renew

[blue demasoni]

Has anyone used renew? I just set up a 55g. planted aquarium and wondered if I needed something to remove organics. Also was thinking about using chemi pure.

[reiverix]

Nothing will beat weekly water changes to keep the tank balanced.

[sloshy]

I no doubt do 2x weekly water changes on all my tanks. I just split the difference. I am new to planted aquariums and I know not to use carbon, but will it be alright with no purifier besides the plants?

[reiverix]

There's really no need to add anything to the tank that will 'purify' the water. In the planted tank we add ferts to the water column for the plants to use. Fish will also provide nutrients for the plants. In some cases such as in lower light tanks, the fish and tapwater can provide all that the plants need. So generally a weekly 50% water change is enough to reset the tank for the next week.

I know Seachem make the claim that some products like Renew and Purigen will not mess with traces in the planted tank but I can't see the benefit of using them. They do not provide anything for the plants. Good filtration and water flow should keep the water clear. I see no harm in using some products (like a diatom filter) to clear up the water after some serious maintenance, but that's just a short term thing.

[blue demasoni]

Does a diatom remove organics, or bacteria from the water?

[reiverix]

A diatom filter removes the finest particles. I'm not sure I understand though. What organics are you wanting to remove, and why?

[blue demasoni]

I'm not really sure- I thought if it could provide better conditions for my fish I did not want to overlook it. I am also trying to avoid an algae bloom, which I've been led to believe is common in newly set up/planted tanks.

[rrkss]

Purigen strips the water clean of pherimones, dissolved proteins and other organic materials. The old myth of fish growing to the size of their container came about with people who did not do adequete water changes allowing these chemicals to build up. High concentrations of these chemicals inhibit fish growth. Purigen will take them out of the water but it is not a substitute for water changes.

[blue demasoni]

Cool deal, thanks for the info..