# will purigen help eliminate algaes due to high organics?



## ER9 (Aug 2, 2008)

will it remove enough organic matter to help in preventing those algaes that may be caused by such? has anyone used it to help combat this issue specifically and seen a difference?


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## 2wheelsx2 (Jan 27, 2006)

If your problem is BGA, then I would say yes. I used to get BGA all the time, after I solved all my other issues, with the exception of circulation. I added Purigen and the problem went away. Recently I added a powerhead (Koralia 2) and thought I wouldn't need the Purigen. When I forgot to put the Purigen back into my FX5 a few weeks ago after a cleaning, I've started noticing bits of BGA in small areas. So my opinion is based on empirical evidence rather than any scientific ones. YMMV.


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## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

I set up a 10 gallon with Seachem Purigen. It never stopped the algae. I had Blue Green Algae(which only went away when I treated the tank with Erythromycin). As for the other algae(black brush, clado, staghorn), reducing light intensity from 30 watts total to 20 watts total caused that algae to disappear.


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## jmhart (Mar 14, 2008)

What types of algae, specifically, are you referring to that are caused by high organics?

Purigen absorbs biological organic compounds before they are converted to ammonia...so if you are having ammonia spikes resulting in green water, purigen will help. So all nitrogen based nutrients naturally present in your aquarium due to the nitrogen cycle, will be reduced. 

However, if you are dosing excessively, Purigen will not remove inorganic componds. 


Additionally, if you have an excess of organic material in your tank resulting in NH4 and NO2, you don't have enough filtration.

If you aren't having issues with NH4 and/or NO2, then likely your algae is due to too much light/not enough co2 and purigen will not help.


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## ER9 (Aug 2, 2008)

interesting. i'm not 100% what type of algae it is. the best description i can give is that its a diatom brown color and grows on the leaves of my plants (or accumulates) in short fuzz like strands. it gets so built up it resembles heavy layers of mulm that has been deposited onto the leaves. it also accumulates on the gravel a little bit but 95% of it accumulates on the plant leaves. it doesn't seem to prefer any particular plant and accumulates on the slow growing crypts as well as the fast growing stems. it also accumulates heavily on my lava rock. 

i havn't been able do identify it conclusively and am guessing its some variety of brown fuzz or diatiom. its extremely easy to dust off the leaves of the stuff. a quick brush with anything removes it and it doesn't grow on the glass. my ottos and shrimp eat it but my bn pleco doesn't seem to like it.

my filtration is an ecco 2234 and an eheim 2026 in a 36 gallon tank. water flow is not and issue. i also have two powerheads...one misting co2 from compressed tank and another on opposite side of tank stirring up a dead spot. iv'e got plants swaying in the flow and water flow moving in a clockwise flow. 

surface water movement is a slight rippling from one filter. ph drops from 7.1 to 6.5ish within 7.5 hours. tank is 36 gallons and i have two 36watt CFL lights with AHS reflectors (2wpg). lights on for 7.5 hours a day. dsoing is EI for 20-40 gall. tanks. with csm-b on alternate day. ferts are good and not used up between dosing. no3 and phosphate measures 30ppm and 1ppm. 

plants are growing very well but i have to admit iv'e been slowly upping co2 over the past week to get a higher concentration. i dont have a drop checker but ph does drop quite a bit. plants dont pearl. 

iv'e had this stuff growing for months now. iv'e had every other type of algae in the past 8 months that i can think of and have got rid of all of them except this stuff. originally i ran 3wpg lights but cut off one bank. its been running on two wpg for over a month now...almost two and theres abolutely no sign of this stuff slowing down. it literally will cover a plant leaf in a day. 

i'm doing 50% water changes once a week. i did a 20% change last night to bring down very high nitrates and the stuff exploded today. city water has no measurable nitrates and only minimal phosphate. 

i'm at a loss and after researching the stuff the two possible candidates for what it might be both seem to have high organic matter in water as possible cause. i'm grabbing for straws here but thats what made me think purigen may help since i seem to have every other factor under control...unless theres something i'm missing?


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## jmhart (Mar 14, 2008)

I know the stuff you are talking about. Kind of a mix of diatoms, fuzz algae, and fungus.

I don't think purigen will help you with that. Clean out your filters and keep up with water changes.

Oto's also eat that stuff like crazy.


Purigen is a great product, so even if it doesn't help with this specific problem, it will give you clearer water(even if you think it's already clear), so I do recommend it anyway.


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