Kessil

Has anyone used purigen in your reef tank?

If so, please share your experience. Also include other filtration methods used so that it gives a more complete picture. Would you recommend using it? Thanks!
 
I use it on my LPS tank. Works great in a high flow area, but you need to be sure it doesn't strip too many nutrients out. Why are you thinking about using it?
 
I have used it, especially in QT at times. Works fine. A bit expensive.
Carbon and GFO are cheaper and usually cover what you need.

Plus I tend to avoid "All-in-one" things.
For example, if you only have a phosphate problem, you do not want to also strip Nitrates,
so GFO would be good, but Purigen might be detrimental.
 
I've been using Purigen for more than an year now on my 20 nano tank (previously a 8 gallon). I replace it every 4 months or so, generally when it gets really brown. I did have a tank crash when I tried to regenerate it after bleaching it. But it was probably carelessness on my end. Since the tank crash, I just decided to replace it instead of trying to regenerate.

I place it in my middle section of media basket on one side of IM 20.
 
Well despite having filters socks and filter floss, my back chambers accumulate nasty crap over time and it is a chore to clean. Was wondering if purigen can help minimize that and reduce the frequency of back chamber cleaning that I need to do since it absorbs organics.
 
Well despite having filters socks and filter floss, my back chambers accumulate nasty crap over time and it is a chore to clean. Was wondering if purigen can help minimize that and reduce the frequency of back chamber cleaning that I need to do since it absorbs organics.
Doubt it.
That sounds like detritus (aka little bits of crud), not something that will be chemically adsorbed.
 
Purigen absorbs dissolved organics -- not detritus. More importantly, is there anything in your water parameters that would indicate you need it?
 
Purigen absorbs dissolved organics -- not detritus. More importantly, is there anything in your water parameters that would indicate you need it?
Nope, params seem to be fine (po4= 0.01, no3= 5). So that answers the question.... I don't need purigen. Thanks!

Any ideas on how to prevent the back chambers from getting so nasty? Or do I have to clean it out more frequently?
 
I'm hesitant to even make a suggestion because I don't know exactly you are considering "nasty." There will always be some detritus in those back chambers. If you're simply talking about the stuff that gets stirred up while working back there and it bothers you that much there may be a few things you can try. You could go with a 100 micron sock instead of the normal 200 micron. The issue with them is that you will need to be diligent to change them frequently as they will plug up faster. You could also try Reef Poly filter pads that are 100 micron. Finally if you really want to after it you could run a canister filter from the back chambers for a day or so every few weeks. Of you could do what some people do to make cleaning real easy (for those that even bother to clean the back chambers) and get a small shop-vac and just suck everything out the back chambers at your next water change. Make sure to turn heaters and pumps off first though. For the record, I've never specifically cleaned my rear chambers.
 
To me, those nasty back chambers sound like a good thing, not a bad thing.

Having detritus settle out and concentrate in one particular spot makes it very easy to siphon out.
Some people have deliberate settling areas in their sump.

My suggestion is to make a siphon tube that makes it easy to clean out, and consider it a blessing.
 
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