This is to address to the OP, please tell us your experience with Purigen as I am also considering buying some.
Especially interested in the water clarity aspect.
Thanks
I haven't used it, that's why I posted the question! So I can get information from those with experience using it in their planted tanks.
Ok so yeah I googled after I posted the question... lol. Its an actual bone from a fish.
I may eventually dabble in dry fert, but for now I'll just order from amazon.
I think ill order some purigen as well and give it a try since I seem to have plenty of nitrates at the moment. Where should I place it in my filter? I have a fluval 306 so should it be the last thing or just before the bio media? (Ceramic rings) like after the sponges but before the rings?
I run Fluval 406's and from bottom to top I do the black sponges followed by 100% polyfill packed in tight. Next comes the chemical filtration, which would be Purgen, then the bio-media last.
I just realized, we moved about a year ago and that's when my plants stopped thiving! So this water where I am now must be low in something. Even the plants in the kids little tanks, that I used to have to thin regularly, are barely surviving.
Sounds like you found the culprit!
Yes with the addition of the leafzone and root tabs yesterday I already see new growth so most definitely a defciency. A new leaf on my melon sword is nice and red and it has just been growing green.
Thats great!
Yes it is exciting! I was actually wonderont if my lights were the problem and I started thinking about the kids tanks which are usually bursting with overgrowth they are so sparse and there is some algae but its manageable. So definitely a water quality issue! I've not had this oroblem before so I need to get used to having to dose macros regularly. Previously I'd dose sporadically when I remembered and get root tabs maybe a couple times a year. Looks like ill have to get root tabs more often.
That was my initial plan, only I hate polyfill.
Heads up to the others I will not be purchasing the purigen anytime soon. I think way ahead on things and it can take me weeks to months to follow through. For my fish hobby I have to budget conservativly.
I dI'd grab some API leafzone at petco for a quick fix and a pack of root tabs. The leaf zone takes way to much to dose though! (5ml for 10 gallons!) The flourish products are more concentrated and thus more cost effective. I will order the macros on amazon at some point. But at least my plants are fed for the time being.
Flourish doesn't have potassium like leaf zone does though.. That's why I said get the larger bottle at petsmart for $14.. And 5ml per 10g isn't that much really... 1 cap full is good for your tank you have a 20g right ? That stuff only needs to be dosed once a week.. even the small bottle will last quiet awhile for your single tank.. My small bottle lasted a month or so and I used it in 3 tanks.
As for the purigen someone mentioned they wanted to know your experience.. im using 2 100ml bags in my 55g to clean up the really murky water from the tannins on the driftwood every 24 hours when I wake up in the morning the tank is much much clearer.. the stuff really works... I might do a 50% water change here though as it seems my wood is leaching tannins quickly.. the purigen is working but working slowely so it might be better to remove 50% of the tannins via water change to help it out..
So the 3 macros and the 1/2 lb of micros is all you need? And it all comes in one package for $15? Wow I thought it was a lot more expensive and complicated than that!
Estimative Index | Aquarium Fertilizer | Green Leaf Aquariums.... here's the package for $15. You can buy their dosing bottles or use whatever containers you have.
You can dose PPS-Pro or El. I use PPS-Pro which means I mix the above ferts with RO or Distilled water and dose daily on larger tanks and on my low light tanks I dose once a week after a WC. It's not complicated. I do monitor my nitrates and phosphates once a week to be sure my levels are where I want them to be. Then I can adjust my ferts the next week if needed. Honestly I rarely ever dose nitrates as most of my tanks run right at 10ppm. Which is why I also mix my nitrates in a separate bottle than my potassium and phosphates.