Anyway, I do a weekly 4.5 gallon water change with Two Little Fishies AccuraSea1 and dose Tropic Marin A & K daily via doser. The tank is doing great.

So I last changed my bag of ChemiPure Blue on December 25th. It will be 3 months this week. I cannot decide if I should change it out now. NO3 and PO4 are the highest it’s ever been at 19.2ppm and .07ppm, respectively. I believe the ChemiPure is used up at this point. However, I am afraid to change it out for fear of dropping everything to 0. Here are the post water change weekly PO4 and NO3 measurements since December 25th. What do you think? Should I change it out?


12/25
NO3 - .01ppm
PO4 - .01ppm

1/1
NO3 - 0.0ppm
PO4 - 0.0ppm

1/8
NO3 - 1.4ppm
PO4 - 0.0ppm

1/16
NO3 - 4.2ppm
PO4 - 0.0ppm

1/22
NO3 - 4.5ppm
PO4 - .01ppm

1/28
NO3 - 7.2ppm
PO4 - 0.0ppm

1/29
NO3 - 3.0ppm
PO4 - .01ppm

2/5
NO3 - 7.9ppm
PO4 - 0.0ppm

2/12
NO3 - 7.8ppm
PO4 - .01ppm

2/19
NO3 - 9.0ppm
PO4 - .02ppm

2/25
NO3 - 10.0ppm
PO4 - 0.00ppm

2/26
NO3 - 10.4pm
PO4 - .04pp

3/5
NO3 - 12.0ppm
PO4 - .03ppm

3/12
NO3 - 14.7ppm
PO4 - 0.02ppm

3/19
NO3 - 19.2ppm
PO4 - .07ppm

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I don’t think Chemipure blue will drop nutrients much. Neither nitrate nor phosphate will bind directly from seawater. It’s mostly an organic matter export method.

I’d remove what is there, then if you want to be really cautious, put the new bag in for a short time (a few h), remove it, and then take N and P measurements again. Then add it back if N and P did not fall much.

 

[Spare time]

Blue doesn't do anything for phosphate and imo likely very very little for the prevention of nitrate (as I believe it has their brand of purigen in it). I change carbon once a month, with the rinse in hot tap water every other week. I would rinse more frequently if I didn't have a carbon reactor.

 

[reefiniteasy]

I don’t think Chemipure blue will drop nutrients much. Neither nitrate nor phosphate will bind directly from seawater. It’s mostly an organic matter export method.

I’d remove what is there, then if you want to be really cautious, put the new bag in for a short time (a few h), remove it, and then take N and P measurements again. Then add it back if N and P did not fall much.

Thank you Randy, I like that idea very much! I think I’ll do just that.

Blue doesn't do anything for phosphate and imo likely very very little for the prevention of nitrate (as I believe it has their brand of purigen in it). I change carbon once a month, with the rinse in hot tap water every other week. I would rinse more frequently if I didn't have a carbon reactor.

I happen to disagree with you, I have been using ChemiPure Blue in all of my tanks off and on for 4 years now. In my experience, it removes/manages phosphate quite well. How it works, no clue. My daily/weekly testing for years shows me a significant drop in nitrate and phosphate with a new bag and over the course of three-ish months the number rise until I change it, and then I see a drop again.

I actually stopped using it in my lps/anemone tank and went to an algae scrubber so I wouldn’t have to spend the money on it anymore. Now I use the algae scrubber and a bag of Seachem Matrix Carbon that I replace every couple of months.

I’d like to do that in this tank, but because of the small size, I’m not sure how to add a scrubber.

 

[reefiniteasy]

But then again, if it doesn’t bind straight out of sea water then it does nothing and I’m just seeing coincidental evidence I guess.

 

[Lavey29]

Blue doesn't do anything for phosphate and imo likely very very little for the prevention of nitrate (as I believe it has their brand of purigen in it). I change carbon once a month, with the rinse in hot tap water every other week. I would rinse more frequently if I didn't have a carbon reactor.

I agree with this to. I really don't see anything measurable using blue with phosphate or nitrates. I may just go back to monthly carbon also.

 

[tautog83]

Odd, its basically just carbon. Its the elite that claims to reduce phosphates (has gfo in it)

 

[Lavey29]

Odd, its basically just carbon. Its the elite that claims to reduce phosphates (has gfo in it)

Blue claims to reduce phosphates also

 

[reefiniteasy]

Blue claims to reduce phosphates also

There are three things in the bag: carbon, their “Purigen,” and a reddish/orange bead which I always assumed was for phosphate.

 

[Lavey29]

There are three things in the bag: carbon, their “Purigen,” and a reddisd/orange bead which I always assumed was for phosphate.

I'll be curious to see your follow up after testing its effectiveness. I've been using it 2 years and my phosphates have no problem rising while it's in there. My nitrates do stay consistent 10 to 12 though but I have a fuge and ton of corals in the tank consuming.

 

[Tamberav]

I used it and it just seemed to be media you can buy separate but pre-packaged in a bag for convenience + fancy marketing + bigger price tag. I never noticed any real effect on PO4 and NO3.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Blue claims to reduce phosphates also

Sort of, but it won’t. They don’t actually claims it binds phosphate from seawater that I have seen. Just a blanket claim to fit all possible customers. lol

 

[reefiniteasy]

I'll be curious to see your follow up after testing its effectiveness. I've been using it 2 years and my phosphates have no problem rising while it's in there. My nitrates do stay consistent 10 to 12 though but I have a fuge and ton of corals in the tank consuming.

I will test daily this week when I get home from work and report back here.

Before the new bag it is
NO3 - 19.2ppm
PO4 - .07ppm

Now I’m tempted to set up my QT, dose phosphate, put ChemiPure blue in my Tidal HOB and see what it removed. Would be interesting to do this with numerous chemical media. @Randy Holmes-Farley what would be the best way to do this?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I will test daily this week when I get home from work and report back here.

Before the new bag it is
NO3 - 19.2ppm
PO4 - .07ppm

Now I’m tempted to set up my QT, dose phosphate, put ChemiPure blue in my Tidal HOB and see what it removed. Would be interesting to do this with numerous chemical media. @Randy Holmes-Farley what would be the best way to do this?

A bare seawater tank with phosphate in it would be a fine test. Use a starting level your test can easily see a drop, but not higher than is realistic. 0.1 ppm seems a good level.

 

[Dan_P]

I will test daily this week when I get home from work and report back here.

Before the new bag it is
NO3 - 19.2ppm
PO4 - .07ppm

Now I’m tempted to set up my QT, dose phosphate, put ChemiPure blue in my Tidal HOB and see what it removed. Would be interesting to do this with numerous chemical media. @Randy Holmes-Farley what would be the best way to do this?

A better test would be in a small bucket with a gallon of aquarium water, stirred overnight with Chemi-pure blue. When you are done you can put the Chemi-pure in the aquarium.

A more sophisticated test would involve separating out each component and testing each separately.

 

[reefiniteasy]

A better test would be in a small bucket with a gallon of aquarium water, stirred overnight with Chemi-pure blue. When you are done you can put the Chemi-pure in the aquarium.

A more sophisticated test would involve separating out each component and testing each separately.

I think this will make a great project for when school is out. Don’t really have the time going into the 4th quarter. I want to try ChemiPure Blue, ChemiPure Elite, and ClearFX Pro. I would think, with these products being around for so long, they would have already been put to the test like this.

 

[Dan_P]

I think this will make a great project for when school is out. Don’t really have the time going into the 4th quarter. I want to try ChemiPure Blue, ChemiPure Elite, and ClearFX Pro. I would think, with these products being around for so long, they would have already been put to the test like this.

You would be surprised at how little testing and data from controlled experiments exist on products. Keep me posted.

By the way, are the 3 Chemi-pure blue components distinguihable?

 

[reefiniteasy]

By the way, are the 3 Chemi-pure blue components distinguihable?

It looks like it. When I opened the new one tonight, I see the carbon, white resin and then a reddish resin. I’ll have to pick up one to cut open.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ive used blue for years and still do. I too would not say it reduces but keeps it in check. The elite with the added GFO has reduced phosphate twice when used for me

 

[reefiniteasy]

Alright, got home from work today and tested just a few moments ago.

NO3 - 14.0ppm
PO4 - .03pp

This is a 5.2ppm drop in nitrate and a .04ppm drop in phosphate after roughly 24 hours since replacing the ChemiPure Blue bag.

Thoughts anyone?

As a side note, I’m testing with Hanna checkers. The Nitrate HR and Phosphate ULR. Vials cleaned with microfiber and the Hanna cuvette cleaning solution.