# Purigen



## RudeDogg1 (27 Feb 2011)

Is it safe to use purigen in a planted tank? Or will it remove the ferts ect


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## Tom (27 Feb 2011)

I know lots of people started using it a while back, but I haven't heard it being used for quite a long time.


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## mdhardy01 (27 Feb 2011)

I was thinking of getting some as well.
Would be interested to see what people think after a good testing time.
Like the idea of really crystal clear water.
Mine gets a bit hazy towards the end of the week 
Think this is to do with ferts build up not sure though
Matt


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## JohnC (27 Feb 2011)

i used it for a couple of years, i would not say it removes ferts. it is inert granules. they just catch small bits of dirt. unlike active carbon which actually absorbs ferts and toxins.


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## RudeDogg1 (27 Feb 2011)

It absorbs ammonia and nitrite in my books that's toxins lol


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## Stu Worrall (27 Feb 2011)

works fine in my tanks


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## RudeDogg1 (27 Feb 2011)

stuworrall said:
			
		

> works fine in my tanks



Gd gd, how long does it last befor u need to recharge it?


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## Stu Worrall (27 Feb 2011)

usually I regen it after about 4-5 months but it does go brown before that. depends on lots of vairable I guess on how your tank is setup, turnover, amount of fish poo etc


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## viktorlantos (27 Feb 2011)

RudeDogg1 said:
			
		

> stuworrall said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Depend on your tank size vs the ammount you used and the dirt your tank produce. I usually recharge it after 3 months.


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## RudeDogg1 (27 Feb 2011)

Cheers I want to add it it the bigger filter I'm still waiting for off ukco2guy cuz it has an extra basket than the one I'm running at the mo so I can put a bag full in there


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## John Starkey (27 Feb 2011)

I also used Purigen in my 150cm setup for 18mths,no ill effects on anything as far as i could see,the water is crystal clear too,

john.


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## flygja (1 Mar 2011)

Crystal clear water alright. I had to regenerate it after about a month though. It's basically an extremely efficient mechanical filter right?


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## chris1004 (1 Mar 2011)

flygja said:
			
		

> Crystal clear water alright. I had to regenerate it after about a month though. It's basically an extremely efficient mechanical filter right?



Wrong.

Although its not chemical filtration in the strictest sense of the word it behaves much more in this manner than as mechanical filtration. Basically it strips the water of ammonia and nitrite. The more ammonia in your water the shorter it'll last between regenerations.i.e. its very dependent on all the other factors in your system like bio load, maintenance and feeding regimes and other filtration employed.

As we know from experience that one of the main triggers for algae blooms is  Ammonia the use of Purigen goes some way in aiding us to achieve algae free tanks.

It isn't however a quick fix and all the other factors still have to be addressed correctly, i.e CO2, flow, lighting and ferts. So its just another tool in our constant battle with our nemesis, Mr Algae.

Typically it can be regenerated about 8 times before it looses its effectiveness and is regenerated by first soaking in a bleach solution, then rinsing and soaking in a very strong dechlorinator solution (but you have to be very careful which one as some render Purigen useless, I use Prime also from Seachem). Finally you'll probably want to soak it again in a buffer to reduce its PH as the regeneration process will leave the PH leaching from the Purigen in the PH8.5 area.

It does have a very beneficial effect on the clarity of your tank water and makes the water noticeably clearer, for that alone its worth its weight in gold to some people. Personally I like it and have been using it on my 240L planted tank for some time now with good results.

Regards, Chris.


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## mlgt (1 Mar 2011)

May I ask how you use this? I got given 2 bottles of this when I bought a second hand tank. However the man said he has had them for a year or so.
I dont suppose that if you dont use it for some time it will not work as well as a brand new bottle? Reason I ask is that both bottles were opened.


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## Stu Worrall (1 Mar 2011)

mlgt said:
			
		

> May I ask how you use this? I got given 2 bottles of this when I bought a second hand tank. However the man said he has had them for a year or so.
> I dont suppose that if you dont use it for some time it will not work as well as a brand new bottle? Reason I ask is that both bottles were opened.


should be fine after a recharge, instructions at the bottom of the page - http://www.seachem.com/support/forums/showthread.php?p=7450


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## mlgt (1 Mar 2011)

Thanks, however do you use mesh filter bags that can be bought from ebay? or branded? Does it make a difference? 
Thansk for the instructions.


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## Stu Worrall (1 Mar 2011)

mine actually came in a sealed mesh bag. doubt it would make a difference other than the messh will need to be really tight as the purigen beads are tiny


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## mlgt (1 Mar 2011)

Thanks Stu. I have it in a bottle with the beads in it. I will get a fine mesh bag from ebay then and follow instructions.


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## chris1004 (3 Mar 2011)

Be aware when buying your filter bag that many will not stand up to being soaked in bleach and will not have a fine enough mesh grade suitable for use with Purigen.


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## JohnC (3 Mar 2011)

i have used tights before, "double bagged". 

from all i've read about this stuff i disagree with it doing anything more then advanced mechanical filtration. Its just removing fine organic waste which would in turn produces ammonia and nitrite if it was left kicking about in your tank or going past your normal filter media. The nitrogen cycle for this waste breaking down will then happen in the filter (where a lot of it happens anyway) rather then in your tank. Specifically says on the seachem page it has little effect on simple compounds. 

http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Purigen.html

Make sure you use the basic simple as feck bleach, not any scented kind. I tend to have two sets on the go at any time. One set in the filter, one set soaking in bleach for a while then soaking in dechlorinator for a while (at least 24 - 48 hours to make sure, sniff it to make sure). I often leave them soaking for a month before swapping them out again.


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## mlgt (3 Mar 2011)

So using tights will be fine in the filter, but you re generate them each month with bleach and this will make them last super long?

Never tried that. I will give this a try sometime.


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## JohnC (3 Mar 2011)

mlgt said:
			
		

> So using tights will be fine in the filter, but you re generate them each month with bleach and this will make them last super long?
> 
> Never tried that. I will give this a try sometime.



to be fair the tights bag was used on a smaller nano tank version and that did not need bleaching so often so i could not say how fast the bag degraded. I was lucky to have several of the pre-made purigen bags which i opened and divided into 2 for use in my big tank.

the granules are very tiny as mentioned earlier so do go everywhere if opened.....

as for the frequency of bleaching, the grains go brown with time, when i remembered and the bags looked suitably dirty i bleached them back to white or near white. As mentioned on the seachem site, when they stop changing colour they are done.


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## toadass (3 Mar 2011)

What would be the the best media to be replaced with purigen? eg Sponge, pre filter?
Also where is it best placed in the filter? 
Toad


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## Tom (3 Mar 2011)

Might be an idea to make sure you've just got some mechanical first (starting course, ending in fine), then some bio (unless you're just using sponges for everything), and then I'd go with Purigen Last.

Tom


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## JohnC (3 Mar 2011)

i've always had purigen last.


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## Spang (4 Mar 2011)

Marine boys always put purigen last, for that extra polish before returning to the tank.


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## chris1004 (5 Mar 2011)

Hi,

Definitely Purigen last in the filter.

I tried tights once for Purigen and the stuff leached through the holes so I wouldn't recommend there use, last thing you want in the water column is thousands of tiny plastic beads.

I know they are expensive (£10 or therabouts) but the actual 'bag' that Seachem produce for use with Purigen is excellent, that's what I use anyway. I have two bags each with 250ml of Purigen in the filter and another two the same regenerating /soaking. 

Yes I spent just under £100 Just on the Purigen stage of my filter in my planted tank. Worth it? I think so.  My water is crystal clear and I don't have problems with algae but then that's probably more to do with getting the other factors right as I've already mentioned.

I tend to exchange the bags every 3 months or so. Remember though that Purigen typically can only be regenerated about 8 times before it looses its effectiveness, its not an indefinite never ending thing like some people seem to think. But going on that each 500ml that I buy will last me for at least 2 years if I don't foul it up. Wonder how much activated carbon or Zeolite would cost me to do the same job in that time frame?

I remember reading somewhere that it doesn't do it any good to let the particles dry out completley. Not sure how true or not seeing as they are effectively dry when you first buy it.

*I've said it already but its well worth reiterating, be VERY careful which dechlorinator you use and NEVER treat meds particularly stress coat type meds whilst using Purigen as they will render the Purigen useless and you will not be able to regenerate it.*

Loads of info and links from here:-

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...-purigen-prime-anime-based-dechlorinator.html

Regards, Chris.


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