Install Purigen in Dennerle Corner Filter?

[mrspock]

Hello. I am new to this and have a tank set up and waiting for a Betta and maybe some Tetras later on. We put a piece of Mopani wood in there and of course the water turned brown (we didn't know to boil it and it seems even that doesn't always cure the tannin problem. We didn't know this would happen and we don't like the look of it. People are saying to use Purigen for it but virtually nowhere does anyone say HOW to use it. Where does it go? What kind of filter unit does it work with? We bought a Dennerle 10 gallon tank that came with a filter (link below) but I don't know if this will work with it or where to put the purigen. I'm not keen on buying a whole new filter setup just for this problem...we'll just get rid of the wood and redo the water in the tank I guess if this is going to be a big deal.

Apologies if this has been answered but I couldn't find anything on this forum or others.

https://dennerle.com/en/products/nano-aquaristic/filtration/filters/nano-corner-filter

 

[Aiken Drum]

You would normally put your purigen in a media bag and put the bag in a compartment in the filter. Your filter doesn't have room for this. You have 2 options.

- Put the purigen in a media bag and drop it into the water, somewhere in the flow of the water.
- Buy the optional extra item 5840 nano filter extension (download the spec sheet from your link, its in the spares section) and put your purigen in there.

I found this video showing the set up of your filter and there is a brief mention of the extension where he suggests some biomedia or carbon in there.

https://youtu.be/XUOJble4SyU

 

[Aiken Drum]

https://www.u-buy.co.uk/catalog/product/view/id/10224371/s/dennerle-nano-filter-extention

Here is the extension. I would recommend getting this anyway. Your filter is very small for a 10g tank, especially if you plan on keeping more than a single betta.

Edit: In the Q+A it mentions that a pouch of purigen wont fit in there and response was to rubber band it to the filter. Not very elegant but functional. Do you have loose purigen or pouches?

 

[mrspock]

Thank you so much for the information, very helpful! I went to their site and didn't find any info but I guess I didn't know where to look for it.

I went to the shop today and the gal said to remove one of the panels and put in the Purigen bag. I'm not sure she knows exactly how my filter is set up but I will see if it can go in there when the stuff gets here. They were out so I ordered it and it will be here Monday. My filter has a chamber on the top with some black foam material that is not very dense stuffed in there and then two panels in front. Maybe it will fit in the upper chamber in place of the black foam? I don't know yet. I had thought about maybe rubber-banding the pouch to one side in front of the white panels in front. That might work since our tank is not that big.

I did see that 10 gallons is the max rating on that filter but I don't know how urgent this is. Should I install a new filter before I bring the Tetras in? My daughter also wants to put some shrimp in there. Is there a filter you would recommend for Bettas, shrimp, etc...they seem to be more picky about what filters they prefer?

I didn't know how big of a pain this wood thing would be. Boiled it today to get rid of some of the color and it left sap all over my pan, had to scrub it to death to get it out.

 

[Aiken Drum]

I think the filter you have would be good for a betta. It just has no space for biomedia, just a tiny bit of sponge and the cartridge and they sell the extension if you want to add biomedia. If it where me, i would throw away the sponge and cartridge it comes with, cut some thicker sponge to the shape of the filter and fill the rest of the filter with some proper biomedia. Ceramic rings, maybe biohome or matrix. Possibly go for the XL version of the filter if you fancy an upgrade (presuming it fits in your tank OK).

Looks like you are novice. Before buying fish i would recommend researching the nitrogen cycle and how to cycle a tank. Cycling is something ive never known a fish store informing customers properly on. Their normal practice is to sell you a tank set up, a biological booster product and tell you to run a system for between 1 and 3 days and then say you're good to add fish with no further instruction. 2 weeks after that you will be then be back here asking about sick and dying fish. Cycling a new tank is very important to make it safe for fish.

These are some articles for beginners including articles on how to cycle a tank, either "fishless" or "fish in".

https://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/showthread.php?t=154837


Articles to Help you Get Started with your Aquarium

Getting started properly can be time consuming and a bit of a pain, but when its set up + cycled properly there is minimal maintenance. A 10g tank might take up 1/2 hour per week when running properly.

 

[mrspock]

Yes, definitely a novice, though I didn't expect the process to be uncomplicated. Unfortunately, we already bought a lovely Betta and he's in the tank right now after cycling for a day. I've read the article on what to do in my circumstance and will go get a test kit asap. We did add the turbo boost bacteria they sold us as directed.They had it in the fridge so I am assuming it was maybe a higher-end product than what I'd find at Petmsart?

I went to a reputable local shop (not a big box store) and trusted the expert there. They advised us exactly as you said: put the conditioner and bio-boost in and wait 24 hours+. Hopefully we will be ok as we've all become attached to the little guy. Luckily we have the time to do whatever water changes are needed and this will help with our tannin problem as well.

As for the filter, I ordered the add-on for the Dennerle unit I already have. I love the quiet operation and submerged function with nothing hanging out of the top of the tank. Hopefully that will be enough filter for my Betta and a half-dozen Tetras or something similar. Given this setup, maybe the best course of action would be to add the media you mentioned to the add-on chamber and leave the pads in the original unit? I'm assuming those pads have beneficial bacteria I would want to keep in the mix.

A pet store near me has ceramic rings as well as Matrix. Seachem recommends using the below order of filtration with Matrix but that would require re-working my entire system and I don't know how crucial it is to do it in this order.

We recommend that water flow through filter media in this order:
1. Mechanical filtration (filter floss, sponges, etc.)
2. Chemical filtration (MatrixCarbon, PhosGuard, Purigen, etc)
3. Biological filtration (Matrix)
Every filter is different, so the exact placement of Matrix™ will vary from brand to brand. Consult your filter’s instruction manual to find the direction of flow for your filter.

 

[Aiken Drum]

There are a few things to go at, so ill probably split a reply over a few posts.

Unless you have access to already cycled filter media from an established tank, there is no such thing as a 24 hour cycle. All you can really do in 24 hours is make sure all your equipment is working correctly, filter is running smoothly, heater is maintaining temperature and you have no leaks. Cycling typically takes 3 to 8 weeks, often longer.

You can make this as simple or as complicated as you want. If you stock lightly (ie. a betta in a 10g tank), change 30 to 50% of the water every week, add any additional fish gradually over an extended period of a few months, your tank will "likely" cycle in the background without you even knowing about it. If you keep to a light to moderate stock and play it safe, most of the time your cycle wont present an issue.

If you want to go down the complicated route, test daily and your target should be to keep ammonia + nitrite combined below 0.5ppm. Eventually your ammonia and nitrite will keep at 0ppm without the water changes and your nitrate will be rising. Then you are cycled for your current bioload and you can add some more. Rinse and repeat until you are fully stocked.

Biological booster products like the turbo boost you mention "might" speed up your cycle. They are a little hit and miss, and might not do anything. It certainly wont 24 hour cycle your tank, even though that may be the claim on the bottle and what your fish store guy tells you. Ive never heard of the specific product you mention, so i wouldnt take it as read that its a higher end product (or that a higher end product even exists). Do you have a brand name on it?

 

[Aiken Drum]

Its certainly better to trust a dedicated fish store than a chain store. You have more chance of dealing with a hobbyist in the dedicated stores. My own local fish store is nationally award winning but you still need to know who to talk to, and what questions to ask.

Fish stores are there to sell you fish and equipment. If fish get sick they will sell you medication. If they die, they will sell you new fish. If they sell inappropriate equipment, they get to sell you the upgrade. Im not saying its intentional (although i know a places that would do this intentionally), its usually through ignorance or apathy.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Regarding your filter, i think given you are getting the extension, i would fill that with biomedia and your purigen or activated carbon. Purigen and carbon will do the same job, carbon will be cheaper, but purigen can be recharged.

You only need the purigen/carbon for the time it takes to do its job. Remove it afterwards. Chemical media only lasts a couple of weeks and then needs to be replaced or recharged in the case of purigen. Its expensive to permanently keep using it when its no longer needed.

Matrix is better than ceramic rings, but more expensive. I use biohome that is similar to matrix. You could use plastic pot scrubbers as biomedia as its good value and does a great job as biomedia. Just make sure they dont contain soaps or detergent if you go that route. I personally prefer aquarium specific products to make sure.

The pads you mention. Is that the purigen? That doesn't contain any beneficial bacteria. Its a chemical media that removes organic compounds, usually used to remove tannins or medication.

Seachems order to place media types is not normal, but they do give a good justification for their recommendation. There is no right or wrong way. Typically you go mechanical, biological, chemical. In your case, i would set up as instructed and then with biological and chemical in your extension. I think with the extension to increase the amount of media it can hold your filter will work fine for what you want.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Be prepared for some issues with your betta when you add your tetras. Bettas are territorial, and it "might" not like newcomers invading its space. Its normal to introduce the other fish first before the betta so the betta hasnt established territory.

Every tank is different though and different bettas have different temperaments. Just keep an eye on it.

 

[mrspock]

Just tested and everything tested at essentially 0ppm with a pH of 6.6-6.8 (maybe a bit low for Betta? Should I avoid putting that driftwood back in there?). So I guess I'm ok for now, will test every day and look for my nitrate to begin rising.

My filter has a paperish padded filter unit that fits in there so I don't know if anything can go in there in place of it or if that would even be a good idea, supposed to be washed out 1x per month and replaced every 3-6 months. I was going to put the Matrix into the extension and temporarily rubber band the Purigen to the outside of the filter assembly and remove when water clears. The water's a little cloudy too BTW, not just tinted. Hopefully that will go away too with the added filtration I will be doing. So I'd have in order flowing to the filter: Purigen bag, then Matrix, then the paper unit. Not sure where that little sponge is with respect to the flow of water but I'll just leave it as is.

I'm just going by what I'm reading on Bettas and what to pair with them. We do want some other inhabitants in there and I read Tetras can work. Not sure what else would be ok with him. The salesperson said that Tetras can be more sensitive to a newly established tank and that it would be better to start with the Betta for that reason. But I do get that the territory thing could be a problem and will look out for trouble.

I would also like to thank you for your help. I know you've spent some time doing so and I appreciate it.

 

[Aiken Drum]

You have only just started and are lightly stocked, so unless you are overfeeding i wouldn't expect to see much in the way of poor quality water for a while. If you stay with the single fish for a while and do a weekly water change you might never see anything.

I wouldnt worry about pH. Its better to maintain a steady pH than try and chase ideal conditions. Most fish will acclimate to a wide range of pH conditions, so unless its way out there just let it be what it settles at. Put the driftwood back if that's what you want. It will lower pH a little, but its probably already done all its going to.

When you get into fishkeeping you will come to learn that a filter is just a container for holding media and a mechanism to move water through it. You can empty that container out completely and put in whatever is your preference. Most experienced people do this. I understand you don't want to mess with it, that's fine. The risk with replacing those cartridges will be you throwing away all the beneficial bacteria that lives on it and is responsible for your cycle and having to start over, so generally its best replace the cartridges with something that doesnt disintegrate and need replacing to start with. You are getting that extension and going to get some proper biomedia in there, so beneficial bacteria will live there and so the cartridge becomes less critical and less risky to change.

The cloudy water (as opposed to the coloured water caused by tannins) is a bacterial bloom. Perfectly normal in a new tank. It should go away on its own as nutrients start to balance out. It might be unsightly for a few weeks, but not harmful. If you still have it in a few weeks shout up.

Tetras are a fairly safe bet with bettas depending on the type. Some are fin nippers and the betta wont tolerate that. A simple Google search of "bettas with....." should give an idea of whether whatever you are thinking of is a good match. But, its all down to individual fishes personalities. Some fish that are considered fin nippers won't be in your case and will be fine. Your betta might be a psychopath and not tolerate anything. All you can do is play the odds or just try something and see what happens. Someone posted recently to say their betta had jumped a tank divide to kill its neighbour (a guppy), and then jumped back to its own side. 10g is a fair size tank for a small number of fish, so your chances are good that they can co-exist. Understand though, putting other fish in with a betta is for your benefit not the bettas. The betta will be perfectly happy without company.

When you are all set up, pictures please.

 

[mrspock]

Thank again for everything, I think I'm starting to get up to speed on all of this. We're going to keep just the Betta for a while, until the tank stabilizes. Hopefully he will tolerate some tank mates. I will for sure update with pics when the water clears up sufficiently.