peter

I was told purigen keeps the water just as crystal looking as carbon has anybody used it in there filters, I use carbon at the moment thinking of swapping

hssea

i've read on this site that carbon is very short lived and then will actually start to break down which is not good for the water quality. i've got disposable cartridges which i've cut open to remove the carbon . my water is super crytal clear, i do have a pack of nitro zorb (its a pouch that you drop into your filter) which i ordered from Fosters and Smith

Tavel

i've tried a bunch of different chemical media and i think I'm finally sticking with NO chemical media. My tanks are cleaner than ever right now.

for one, you don't actually know if your chemical media is doing anything because it's "removing" chemicals you can't test for.

two, you don't know when it's exhausted, or may not realize it.

I've never used THAT particular product, but I have a feeling it'll still fall short on these two points.

peter

Thanks i might try it for a while without anything see how it goes .

cheffy_cia

I do my research on here daily and talked to many specialists at the store before buying products because they have been keeping fish a lot longer than I have. The guy at the store said to not use carbon cause it apparently only last a few days and just lets all the bad crap back into the tank. He said to drop a sack of purigen into the filter and keep an eye on the color. The bag starts off white and eventually turns dark brown after time. You can apparently reuse the bag after soaking in bleach and other buffers and other stuff, but I think it's easier just to go back to the store and buy a brand new one for 7-9 bucks. So far my water is crystal clear except for when I clean the gravel and scrub the glass. one bad treats up to 100 gallons and lasts a while depending on how loaded your tank is and now much water is getting pumped through it.

Gozer_1

I have been using Purigen for over a year and have NEVER replaced any of it. It has recharged with out a hitch every single time and does a fantastic job of pulling stuff out of the water. Stuff you very much can test for, like Nitrate, Nitrite, and all that stuff. My bag lasts for months before needing recharged and is easy to tell if in need of recharging. I have no doubt as to it's abilty to absorb stuff you don't want. I use Seachem products almost exclusively in my reef tank. They are a brand I've come to trust completely. It does feel a little weird using bleach on something going in your tank but I know it's safe as I've recharged mine numerous times. Save the 7-9 bucks and just recharge it. As long as you follow the directions you'll be fine.

Tavel

so i guess it doesn't fall short...still, no chemical media is working just fine for me so I'm good.

peter

Thanks for the info I got a bag today I see how it goes.

Gozer_1

I think you'll be pleased. If you need any help with recharging it just ask. The instructions are pretty straight foward though. Remember to use the right buffer for your tank if you're using it in freshwater. If you're shooting for higher PH as in a marine tank, then you don't need to buffer it. If you want neutral or acidic freshwater you have to use a buffer solution as part of the recharge. Of course, you probably know that if you have the stuff so I'll quit rambling now. lol Best of luck abd welcome to the Purigen club.

peter

Thanks so far so good the water is looking more sparkling than with carbon.