Purigen and my AquaClear 110...

Love this water polishing stuff and always have, but I have some quick queries regarding whether or not I have the 100ml pouches layered correctly in my filter, and if I'm running enough/too much/not enough of it...

Okay, so in the AquaClear 110 I'm running the stock sponge block on bottom, two 100ml bags of Purigen on top of that and two small bags of the BioMax as the very top layer...if you can visualize it, the Purigen is being "sandwiched" between the sponge and BioMax. Is this arrangement/layering okay? Does the Purigen have to be the very last media that the water "sees" before returning to the tank? Is it alright BELOW the BioMax? I'm hesitant to place the Purigen as the last pieces of media because they'll just kind of "float away" into the tank under the pressure of the flow return (they're pretty light these 100ml pillows)...

But will the Purigen be effective as the media stage BEFORE the BioMax?

Also -- is 200ml of the stuff sufficient for a 60 gallon goldfish tank stocked with three non-large fancies and which receives weekly 50% water changes (sometimes more than one a week)? Do I need more? Can I get away with ONE 100ml bag the next time I need Purigen after these two sacks exhaust?

Thanks everyone in advance...

discuspaul said:

IMO, your media layering is perfect - that's the way I've been doing it in my AC 110's for years. And you'd probably get a better job done by using 2 -100ml pouches rather than just 1, since the 2 bags will more completely cover the space available in the 110 compartment, for best adsorption results by the Purigen.

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Thank you so much for your informative, helpful and rhetoric-free reply, Paul -- it's very much appreciated! Thanks for putting my mind at ease about the Purigen and media layering in my 110; as for the need to use the two 100ml pouches, my reasoning for running two was based on exactly the notion you mentioned -- that it would create more of a "bed layer" covering the space in the filter basket as compared to the one...

But let me ask you this: CAN just one 100ml pouch be used in a 60 gallon? Do I HAVE to run 200ml of Purigen for it to "work" per se?

Also -- do you think I necessarily need a third Purigen bag in my other HOB, an Aqueon QuietFlow 55?

discuspaul said:

Yes, you can use just one - but as I said before, I think you'd get a better job done by using 2. If you use just one, you'd get a lot of water flow moving around the Purigen bag, rather than though it, and less effective adsorption.

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I understand; thank you.

I don't think you need to use a 3rd bag in your other filter - might be a little overkill.

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That's what Seachem thought as well; thank you for the redundancy and making me feel better about that...

As an alternative, rather than using the 100 ml bag, why don't you consider getting the 250 ml jar of loose Purigen beads, and bagging your own, in larger bags that you can usually get @ PetSmart stores for around $2. for 2 bags. That way you can double-layer them to ensure no beads escape, and the larger size will fit the 110 compartment very nicely. Just be sure you don't layer it more than about 1/2" thick, to get the best adsorption results.

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You know, I did consider using the loose Purigen and then bagging it myself -- but always came back to the prepackaged 100ml pouches because they just seemed "easier" to drop in. However, reading your suggestion here, I am reconsidering this because it seems I can get more of it in the filter, as you say, perhaps in a "double-layered" fashion; but how would I go about doing this? Just buy the 250ml bottle of the beads, get the media bags and then add...how much to my filter? How do I know how much would be needed...I mean, do I just dump the whole 250ml in the bag(s)?

And re-charge the Purigen about every 3 weeks or so, just when it gets medium brown, not dark brown or black, to achieve the best efficiency from the product. Hope this helps.

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This did indeed help, thank you again; I have always been leary of the recharging process because it deals with bleach...but if I didn't recharge and just kept replacing, say, the 100ml packs like I'm doing now, what do I look for in terms of exhaustion color...when the bags get almost BLACK?

TL1000RSquid said:

I think 100ml bags are rated for 40 gallons so 2 on 60g goldfish would be perfect I think.

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Each 100ml bag is rated for 100 U.S. gallons.

I run AC filters as well and use the 100ml bags in the AC50's since they fit just about perfect. ac70 and 110 I use purigen I bagged myself using fine micron bags. Can't overdose on it so no big deal if you use way more then the stated amount in the directions.

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Well, the 100ml prepackaged bags seem to be sitting fine in my 110 side by side as a "layer" between the sponge (mechanical) and BioMax (biological)...

Recharge time can vary by tank, my 40b at one point I recharged every 4 weeks, my driftwood is all old now and leeching out less tannins so now I'm recharging closer to every 12 weeks, as said above when its medium brown.

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I know this rustles a lot of feathers in the hobbyist community, but I'm just skeptical and a bit weary to try the recharging -- I'd rather just buy new packs of Purigen when it's time.

discuspaul said:

Of course the 100 ml pouches are 'easier' to use, but they don't fit many filter compartments well.

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Which filters? Do you know offhand? Just curious because it seems to me these are fairly easy to "drop in" anywhere; it was a bit difficult to add them to my Aqueon 55 but I found an area in the chamber just before the water spills over to the cartridge media (though this wasn't the ideal "positioning" for a water polisher, I know).

Should you decide to get the 250 ml jar & bag it yourself to fit your 110, get the large bags from PetSmart (they're 2 to a bag) - Put one bag over the other, and simply fill the bags from the jar, to no more than you get a 1/2" layer when pressed down & laid flat - got it ?

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I suppose so...:huh:

You'll use perhaps 1/3 of the jar to fill the bag to a 1/2" thickness - this is just an estimate - you'll have to judge by eye for yourself. AND, you don't have to keep replacing the bags of Purigen, they can be re-charged many times before they begin to lose their efficacy - I've done mine up to 15 times before needing replacement. Don't be afraid of using a 50/50 common household bleach/water solution - overnite - then rinsing it well several times till it gets white again, using a water conditioner the final time, and leaving it in fresh water until you're ready to use it again. It's no problem. As I said before, re-charge the Purigen BEFORE it gets black - just medium brown - usually takes about 3 weeks in the average tank.

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I understand the Purigen can get recharged and reused -- but I just don't know if I trust playing with bleach and what goes in a fish tank, regardless of what Seachem or other hobbyists state; it's just a personal preference. That being said, when do I know FOR SURE that the Purigen needs to be REPLACED -- when it's totally black or dark, deep brown?