jessipanda
Aquarium Advice Freak
side note about Purigen.
It works great and recharging it is relatively easy.
BUT it really isn't a complete replacement for quality carbon as they pull different things from the water. Seachem recommends using it in conjunction with carbon for the best effect. Because of it's affinity for organic/nitrogenous compounds, metals and other substances are not picked up by Purigen.
Personally I have had the best results in fresh water by using Chemi-Pure (carbon & ion exchange resins) and Purigen together as they do different things and compliment one another rather well.
Good to know. I honestly don't want any chemical filtration. I'm trying to make this tank as natural as possible, so I'm looking to replace the carbon with a non-chemical substance. I like the biomax product...is this strictly biological or is it chemical like purigen? Like I said, VERY new to this whole filtration world...only been in the hobby a year and everything I learned was from people who don't even know what the nitrogen cycle is. Luckily, my hubby is a chemist so he has been able to help me understand everything (and I hope to help him enjoy my new hobby!).
As far as removing any chemical-based options, what else could I research other than biomax?
Thanks for all the info thus far too! You all have been very helpful!