Purigen and planted tanks

[Monkey Magic]

Has anyone ever used seachem purigen in a planted tank. is it worth buying?

 

[Austin.b]

I've heard of people using it before, and saying that it dosent take out nutrients for the plants like carbon.

 

[Monkey Magic]

Yeh thats what i want to know, i know it still takes out nutrients just no way near as much

 

[CorallineAlgae]

I've used Purigen for over 10 years in both salt water and fresh water tanks. It never removed anything I've ever been able to test for that I wanted other than some nitrate. Mostly it just keeps the water from turning yellow (driftwood). Many people will say that you don't really need chemical filtration on a planted tank and unless you're specifically trying to polish your water they're totally right. It's considered the best chemical media for planted tanks, but it's just optional and comes down to preference. I like it and my plants grow like crazy. Other people don't use anything... and grow plants like crazy. lol

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Here's a poll on the topic:
Purigen question / poll

 

[angelvelez87]

I use it in my two tanks!! And in loving it!! Water is pretty clear!!

 

[aqua_chem]

The mechanism by which purigen and AC function is completely different. Purigen is designed to mostly take up tanins, organics, and ammonia/ammonia derivatives. Nitrate will be largely unaffected, and the chelated metals should be largely unaffected as well.

 

[misterc007]

So let me ask everyone this then should you not use carbon at all when your using ferts?I feel like I should already know this but I don't think that has come up in anything I've been reading.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Carbon is only necessary if you need to remove medication from your planted tank. Very few people run it full time. There is some debate about using it while cycling a tank. With ferts it's considered bad news because it's indiscriminate and takes out whatever fits into it's pores. Purigen on the other hand is very common to find in planted tanks. But then, so is no chemical media at all. I use Purigen and love it. Helps keep my water colorless even with a mass of driftwood. I recharge it about twice a year and switch out a fresh one when I recharge the old one so 2 small bags last me about 8 years. No kidding.

 

[Damian]

Wait a minute, you guys are saying that using carbon in a planted tank is bad.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Wait a minute, you guys are saying that using carbon in a planted tank is bad.

If you use a hang off the back filter and the cartridges have a little carbon it's not much of an issue, but using a real amount of carbon in a planted tank is counterproductive and will strip out some of your ferts.

In a fish or reef tank you want carbon to help take out nutrients that allow algae to grow. In a planted tank we actually dose nutrients (ferts) so our plants will outgrow nuisance algae. This keeps our plants healthy and keeps algae at bay so long as you don't have some crucial deficiency with an important plant nutrient. Carbon won't make keeping your ferts in balance any easer. We don't want to use carbon any more than we would want to use phosphate remover, and for the same reason. Why use something that takes out what we try to keep in?

Planted tanks break lots of the rules for any other kind of aquarium. It's totally opposite in some ways. We want nitrates, phosphates, highish nutrient levels and carbon dioxide. We don't usually want surface agitation, clean gravel, or to much water flow.

 

[Damian]

So what would be a good replacement for carbon. Because I have a canister filter and a aqua clear 70 filter.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Purigen. Read the thread one more time.

 

[misterc007]

If you use a hang off the back filter and the cartridges have a little carbon it's not much of an issue. Using a real amount of carbon doesn't serve a real purpose in a planted tank and will strip out some of your ferts.

In a fish or reef tank you want carbon to help take out nutrients that allow algae to grow. In a planted tank we actually dose nutrients (ferts) so our plants will outgrow nuisance algae. This keeps our plants healthy and keeps algae at bay so long as you don't have some crucial deficiency with an important plant nutrient. Carbon won't make keeping your ferts in balance any easer. We don't want to use carbon any more than we would want to use phosphate remover, and for the same reason. Why use something that takes out what we try to keep in?

Planted tanks break lots of the rules for any other kind of aquarium. It's totally opposite in some ways. We want nitrates, phosphates, highish nutrient levels and carbon dioxide. We don't usually want surface agitation, clean gravel, or to much water flow.

I think I will be switching to purigen or nothing at all then. I'm glad this came up!

 

[aqua_chem]

Long term carbon use might cause issues. When you think about it though, carbon should only be used short term, and anything that makes carbon necessary should trump plant health, at least short term.

 

[Monkey Magic]

Long term carbon use might cause issues. When you think about it though, carbon should only be used short term, and anything that makes carbon necessary should trump plant health, at least short term.

By issues do you mean plant related deficiancies or something else. I also came across hydra or hydrozorb cant remember did a little reading but apparently purigen is the cats pyjamas