# Purigen



## gimlid

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I picked up a small can of this at K E the other day. I thought it may help with some odd odors that are coming from one of my tanks that has a fairly large bio load (I 7" Chocolate and 2 9" plecos plus a few smaller fish) for a 75 gallon tank. My understanding is the odor "may " be casued by nitrate and amonia spikes. Smells like methane or something.
I was stoked to see that the medium container treats 250 gallons for about 15$.
I threw half of it in a mesh filter bag and put it in my 2217 eheim (also running an xp4).
24 hours later the water was amazingly clear and odor free. super clarity.
the ultimate test is tonight, a large feeding of carnivore pellets, algae wafers, and zuchinni for dessert. I will see tomorrow.


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## tony1928

Yeah, I'm using it in my tank it completely eliminates the tannins from my huge driftwood that was making my water brown. Took only a day or two. Neat stuff. Even eliminated the real earthy smell from the wood as well.


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## 2wheelsx2

The water will be clearer, your fish will show brighter colours as they seem happier. I use it partly for clarity and partly for the smell. I love it. For a big tank, I'll never not run it again.


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## keitarosan

i love purigen! btw, does anyone have an idea on how much to use? i have a 33g heavily planted tank with a 404 fluval filter. the top most basket contains the purigen and scrubbies. i have 2 mesh bags with about 2-3 tsp of purigen. am i using too much?


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## 2wheelsx2

You can use as much or as little as you want. I am using a full bag (Seachem's The Bag) in my 2213 in my 15 gallon. With 2-3 tsp's you're probably regenerating it every 2 weeks? I do mine every 2 months or so. Sometimes I skip one cycle even when I clean the filter as the particles don't appear all used up. In my 125 gallon, it gets regen'd every month, but it's in my FX5.


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## TCR

hmm look like you can reuse the stuff too..


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## tony1928

For the price of Purigen, thank goodness it is reusable. I need to pick up another bottle soon so that I can rotate the stuff as part of the regeneration process. You have to use bleach for that so I'd like to be able to leave the stuff out of the system for a few days so let the chlorine disperse.


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## hp10BII

I don't enjoy doing the regeneration process - hate the smell of bleach. I keep 3 bags of Purigen, so when I need to regenerate it, I do 2 bags at a time while the other one is in use.


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## 2wheelsx2

I run 3 bags for 2 filters. That way I just rotate them out. I buy the 1 L bottles so each bottle is good for 2 years for me. I've only thrown away one bag so far because I burst the seams on it, and the Purigen wasn't regenerating very well anymore. Well worth the money IMO.


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## jobber

2wheelsx2 - question for you. Does the purigen affect your plants as the purigen absorbs the nitrate (nitrogen source for plants)?

I've been sitting on idea of whether to use purigen or not for my planted tank.


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## 2wheelsx2

All my tanks are planted. I was told by Tom Barr and many others on plantedtank.net that Purigen will only affect the organic material, so if you dose KNO3, that won't be affected, or maybe it's only affected minimally, as I've never noticed a problem.


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## jobber

Guess I'll be picking up some purigen in the near future 

Thanks 2wheelx2!


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## Mferko

sounds like good stuff.. i'll pick some up when my carbon runs out


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## gimlid

Does anyone know what the process is that purigen works off? Is the black colouration of the used grains due to beneficial bacteria, like a moving bed filter, or an actual chemical reaction?


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## 2wheelsx2

It's exact process is unknown (at least to most of us), but Seachem states it uses ion exchange and adsorption. It's purely chemical.


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## gimlid

Well its a week or more into the purigen and I have never seen such health and vigor from my fish.
Stress level are at an all time low and like was mentioned previously, colour and appetite are wild. The musky smells I was getting completely vanished, I am now going to use soem Prazi or something cause I think there is a bio infection in my larger plecos. there stools are floating and mixed between clear and regular coloured.
Very happy with this product.
Any special tips (in addition to those mentioned) about the regeneration process from anyone?


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## Fish Whisper

2wheelsx2 said:


> The water will be clearer, your fish will show brighter colours as they seem happier. I use it partly for clarity and partly for the smell. I love it. For a big tank, I'll never not run it again.


Did you mean never not run WITHOUT it again?


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## chillin

i am using purigen on my 300 gallon discus in a reactor,product works awesome,and is reusable if bleached out. planted tank also thriving, no bad filtering issues, change out purigen when required, and lots of water changes, seems to work for me..chillin


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## Mferko

fish whisper said:


> did you mean never not run without it again?


-(-1) = 1


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## 2wheelsx2

The trick I found is to have more than 1 bag so that you can pop in a fresh one that is dechlorinated when you do a filter change. I run 3 bags in 2 filters.

I use full strength bleach, and massage the Purigen around the bag so that the center stuff gets exposed to the bleach properly after a couple of hours. After 12 hours, if it looks clean, I'll rinse out and soak in water with a double dose of dechlorinator. If it's still grungy, I'll rinse out, massage the bag and soak in bleach for another 12 hours.

Because I am using full strength bleach, I use extra dechlorinator and massage the bag to make sure I get all the chlorine. If you use half strength or less, it might not matter.


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## gimlid

chillin said:


> i am using purigen on my 300 gallon discus in a reactor,product works awesome,and is reusable if bleached out. planted tank also thriving, no bad filtering issues, change out purigen when required, and lots of water changes, seems to work for me..chillin


cool , does your reactor work like one of those fluidized bed sand filters? Great idea.
How big is it for a 300g?


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## gimlid

2wheelsx2 said:


> The trick I found is to have more than 1 bag so that you can pop in a fresh one that is dechlorinated when you do a filter change. I run 3 bags in 2 filters.
> 
> I use full strength bleach, and massage the Purigen around the bag so that the center stuff gets exposed to the bleach properly after a couple of hours. After 12 hours, if it looks clean, I'll rinse out and soak in water with a double dose of dechlorinator. If it's still grungy, I'll rinse out, massage the bag and soak in bleach for another 12 hours.
> 
> Because I am using full strength bleach, I use extra dechlorinator and massage the bag to make sure I get all the chlorine. If you use half strength or less, it might not matter.


thanks alot for the tip


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## fkshiu

gimlid said:


> cool , does your reactor work like one of those fluidized bed sand filters? Great idea.
> How big is it for a 300g?


He probably is using one of these guys:
Two Little Fishies Phosban (Phosphate Removal) Reactor 150

I've run Purigen (and a lot of other things) in these reactors very successfully. The media is used far more efficiently than in a media bag where there's a lot of bypass.


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## chillin

vertex 20 from jl aquatics,flow is just like a fluidized bed filter, proper pump capacity is importantfor maximum contact of water and media


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## 2wheelsx2

So how do you regenerate the purigen since it's not bagged? Do you pour it out into a bag?


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## Sharkbait

Purigen can come in small 100ml packs - it's already in a bag.

Or you can get the larger containers - you'll need a mesh bag to put it in. 

Just put the bag in a small tupperware and add your bleach mixture.

I have this stuff in my filter, but I'm deciding whether or not to take it out. It really sucks out the nitrates in my planted tank. I think it's what caused an outbreak of BGA.


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## 2wheelsx2

I use The Bag. But I don't mean that. I'm talking about loose Purigen in a reactor to maximize the effectiveness. How does one regenerate the Purigen without using a bag? It sucks out nitrate that's organic, not the KNO3 you dose.


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## Mferko

i just got my shipment of the little bag of this stuff today from bigals online and was pretty impressed with the quality of the bag it comes in, looks like it might actually withstand the bleach. the normal media bags ive used before disintigrate in the bleach solution.

whats the deal with these fluidized reactor thingies, are they better than canister filters? or do you use them alongside a canister?


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## fkshiu

You simply dump the purigen into something like a yogurt cup and then add the bleach. You'll lose a few of the little balls transferring it from the reactor to the cup and back but it's no big deal if you're careful.

An up flow reactor works better than in a bag or in a canister because water is forced upwards through all of the media equally. All of the media literally percolates (AKA becomes "fluidized"). The eliminates any bypass whatsoever. Every single square millimetre of the media's surface area is in contact with the water in theory and there is no mesh or bag to inhibit any contact.

You attach a small powerhead like a maxijet to power the reactor. I run my reactors off of a manifold from my return pump. This is one of those things that is easier to do with a sump since you can hide the extra tubing and powerhead.

Here's some videos of various reactors in action with various type of media:
YouTube - Running NpX Bio-Bead on a TLF 150 Reactor with MJ1200

People have even made reactors out of RO water filter canisters:





Here's a better example of fluidized purigen:





One caution with these in-line reactors is that you can put too much flow through and cause the media to grind itself into dust and also lessens the media's efficiency because the water is rushing by so fast there's not enough contact. The beauty of a true upflow design is that you can get fluidization at a relatively slow flow-through rate.


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## chillin

i use the reactor along with a canister filter ,pleated cartridge to remove most of the suspended particles,also run a fluidized bed filter , running highflow rates [large pumps ] tp maintain good turnover of water and filter capacity along with lots of water changes,discus are fat and healthy..multiple pairings..time to set up some spawn tanks, winters are long in 100 mile ,stops cabin fever having indoor projects..chillin


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## 2wheelsx2

Cool. I didn't realize the particles were heavy enough that they stay sunken. They feel so fluffy and light. 

I think it works well enough in most freshwater applications to have them in a media bag, but the reactor idea is very intriguing and I might give it a go in my 125 gallon when I sump it. Thanks for all the extra info.


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## jobber

More review information from hobbyists relating to purigen:
SeaChem Purigen ~ Ultimate Filtration? - MonsterFishKeepers.com


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## Mferko

has anyone used melafix with purigen? is it safe?


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## gimlid

I think it is, I understand that it does not work like carbon and is a chemical reaction with nitrates.
I am treating with prazi right now and I asked around a bit.
I would love more feedback on this issue also.


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## Mferko

yea, was just wondering if melafix has any of the "slime coat products" that purigen package says will permanently foul the resin and render regeneration difficult


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## Mferko

still wondering :/


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## jkam

i use melafix + pimafix with no issues previously. I haven't used either for about 2 months now so my issue might be unrelated.

I have an issue with regenerating the purigen. I just left it in 50/50 bleach over night and then put it in tap water + prime + acid buffer. Now the beads smell really strongly of the prime (sulphur smell). I'm letting it sit in just plain water now but it still smells like sulphur. 

Does that mean that it's gone bad? I've only regenerated the purigen twice with the same methods. any advice?


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## 2wheelsx2

Hmmm....I don't about that as I don't use Prime to neutralize chlorine. I do know that my Purigen still smells a bit funny after it's all clean usually. But as long as it regenerates (turns white) and doesn't smell like chlorine, I've continued to use it. I regenerated my first pack about 10 times before throwing it away.


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## jkam

yeah.. I never smelled it after regenerating it but this time i was checking for chlorine smell when I noticed the sulphur smell..


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## davej

This is what you have to worry about, right from the web site.



> Q: Does AP Stress Coat foul/ruin your Purigen product?
> 
> A: If they use an amine based polymer it will not foul the resin but will render it non-regenerable. What amine based polymers will do is bond not just to Purigen but to any organic scavenging resin as well as any ion exchange resin and when you attempt to regenerate the resin they will then bond with the chlorine to form chloramine which can be released into the aquarium. This is not just an issue with Purigen but with all resins being sold in the pet trade. The problem only occurs when one attempts to regenerate the resin, there is no problem unless you wish to regenerate the resin you are using. Seachem products do not contain amine based polymers and are safe to be used in conjunction with not only our resins but also with other companies resins.


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## ngo911

Which water conditioners use an amine based polymer? I just picked up some Purigen and switched to Kordon NovAqua+, instead of Stress Coat. Have I "rendered it non-regenerable"?


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## Mferko

has purigen been removing nitrates for you guys? its keeping my water crystal clear but im still doing the same # of water changes when my nitrates hit 5-10ppm (50% 2x a week)

i used melafix once.. hope that didnt ruin it


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## tony1928

Hmmm...i've never tested for nitrates after putting in purigen. I'm just using it to keep the water clear and remove the tannins from my driftwood. I do weekly large water changes anyways so I never really thought of the purigen removing nitrates. So far, with my massive piece of driftwood in my 400g which used to turn my water quite brown, the purigen has been great. I have been using it for a few months and the water is still clear so I haven't regenerated so far. I'm using about 700g of bagged purigen in my FX5's.


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## 2wheelsx2

I dose nitrate in all my tanks, so I have no idea if it removes it or not. Same as Tony, I don't use it for nitrate control. I do 1 -3 water changes a week depending on the tank and the bioload, so I don't really think about measuring anything in my tanks, except when I see plant growth problems. I use a lot less than Tony. Maybe 250 g (but then I don't have a 400 gallon).


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## summit

from what I have read so far about the purigen is that it will filter out the nitrogenous wastes from the tank, not the nitrates themselves if that makes any sense, I am trying to find out where I read this as I was concerned it would remove the nitrates in a planted tank, and stumbed across it, dosnt make sense to me yet though!

Hmm I guess i read it off their site 

Purigen® is a premium synthetic adsorbent that is unlike any other filtration product. It is not a mixture of ion exchangers or adsorbents, but a unique macro-porous synthetic polymer that removes soluble and insoluble impurities from water at a rate and capacity that exceeds all others by over 500%. Purigen® controls ammonia, nitrites and nitrates by removing nitrogenous organic waste that would otherwise release these harmful compounds. Purigen’s™ impact on trace elements is minimal. It significantly raises redox. It polishes water to unparalleled clarity. Purigen® darkens progressively as it exhausts, and is easily renewed by treating with bleach. Purigen® is designed for both marine and freshwater use.


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## jay_leask

so does purigen replace the carbon or the ammonia? or is it added on top of both of them?


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## 2wheelsx2

Carbon. Not the ammo-lock and similar products. Its main function is adsorption of organics, tannins, etc.


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## jay_leask

thanks, save a lot not having to buy carbon every month then.


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## tony1928

I love it. I was really debating whether or not to add that giant piece of driftwood as it discoloured the water so badly. Now its like the crystal clear water....awesome.


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## 2wheelsx2

One thing you have to remember is if you are medicating. It's like carbon then, which means you have to take it out of the tank.


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## ngo911

2wheelsx2 said:


> One thing you have to remember is if you are medicating. It's like carbon then, which means you have to take it out of the tank.


Crap are you sure about this? I've been medicating Prazipro for the past week at the same time I started using purigen...


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## 2wheelsx2

That's what I was told in a couple of forums where users had experience with them. I have not tried using meds with Purigen myself.


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## discuspaul

2 wheels is right on. If medicating, you need to remove Purigen, just as you would remove carbon. Otherwise, your medication will be lost to the Purigen cleansing.


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## ngo911

Lol damn I guess Ill remove it tonight. I guess I should be glad since I still see them flashing, although much less. Maybe it will be more effective once I remove the purigen. Thanks for the info!


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## Mferko

i can confirm that with purigen the bubbles + smell usually associated with dosing melafix goes away extremely fast.
i was checking nitrates daily after i got the stuff just to see how much of an impact it had and i didnt notice any really, the water is extremely clear tho and i dont know if its the excel or the 3 juvie BN plecos i got or a combination but i havent cleaned my glass or rocks in 2 months and both are immaculate. i love how low maintenance the tank has gotten


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## jkam

I never thoguht about it removing my nitrates... I only use it to make my water crystal clear instead of chemical benefits.


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## CHRISW

This Seachem Purigen in 100ml bag will fit inside slot of small internal canister filter from the Fluval Flora kit?


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## hi-revs

can too much purigen be bad?


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