You know what would really change the game for that tank, at least if you got the room under or behind it? A sump setup. Lots of the people with the best quality are running sumps, because you can get multiples types of filtration running at once. Imagine bio balls, activated charcoal, purigen, all running at once. Tank gonna be off the hook for real!
It does matter where the purigen goes. The order should be mechanical- bio- chemical. If you put the purigen lower in the order, it will fill with organic waste and the compounds it is supposed to remove will bypass the purigen. Your tank is awesome.
When packing a filter remember that water should flow in this order thru the filter.. ·Mechanical media (like sponges) ·Bio media (like ceramic/plastic balls and rings) ·chemical media (like puragin, carbon, and zeolite)
yeah makes a lot of sense cuz you wanna catch the any processed super small particles before the canister brings them back into the aquarium water. well said 😉
As a new hobbyist I appreciated this comment. When I set up my second tank, it took FOREVER to cycle, but I set up my filter to have carbon before the bio media, so the bacteria was probably just getting stuck at the carbon stage. My common sense kicked in and I switched it a couple weeks ago, but your comment just confirmed my hypothesis. 👍🫡
I find that the secret to Purigen in a planted aquarium is to let the tank fully cycle and balance itself out before adding the Purigen. Let the driftwood leach tannins, let the excess nutrients be consumed by plants, allow the tank to stabilize before adding the Purigen, this way you are not creating a shortage of any types of nutrients needed by different types of organisms in the initial stages of fully cycling an aquarium.
I used Purigen when it first came out in early 2000’s for a planted tank. Found out it caused a reaction to one of my liquid ferts. My tank literally crashed. All plant and sea life dead! Was extremely upset and almost decided to totally quit the hobby. Luckily I knew an older/wiser person that basically told me to keep it simple and use only natural/organic methods to get a balanced tank. Over twenty years later and I run a dirted planted tank with barely any water changes, and only keep sponges/foam and porous media in the filter. That’s it! Haven’t even tested water in years as the plants tell you everything. Control my lights and co2 and that’s it. No ferts, no chemicals, nothing added to the water other than food for the creatures inside. I am so glad I was talked out of quitting. Roots feed the plants. No need to add more stuff or spend more $$ when nature already does its thing. Sorry, but purigen is not the answer for a pristine tank. Healthy plants and simple mechanical and natural biological media will do much better. Synthetics is not the answer IMO. But you do you 😏
First sentence on the package "Purigen should be rinsed before use". Amazing that every RUclipsr that does a video on Purigen doesn't rinse it. You even dipped it in water at the start of the video and saw all of the white discharge. Argh! Your tank water looks visibly clearer after Purigen. Thanks for the video.
I rinse my Purigen in RO water until it is visibly clear. (Our home came with an RO system when we bought it in 2004.) Using a water softener also decreased the mineral deposits around the lid and what is there, easily wipes off, not so prior to this home. Purigen turned the tide on my water clarity.
I love the look of a tank with tannins.....more natural than crystal clear. Love the education on purigen....knowing about as many products as you can opens up your options.
@@JTCT371 it is amazing I am very lucky to live rurally and have access to so many rivers and creeks as the wet season finishes and the rivers calm down that’s the best time otherwise they do become more tannin colour as the dry season progresses and the waters become lower, however in the rainforest regions they stay crystal clear. Just google crystal clear rivers qld
In an Oase filter the best way to load it is on the bottom tray you have a medium filter pad under a fine polishing filter pad, you fill the middle trays with ceramic media, and leave the top tray for carbon, puragin, and or zeolite. This will get you the best results out of that filter. 18:36
I disagree with this. The typical format would be like course, then medium pad/sponge etc, bio media, then your purgens etc and your finest pad or floss (order on final stage isn't the most critical as bulk of crap you want to filter has already been removed). If you put a polishing pad on the bottom, you are going to clog it up and restrict your flow much sooner in the chain, leading to more frequent cleaning. Nothing special about Oase canisters that would make them different than any other as the principles are the same.
I have been recharging Purigen for a long time now by soaking it in Prime for 24 hours after the bleaching. Move it around a few times during the 24 hours and you are golden.
I foolishly didn’t rinse mine well enough and put it back in my saltwater tank . Killed all of my fish and 95% of my corals . Over a thousand dollars worth !
I do the same thing I have a 450l tank with 2 litres of puritan in my canister and when I clean it it goes into bleach for 24 hrs then prime for 24 hours
How do you regenerate your purigen? Does your purigen smell after regenerating? I used bleach and water mix to regenerate and it would not stop smelling like ammonium and other waste products. Even after multiple regenerating baths..
@@WHTFSayonara 1:1 chlorine and water. I leave mine in for 48 hours (I have another on standby). Sometimes I'll leave it in the chlorine water for a week cuz I forgot. Then bath it in prime water mix for 4-8 hours (again you can leave it in this until your ready to use it) rince it and boom no smell😌
I had a random phenomena happen where my tank broke out with a type of cyano bacteria that turned the water dark blue,...and it stank too. Did massive water changes, and tons of new filter media and nothing was working. Not sure if it was the purigen name brand ( can't remember the name), but used a similar product after a water change, and it worked like magic. Crystal clear water and no bad smell. The product I used was also rechargeable by soaking in a bleach water solution, rinsing, and drying thoroughly. I liked that it was reusable and usually used it once a month for a few days. Highly recommend.
Dark blue, do you use bacterial solutions when topping of? I’ve never seen a blue tinge. Do you use a bubbler or wave maker? Has the stuff maintained clarity for a considerable time?
@@alexanderstoner4306 Yes, I had never seen a cyano bacteria outbreak that turned the water blue before. I don't keep a tank anymore, but I did for many years. I never had problems with my tanks but on rare occasions. I used bubblers and power heads and had it well filtered (mechanically and biologically) as well. And I kept up with monthly water changes and maintenance too. I thought that water changes would handle the problem, but it was crazy, I'd change out most of the water and by night it would be dark blue again and it was stinky too. I finally found out it was a type of cyano bacteria and found the purigen or another product like it. I did a massive water change and put in the purigen, and it never came back. My water was clear and fresh again. Luckily my fish and other tank inhabitants were all fine as well. I still used the purigen every week for one or two days, then eventually spaced it out to once a month for several days, usually after maintaining my tank. I loved how crystal clear the water would be. Highly recommend giving it a try.
This was definitely a useful video to me, i work at an aquarium store and do home tank maintenance and one of the top demands i hear from customers is CLEAR WATER and i was already doing everything else you listed except the purigen. Of course i knre ourigen existed but i had never seen such a good demonstration of what it does! Its definitely not for every tank, and probably shouldn't be, but this seems like a super useful tool for those of us trying to please people who arent "fish people" with aquariums. Its a whole different world from trying to make what us nerds would call a "good tank".
@@henrikmadsen2176 I mean number one is a bottle of liquid that you can buy that you just dump in the tank instead of doing water changes or doing any physical work to clean the tank ever lol. Jkjk But really number one is probably clear water, people who want aquarium maintenance work done probably know next to nothing about aquariums, so to them clear water is healthy water, they don't really understand the concept of "water parameters" because they're invisible. Physical detritus or algae in the water they can see, and it looks ugly so it must be bad! Number two is probably big fish. Everyone wants fish that are far too large for their aquarium. They're not interested in most nano fish or even most common community fish unless they're super colorful and striking like neon tetras or dwarf flame gouramis. Sub note to that is just colorful fish in general, a super bright peacock or mbuna is always going to be more interesting to a layman than say, a super rare and cool fish to us nerds. And third is probably an instant cycle. I get a lot of people coming in to the store trying to buy a fish and tank the same day, and they do not have a fish-in cycling plan, they have just never even considered the concept of cycling, they never considered that you don't buy the pet and the enclosure at the same time. Which to be fair, you often do with other pets like say you go to Petco and buy a lizard in sure they'll set you up with a tank and heat lamp and whatnot. Cycling eludes a lot of people, even people who have had a few aquariums often just fully misunderstand or don't care about the actual nuances of cycling. They just want to put fish in their tank as fast as possible, ideally today.
@@fishfishfish9837 yeah here's the trick, besides Bettas and neons there's not really a lot of popular black water fish that don't do just as fine in normal aquarium conditions.
I used to use purigen but switched over to chemi pure blue/ chemi pure green for my planted tanks and to me it totally better then purigen. Only exception purigen you can recharge where chemi pure you can't.
Since I like tannins, I'll skip this. Next tank, I am going to set up with a Penn Plax Undergravel filter. They fell out of fashion, and I'm beginning to think it is b/c they weren't money makers for companies. No need to buy media for it= no money for corporations.
Purigen and carbon both work, but secret to cristal clear water is in the amount of serface area you have for bio filtering. There is a formula for this. For safe water for fish, its something like 520 square feet of bio per 5 three inch fish or other and thats for ammonia and nitrite. For cristal clear water, its something like 20 times that amount. There is a formula for this. And for the most part, poret foam at 30ppi offers the most surfase area per square foot than anything else out there outside a fluidized k1 in a sump.
Biological filtration won't remove tannins though...or discoloration from metals or other chemical sources. It will just keep the bacteria count in the water column in check.
Very frustrating! If he'd just told us the damn product (purigen) early on instead of the stupid dance around, done a few before and after shots, explained how it worked etc etc I would have stuck around. But at 2.18min I've tapped out and he STILL hasn't named the product. Got the answer from the comments and I'm leaving lol
I have a 55 gallon mostly Mbuna Malawi cichlid tank. There are about 15 mature fish in it. The advice you received from your fish store friend about the Purigen and over filtration is good. I don't think you have nearly enough of either to get to where you want to be. I place my media in order of mechanical, Bio, then chemical. For my tank I run both an Eheim 2013 which is now called the 250, an Eheim Professional II which is similar to the Pro 4+ 350 and two Tunze 6025 powerheads. I alternatively clean my two canisters one every two months or so. I put one Chemi Pure and one 250ml bottle of Purigen in filter bags into the canister I am cleaning. Your 180 gallon tank has about half of the canister capacity of my 55 gallon tank and you are using 200ml of Purigen and I am using 500ml. I also have two Chemi pure in there. My water is the crystal clear you talk about in your video if I change the water every week or two. Good luck
What a coincidence! I installed purigen in my canister for the first time just 2 days ago and just like you, I forgot to soak it and it clouded up my water immensely... Had to perform 2x 40% water changes and I think I am back to where I started. My city tap water has ok parameters but has a green/yellow tinge out the tap. I believe purigen neutralized that yellow tinge I was looking for in just under 24 hours
I just use a mix of vinegar and water to clean the glass on my aquarium. I'm careful not to get any in the tank. But if a little got in, I wouldn't have to worry about it.
I love crystal clear water and this is how is my method . For info, I have 20 gallon long, slightly over stock and heavily planted tank with a Sicce internal filter. Also I have have Corydoras and no one mentions they are constantly making the water cloudy because they always scavenging for food. Also I only do 20% water change every 4-6 week, occasionally Changing the the filter media every 1-2week.Also I test my water with API master test once a month to make sure I don’t any ammonia. So how I do it? I use poly fil and little bit. My filter chamber give me enough room to use a coarse sponge on the bottom, i cut the sponge part of sponge filter as my middle media to catch finer debris, and last a bit of poly fil to polish. And that how I get clear water. Note: poly fil get clogged if you use too much or it becomes full of debris and can over flow if you have HOB filters.
I used poly fill for yrs I buy the the polishing pad now and cut to fit mu hob. And rinse every other week and put back. Lil more money but I think it's better just my opinion
@@henrikmadsen2176 I think they mean poly-wool, better known as pillow or quilt batting (stuffing). It's what I use, I just get a big roll for 20 bucks from Walmart. Where I come from PolyFill is drywall mud :) available in powder or premixed form, it's as old as the hills. Pillow stuffing probably works better but then what do I know :) I don't rinse it, I chuck it and cut some more, it's easy enough with a 20 foot roll and it's half the price of Big Al's stuff. I rinse my sponge in the water I drain from the tank so I don't really lose a lot of bacteria, and I drain the filter of yucky water, usually leaving the bio balls alone. For bio balls I use plastic dish scrubbers, from the Dollar Store. I also build my own stands and sumps, but I'm not using a sump on any tanks rn :) I do big water changes with a pump every week, because some of my guys want super clean water, nitrates under 10 ppm. I don't hear the fish complaining so I guess it's OK :)
Love the big ol monstera in the beginning. I use white vinegar to clean the outside of my tanks. Been out of the hobby for a couple years and I am itching to restart a tank as of late. Perfect video for me at this moment. Thanks!
I am using Purigen on my dirted tank. The tank water had a definite brownish tinge and Purigen cleared it right up. Now my tank water is extremely clear, but it took a while.
I use purigen in my aquarium and my brother always asks how I get my water so crystal clear. I also recharge my purigen with bleach and water in a mop bucket (not used for cleaning floors). 1:1 bleach and water. After soaking it in 1:1 bleach and water for 24 hours I then rinse the purigen bag under normal tap water and then I let it soak in the mop bucket with tap water that has Seachem Safe in it for 24 hours. Important thing to note, I will pick up the mop bucket and spin it back and forth for about 30 seconds to get the bag moving around in the water at least 5 times within that first 24 hours with the bleach water and then 5 times with the seachem safe also. This just makes sure all the contents in the bag are being treated. After the seachem safe treatment I take the bag out and drain the water out by squeezing the bag. I leave just a little tad bit of water in the bag just to keep the purigen moist. Then I put the bag of purigen into a zip lock bag and tuck it away until I am ready to swap it with the bag of purigen I have in my FX6. I have two big bags of purigen so while one is in the filter the other is being recharged.
My first time setting up a tank and I accidentally set it up right because my water is perfectly clear all my tests are perfect consistently every time I test it my plants are growing well and fish are thriving.
Last August I went to the Everglades to herp. I ended up, like every trip, bringing Channeled Apple snails back for my front pond. This year I brought back half a bucket of water too. Rather than dump that water over plants, for whatever reason, I chose to dump it in the pond…. My pond hasn’t been green since that that decision, and I’m shocked at how clear it has remained. I’m talking a molded pond I put in around 2010 that is generally green water. I’ve not cleaned my filter bc everything is so clear.
Don't go over the top with clear water.I leave my small tank alone.Plenty of plants planted in soil sand and gravel.I have a filter tunning an bubbles of fresh air .The fish like to swim in the bubbles.I don't do cleaning anymore at the bottom of the tank.Sometimes leave well alone if the fish eat look happy swim about and don't die you are doing ok.
The fact the creator has the voice of Chris Pratt and the same refusal to carefully read and follow directions that I am guilty of made this a relatable and fun video. Thanks for the purigen review!
34 yrs old and have been a hobbyist (fresh water) for god knows how long (definitely not more than 34 years though) and never put in any chemicals for crystal clear water. except using medicines to treat sick fishes in the past. The most recent tank that i built is a 4 ft tank last December (no plants, 1 inch thick medium gravel bed, some open palm sized rocks collected from the river). I recall doing water changes just that month and never a single time till date this year except the top ups. I have an overhead sump filtration system (DIY) which has been low maintenance too. Tips from my own experience are: 1. Good filtration and proper cycling of the entire water volume. 2. Feeding :- understand how the food (packed or fresh or live) affects your water quality and the right amount of food that is right in quality and quantity required by each fish. 3. Light :- that's a big topic to debate on, but to make it simple? Don't keep the lights on for 12 - 24 hrs 😂, even fishes don't like a high beam of light hitting them for a long period of time, the room light will do unless you wish to sit close to the aquarium and cherish the fishes for a little while.
First of all you put the Purigen in the wrong place. It should be in the top tray, because it’s a polisher. If you keep it in the bottom tray with all those dirty trays on top, you’re going to drastically impede flow. And you’re going to waste $20 of Purigen. I’ve used this product for some time and it’s great!!! Great for removing ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and it clears the water. It’s more cost effective to buy the 500mL jar and make your own bags(use very fine mesh bags for Purigen). Ive also regenerated it (with bleach) and reused it again. It’s not that hard. I’ve stopped doing it cuz I’m lazy sometimes with 15 aquariums. As I tell my brother-in-law, “Read the directions.” It’s a great product, I love it.
I have recharged Purigen for years with no problems whatsoever. Soak the bag in a bowl or vase with 50/50 bleach to water. Once the Purigen turns all white (about 24 hrs) then rinse it really, really well. Remember, bleach/chlorine will eventually evaporate. Then after the bleach treatment, heavily rinse the Purigen bag. Then soak if for a few days with a bunch of Prime dechlorinated water. You can repeat this step if you feel better. I recharge the Purigen bags about 3x before replacing them.
I prefer dirty tanks if that makes sense, I want my tank to look like an actual lake and most lakes arent crystal clear. If I have a tank that is meant to model a high mountain lake or a fast flowing river I think I would be more into the clear water though. I am the type who likes the rocks to be a bit green and I dont mind black beard algae in moderation, I also tend to have some amount of mulm as well as dead leaves and small twigs at the bottom. I just enjoy letting my aquarium be self sufficient and function like a real ecosystem while also looking nice, I only spend like 10 minutes a week on my 40 tall for example because it simply doesnt need to be messed with and it looks great. I dont think of my fish tanks as tanks but more as water filled terrariums so I want to disturb it as little as possible. My tanks are very long term and dont look good for months after they are made because I dont rush to make it look good.
Imo that's how the fish live the longest. This hobby isn't conducive to my lifestyle, in which i tend to move every 2 or 3 years and owning fish and relocating regularly doesn't mix. At least I'm good at my tamogatchi forever lols and the digital pets don't die anymore lols 😁🤣
@ality yeah at that point you might just want to go with terrariums, a 30 gallon terrarium with a small group of dart frogs and some mourning geckos is far more movable and just as pretty. I mean you can even use a lot of aquarium plants in a dart frog vivarium since most aquarium plants actually grow better on land and dart frogs need 80-100% humidity anyways. Also dont worry dart frogs are only toxic because they eat toxic bugs, captive born ones are harmless and live on a diet of flightless fruit flies. the other choice is just pet bugs, a tarantula can live in a Tupperware. My uncle has a 24 year old rose hair that spent 18 months in storage once, it didnt eat during that time. It was also winter in Montana, many tarantulas are very hardy considering one spent 18 months in storage, that is over a year with no food and while it was not doing very well it made a recovery and is still alive.
Great video, great information. I'm a strong believer in purigen and recharging with bleach is not hard at all. I have multiple packets going on 4-5 tanks with extras that get used while others are recharging. That cannister filter needs a good cleaning lol. Increase that flow will help with everything you want in at tank that size (ie: less algae, higher oxygen, water clarity, etc). I rise all my mechanical filtration aka sponges in my sink and all my trays of biological media get dunked up and down in a 5 gallon bucket of aquarium water. All that organic waste in your filter definitely raises overall nitrates in your water. I recommend 3-6 mos for cannister cleaning!
Great advice and video . I have just set up my planted 75gal and I run two hang filters one running the standard media and the second running poly fill and activate carbon . It works great for crystal clear water . I do plan to use purigan when the tank matures
I think it works for a show tank. For everyday, I doubt it will do much. Now, what is it removing that might be beneficial to the tank and community? I'm always worried what it removes over tank clarity, but I run my tanks different. Thanks for the experiment and info. Take Care and Stay Safe.
It's a water polisher and does not remove beneficial things from your tank. It is truly amazing stuff. My parameters STAY perfect and I use purigen religiously.
Cloudy water is likely from too much free floating bacteria in the water. Purigen and carbon help achieve colorless water. But I’d say the over filtration and having a huge load of brown gunk in the filter (waste eating bacteria and micro organisms) that polish the water is the key. Thanks for the content.
I've been using Puregen for a few months. I recommend rinsing it first or it will throw powder. I also think Seachem's instructions for recharging it are over the top. I do the bleach soak for an hour and rinse it with Prime water for a few minutes.
Where are you!! I am just starting out with a planted tank and shrimp which I got from my local aquarium store. I was watching your videos while cleaning and I looked up and OMG there is Pisces!
Great video brother, with an amazing topic. In my personal opinion, by my own personal experience, I can tell you that I have been using Purigen for many years now, but mostly in my saltwater aquariums. Never truly have had the experience to use it in my planted aquariums, but I am definitely going to give it a try. Another product that I’ve had success using, is Chemi-pure. This filtration media removes many things, and it will keep your aquariums healthy with the crystal clear water we all desire. It’s also a solution for freshwater aquariums. Anyway, love your topics as always man, keep up the good work.
Purigen is fantastic for limiting tannins in your tanks. Driftwood can be a struggle if you don't want blackwater. Especially the common mopani driftwood. A bag of purigen clears it up overnight.
Thanks. Helpful af. Curious about your magnetic? Glass cleaner. Where you leave it when your done, have you noticed if the fish approach it or appear to stay away. ??
I have Purigen and carbon in a FX6 which is on my heavily stocked 125g tank (6ft). I was planning on using a 2nd filter to better cover the intake , but the FX6 flow is so strong I decided to wait before adding a 2nd cannister. The results are great. Very clear water, and any cloudiness after feeding is quickly absorbed. I also run a large sponge in tank, so I can't say if the FX6 alone would be as effective. BUT, I run sponges in ALL my tanks along with cannisters, and this 125g is as clear, or clearer than any other. So Purigen will be added to all my other tanks when doing the next maintenance.
If you want the science on this, look up organic scavenger resin. I think Purigen is this stuff. A similar looking aqurium product is nitrate removal resin. The latter not recommended for planted tanks because it removes nitrate. Regeneration for both are different too.
Hi, I just found you and I’m enjoying your videos. I’m confused though… I thought this was a natural planted tanks and they don’t need any pumps and filters? So am I misinterpreting this? I’m just trying to learn because I’d like to start the natural tank without filtration, etc. etc.… Thanks in advance for any and all help.😊
I’m new at the ecosystem idea(2-3 years). I have a 55g and sun-sun 704-b (only $100) can filter with UV, cycles 500some g/hr. It’s way overstocked by miles, as my south American cichlids won’t stop multiplying with a cast of other characters. Idk how many fish & a red eared slider, heavily planted. Huge bio load. Only change my trays maybe 3x/1 year max. All water parameters stay in the goldylocks zone w very few water or spot gravel cleanings, 5 gal 1x/month then topped off. The 🦠 seem to processes everything. I leave my lights on too long until I get a timer. It maintained close to crystal waters but I’ll try this. The precipitant drops do well, I like the biome concept, I think plants are a must.
Hey, would you know a good way to filter the water before putting it in the tank? I'm using tap water, and the ph is like 14. Super hard water. It takes like 4 months for brown crust to form all over my filter, the outside of the water tubes, the edge of the tank. Like a brown crystal, that looks like sand/rust, and is a pain to chop off. It's like that stuff you get on old shower heads, but I don't want to soak my tank in vinegar. I was thinking I could set some 5 gallon buckets on top of each other and put sand or something in the middle bucket. Ideas?
I use purigen but I think I have it in the wrong order, it should be the last thing the water touches when leaving the hob. Next cleaning I will switch it up with new purigen and see the how much it differs.
My 20 gallon planted acrylic tank with built in sump at the back haven’t had a water change for now closed to 2 years and I have over 50 fishes inside, always have super clear water. I don’t use Purigen. I agree with the fish store owner to go big on bio media. My success with this tank is not because I have 10x larger filtration. In my case, my filtration is built in and I am limited to that. I believe that my success is the balance of everything. Having 50 + fishes that are all healthy with pristine water that has not been changed for almost 2 years, the secret is in the bio media. Even my substrate acts as a bio media. I have mime in a bit more than 3 inch of substrate. Tons of nerite snail to clean my glass with one rubber lip pleco. I never use a glass cleaner. In my built in sump, I have bio balls, Matrix, those porous yellow blocks, those red looking like nuggets and more. I also put 3 bioballs in the intake flaw that constantly rotating by the flaw. So I don’t believe that going big with filter is the key but if anyone can afford it, I am sure it will help but not necessarily needed. My 7 gallon cool water tank is even longer with no water changes. It’s been more than 8 years and still pristine and all fishes are healthy. I hope sharing this information will help others with this beautiful hobby. I believe that with no water changes and with proper balance, all parameters will always be the same and not fluctuate like when you do water changes and fish and all inhabitants prefer a steady quality of water. Thanks for sharing your experiment with Purigen.
I am old-school I still use those green canisters that go into the tank. I have a 75 gallon tank and I have four of them in my tank and I swear by them I don’t have any holes or tubing or anything that I have to re-pipe my tank so I can use an F6 or one of these like he has here I only use the green ones I have to order them they don’t even have an Internet site. I swear by these things are fantastic and they clean up my tank really quick and I don’t mind getting my hands dirty for my poor babies they need to clean tank but I’m gonna try this purging because I do have a problem with mechanics because I have a lot of wood in my tank but my fish love it and it’s crystal clear it’s just orange, so we look into this good tip!😊
When I first started this hobby I had frustrating problems with cloudy water. Perfect parameters, no ammo, no Nitrite, Nitrates around 10ppm, but the water wouldn't clear up. An old timer told me it was beneficial bacteria floating in the water colum because I didn't have enough filtration. Sure enough, I added another HOB to my setup full of ceramice rings and nothing but a sponge prefter for mechanical, and in 3 days my water was crystal clear. Follow the 10x filtration rule.
A good test would be to siphon out a gallon or so of water into a white bucket and take pics/video of that. I didn’t realize how much tannins my driftwood was leaching until I threw some fish into a bucket to take to my LFS.
If you want to continue the experiment I’d leave the filter alone and add a 2nd one seeing as over filtering and water changes were his 1st 2 pieces of advice :) also, sponges hold plenty of beneficial bacteria. That being said, purigen seems like that last 5% to clear water. It’s one of those, “if you really want to go the extra mile… but you don’t have to” kind of things.
@@AQUAPROS great video btw, love the subtle humor about the pre filter sponges 🤣 also you probably control you experiments better than some of the other people making the claims. Your resistance to cleaning the filter is something I couldn’t do lol. +Respect!
Have you considered putting your canister filter on a pull out drawer for ease of access? Love your video. What filter do you have and what size is your tank.. I thought I heard 80?
I’d like to know why you kept the dirt and junk in the media meaning the sponge etc ? Do you often only sometimes clean all the sponges and media out? Would you kindly tell me how often you’re supposed to clean all the sponges and carbon out or the filters out etc. is it each water change like every two weeks or? Also, I have a 36 gallon freshwater tank with white beach, sand, and one plastic large plant, three large leopard cichlids and one large kissing Guarmi
I mean I'd assume chemistry wise that if biological matter saturated with chemicals that would get absorbed gets stuck on the purogen the faster the purogen gets used up, so you'd want it past the point of mechanical filtration.
for the extra bio media you might want to use Seachem Matrix or/and Sera Siporax. And keep using the Purigen of course but put it in the last tray of your filter, so it's the last step. Awesome tank by the way
Your purigen will last much much long if you put it in your top tray. Your filtration should go mechanical, biological then chemical. Do yourself a huge favor for the life of your media and remove the sponges and get some high quality bio media (ie: matrix, ehiem substrate pro, ehiem mech etc) and fill all your trays with that and use your prefilter as your mechanical filter. Then in your top tray put filter floss and purigen.
It's debatable whether matrix etc. is better than sponges. I know sponges were always considered mechanical only. But that view seems to be changing and they can do both mechanical and biological. Pot scrubbers are another cheap option I say that as someone who mainly uses Matrix and Substrat Pro. I only have sponges as a pre-filter and in one tray. The other three trays are filled with Matrix and some Substrat Pro. Old habits are hard to break. 😊
@@awilderireland absolutely agree. Only real true reason I use an actual biological media is so that I can use my sponges as mechanical filtration and clean them regularly and not worry about my beneficial bacteria
Thanks Man! I just got back into this from 2007. Waiting on my 80 Gallon WaterBox. Have my RO system. This was my biggest peeve back then. I tried everything and no luck!! So much has changed!! Thanks again for the info! CHEERS!!
Also if you want to see if the puregen work turn off the lights and shine a UV light through the tank it will show you the tank as green. certain lights will make it look lighter. Hopefully if the puregen is in a few days and you check with the UV light I think it should look a little lighter!
This looks like API Nito-Zorb Bag that I used to use in my filters. This stuff works and keeps the readings in check. Never really cared about water clarity, but It kept my nitrates down. Highly recommend. Instead of doing water changes every week, I could easily go every 3 weeks when I used it.
So have used purigen. Helps great with algae control and removal of excess minerals in the water. It’s a wonderful tool for use in shell dweller and cichlids tanks.
At the 12 hour mark, the biggest change is visible by looking at the wall behind the aquarium on the long wall. It definitely removed tannins. I'd recommend checking out pimp my filter to learn more about what order the media should go in for your filter. Some run from top to bottom, some from bottom to top. They should go in mechanical, bio, chemical order , so where you put the purigen (as well as the sponges) matters. The idea is to filter the muck by a large pore sponge, medium pore sponge, fine pad. Then the de-muckified water goes through the bio filter without clogging the pores so the bb can work unimpeded. Then at the end, let the purigen or charcoal finish things up. Everything will last longer that way.
I use it in my tanks and I can definitely tell a difference.. The other big plus is this product will last you long time? So for the cost, I think it’s well worth it..
filter floss from a oven hood , or from inside a pillow as long as its white with no toxins , it will polish the water , i had a 6x2x2 amazon tank and the water was sparkling clean , polished water is amazing in any tank .
The after shot does pop from the long side. You say to do some more research on this and not just go buy some after watching this video. You did exactly what i would have done (gone out, bought some and thrown it in). I'm not buying the purigen because i don't mind my tannins, but if i did mind I would do this. Thanks AP.
The long side view showed it quite well. Ive been using purigen for yrs, Its great stuff. also totally agree with filtration, filtration, filtration. You can never have too much. I run triple or more gph on all my tanks with zero issues. My 150g malawi tank is heavily overstocked. Only tank i dont use purigen in is my planted amazon tank in which i prefer the yellowish tannin water i get from the drift wood.
Honestly, If your tank is set up with enough area (ie. 3 inch substrate and all the decor) for enough bacteria to colonise according to Bioload ( your tank is the Bio filter), You should load that canister with nothing but sponges and not have to sweat about losing bacteria. 2 trays of plastic nuts is not going to make a huge difference. Load it up full of course filters and the last tray before the tank put ,medium and fine sponge. Done!
Been running this stuff in the final filter stage for years now. Never bothered trying to recharge a pack. They last long enough and it's cheap enough to just toss another pack in the top tray
I think Purigen works amazingly well. But, in my experience it clears my algae too much! Because of this, it has a negative impact on my tank due to not enough food for algae eaters (I do supplement as well). So, as much as I love that sparkling clear water. I tend to go for clear water (from polyfill) with some tannins. Makes the type of fish I have happier.
So I currently have a HOB filter and a sponge filter... can I add a puregen bag into the space in my HOB to help it for now... I plan on getting a canister eventually but not right now. Thoughts?
Purigen is the GOAT according to everyone I talk to... ➡ geni.us/hKGF6
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Why would you soak the old one in bleach before reusing it in your aquarium? Chlorine.
You know what would really change the game for that tank, at least if you got the room under or behind it? A sump setup. Lots of the people with the best quality are running sumps, because you can get multiples types of filtration running at once. Imagine bio balls, activated charcoal, purigen, all running at once. Tank gonna be off the hook for real!
It does matter where the purigen goes. The order should be mechanical- bio- chemical. If you put the purigen lower in the order, it will fill with organic waste and the compounds it is supposed to remove will bypass the purigen. Your tank is awesome.
Purigen should be the last thing water touches before it enters the aquarium
Yep bottom tray if you have an fx6 or 4
Yes I remember it that way as well.
Noted ty for that advice
IDK...Your water looked amazing to me B4 you added the Purigen
When packing a filter remember that water should flow in this order thru the filter..
·Mechanical media (like sponges) ·Bio media (like ceramic/plastic balls and rings)
·chemical media (like puragin, carbon, and zeolite)
I add floss ontop off it all..
yeah makes a lot of sense cuz you wanna catch the any processed super small particles before the canister brings them back into the aquarium water. well said 😉
As a new hobbyist I appreciated this comment. When I set up my second tank, it took FOREVER to cycle, but I set up my filter to have carbon before the bio media, so the bacteria was probably just getting stuck at the carbon stage. My common sense kicked in and I switched it a couple weeks ago, but your comment just confirmed my hypothesis. 👍🫡
Bro, thanks for this
The amount of knowledge/ information gained from reading instructions/ directions is priceless.
I paused the video at 27sec and am now reading the comments.. interesting!
I find that the secret to Purigen in a planted aquarium is to let the tank fully cycle and balance itself out before adding the Purigen. Let the driftwood leach tannins, let the excess nutrients be consumed by plants, allow the tank to stabilize before adding the Purigen, this way you are not creating a shortage of any types of nutrients needed by different types of organisms in the initial stages of fully cycling an aquarium.
I used Purigen when it first came out in early 2000’s for a planted tank. Found out it caused a reaction to one of my liquid ferts. My tank literally crashed. All plant and sea life dead! Was extremely upset and almost decided to totally quit the hobby. Luckily I knew an older/wiser person that basically told me to keep it simple and use only natural/organic methods to get a balanced tank. Over twenty years later and I run a dirted planted tank with barely any water changes, and only keep sponges/foam and porous media in the filter. That’s it! Haven’t even tested water in years as the plants tell you everything. Control my lights and co2 and that’s it. No ferts, no chemicals, nothing added to the water other than food for the creatures inside. I am so glad I was talked out of quitting. Roots feed the plants. No need to add more stuff or spend more $$ when nature already does its thing.
Sorry, but purigen is not the answer for a pristine tank. Healthy plants and simple mechanical and natural biological media will do much better. Synthetics is not the answer IMO. But you do you 😏
Make a video or something?
What did you do to determine that purigen was the cause? Did you set up a control and run an experiment?
First sentence on the package "Purigen should be rinsed before use". Amazing that every RUclipsr that does a video on Purigen doesn't rinse it. You even dipped it in water at the start of the video and saw all of the white discharge. Argh! Your tank water looks visibly clearer after Purigen. Thanks for the video.
I rinse my Purigen in RO water until it is visibly clear. (Our home came with an RO system when we bought it in 2004.) Using a water softener also decreased the mineral deposits around the lid and what is there, easily wipes off, not so prior to this home. Purigen turned the tide on my water clarity.
I love the look of a tank with tannins.....more natural than crystal clear. Love the education on purigen....knowing about as many products as you can opens up your options.
I concur. And I like tannins too..😊
I live in aus we have crystal clear rivers so having crystal clear aquariums is more natural but we also have great tannin rivers/swamps as well :D
@@slanze1986 yes, I guess it depends on geography and all sorts of other variables. Must be incredible to see these fish wild and in clear water!
@@JTCT371 it is amazing I am very lucky to live rurally and have access to so many rivers and creeks as the wet season finishes and the rivers calm down that’s the best time otherwise they do become more tannin colour as the dry season progresses and the waters become lower, however in the rainforest regions they stay crystal clear. Just google crystal clear rivers qld
Its possible to have dark water that is also clear. That's how they are in the wild too. Purigen not necessary for clear water.
In an Oase filter the best way to load it is on the bottom tray you have a medium filter pad under a fine polishing filter pad, you fill the middle trays with ceramic media, and leave the top tray for carbon, puragin, and or zeolite. This will get you the best results out of that filter. 18:36
I disagree with this. The typical format would be like course, then medium pad/sponge etc, bio media, then your purgens etc and your finest pad or floss (order on final stage isn't the most critical as bulk of crap you want to filter has already been removed). If you put a polishing pad on the bottom, you are going to clog it up and restrict your flow much sooner in the chain, leading to more frequent cleaning. Nothing special about Oase canisters that would make them different than any other as the principles are the same.
@@jpcreativeimagery Correct.
I have been recharging Purigen for a long time now by soaking it in Prime for 24 hours after the bleaching. Move it around a few times during the 24 hours and you are golden.
I foolishly didn’t rinse mine well enough and put it back in my saltwater tank . Killed all of my fish and 95% of my corals . Over a thousand dollars worth !
I do the same thing I have a 450l tank with 2 litres of puritan in my canister and when I clean it it goes into bleach for 24 hrs then prime for 24 hours
Wow thats very sad this is why i wont use the bleaching method. Worth buying the bulk jar fill media bags up @lakedog3616
@@lakedog3616 OUCH !!! That would hurt. {understatement}
Sympathy.
Sorry if I’ve just asked a dumb question but what is Prime??
I've been using Purigen and it absolutely makes the water incredibly clear!
How do you regenerate your purigen? Does your purigen smell after regenerating? I used bleach and water mix to regenerate and it would not stop smelling like ammonium and other waste products. Even after multiple regenerating baths..
Just buy another one
@@WHTFSayonara 1:1 chlorine and water. I leave mine in for 48 hours (I have another on standby). Sometimes I'll leave it in the chlorine water for a week cuz I forgot. Then bath it in prime water mix for 4-8 hours (again you can leave it in this until your ready to use it) rince it and boom no smell😌
What is prime?@@princescdk3107
Yeah lets just keep buying news ones infinitely for something that you can regen.@@jev8196
I had a random phenomena happen where my tank broke out with a type of cyano bacteria that turned the water dark blue,...and it stank too. Did massive water changes, and tons of new filter media and nothing was working. Not sure if it was the purigen name brand ( can't remember the name), but used a similar product after a water change, and it worked like magic. Crystal clear water and no bad smell. The product I used was also rechargeable by soaking in a bleach water solution, rinsing, and drying thoroughly. I liked that it was reusable and usually used it once a month for a few days. Highly recommend.
Dark blue, do you use bacterial solutions when topping of? I’ve never seen a blue tinge. Do you use a bubbler or wave maker? Has the stuff maintained clarity for a considerable time?
@@alexanderstoner4306 Yes, I had never seen a cyano bacteria outbreak that turned the water blue before. I don't keep a tank anymore, but I did for many years. I never had problems with my tanks but on rare occasions. I used bubblers and power heads and had it well filtered (mechanically and biologically) as well. And I kept up with monthly water changes and maintenance too. I thought that water changes would handle the problem, but it was crazy, I'd change out most of the water and by night it would be dark blue again and it was stinky too. I finally found out it was a type of cyano bacteria and found the purigen or another product like it. I did a massive water change and put in the purigen, and it never came back. My water was clear and fresh again. Luckily my fish and other tank inhabitants were all fine as well. I still used the purigen every week for one or two days, then eventually spaced it out to once a month for several days, usually after maintaining my tank. I loved how crystal clear the water would be. Highly recommend giving it a try.
Along with purigen. Having a low iron glass aquarium helps with water clarity
Maybe. And that's a big maybe. You need really thick glass to notice the difference
Hey, I’ve never heard of this one. How/where do you get this glass? Does the glass itself really have such pull?
This was definitely a useful video to me, i work at an aquarium store and do home tank maintenance and one of the top demands i hear from customers is CLEAR WATER and i was already doing everything else you listed except the purigen.
Of course i knre ourigen existed but i had never seen such a good demonstration of what it does!
Its definitely not for every tank, and probably shouldn't be, but this seems like a super useful tool for those of us trying to please people who arent "fish people" with aquariums. Its a whole different world from trying to make what us nerds would call a "good tank".
What would you say are the top 3 demands from customers ??
@@henrikmadsen2176 I mean number one is a bottle of liquid that you can buy that you just dump in the tank instead of doing water changes or doing any physical work to clean the tank ever lol.
Jkjk
But really number one is probably clear water, people who want aquarium maintenance work done probably know next to nothing about aquariums, so to them clear water is healthy water, they don't really understand the concept of "water parameters" because they're invisible. Physical detritus or algae in the water they can see, and it looks ugly so it must be bad!
Number two is probably big fish. Everyone wants fish that are far too large for their aquarium. They're not interested in most nano fish or even most common community fish unless they're super colorful and striking like neon tetras or dwarf flame gouramis.
Sub note to that is just colorful fish in general, a super bright peacock or mbuna is always going to be more interesting to a layman than say, a super rare and cool fish to us nerds.
And third is probably an instant cycle. I get a lot of people coming in to the store trying to buy a fish and tank the same day, and they do not have a fish-in cycling plan, they have just never even considered the concept of cycling, they never considered that you don't buy the pet and the enclosure at the same time. Which to be fair, you often do with other pets like say you go to Petco and buy a lizard in sure they'll set you up with a tank and heat lamp and whatnot.
Cycling eludes a lot of people, even people who have had a few aquariums often just fully misunderstand or don't care about the actual nuances of cycling. They just want to put fish in their tank as fast as possible, ideally today.
Definitely not for animals that love the tannins like snails, bettas, etc..
@@fishfishfish9837 yeah here's the trick, besides Bettas and neons there's not really a lot of popular black water fish that don't do just as fine in normal aquarium conditions.
When someone invents Liquid Purigen they will make a fortune.
I used to use purigen but switched over to chemi pure blue/ chemi pure green for my planted tanks and to me it totally better then purigen. Only exception purigen you can recharge where chemi pure you can't.
How is it TOTALLY different??
Since I like tannins, I'll skip this.
Next tank, I am going to set up with a Penn Plax Undergravel filter.
They fell out of fashion, and I'm beginning to think it is b/c they weren't money makers for companies.
No need to buy media for it= no money for corporations.
Love Pisces Aquaria! Andrew and Ashley are outstanding. Lucky folks in that area.
Purigen and carbon both work, but secret to cristal clear water is in the amount of serface area you have for bio filtering. There is a formula for this. For safe water for fish, its something like 520 square feet of bio per 5 three inch fish or other and thats for ammonia and nitrite. For cristal clear water, its something like 20 times that amount. There is a formula for this. And for the most part, poret foam at 30ppi offers the most surfase area per square foot than anything else out there outside a fluidized k1 in a sump.
Biological filtration won't remove tannins though...or discoloration from metals or other chemical sources.
It will just keep the bacteria count in the water column in check.
At around 2 minutes I decided "this just cannot be worth my time"
Same here bro
I knew as soon as he asked people who used to ask me questions.
Same
Exactly
Very frustrating! If he'd just told us the damn product (purigen) early on instead of the stupid dance around, done a few before and after shots, explained how it worked etc etc I would have stuck around. But at 2.18min I've tapped out and he STILL hasn't named the product. Got the answer from the comments and I'm leaving lol
I have a 55 gallon mostly Mbuna Malawi cichlid tank. There are about 15 mature fish in it. The advice you received from your fish store friend about the Purigen and over filtration is good. I don't think you have nearly enough of either to get to where you want to be. I place my media in order of mechanical, Bio, then chemical. For my tank I run both an Eheim 2013 which is now called the 250, an Eheim Professional II which is similar to the Pro 4+ 350 and two Tunze 6025 powerheads.
I alternatively clean my two canisters one every two months or so. I put one Chemi Pure and one 250ml bottle of Purigen in filter bags into the canister I am cleaning.
Your 180 gallon tank has about half of the canister capacity of my 55 gallon tank and you are using 200ml of Purigen and I am using 500ml. I also have two Chemi pure in there.
My water is the crystal clear you talk about in your video if I change the water every week or two. Good luck
every time i see that tank i just can't take my eyes off those rummy nose tetras... they are perfect. I will have a small school of those one day.
What a coincidence! I installed purigen in my canister for the first time just 2 days ago and just like you, I forgot to soak it and it clouded up my water immensely... Had to perform 2x 40% water changes and I think I am back to where I started. My city tap water has ok parameters but has a green/yellow tinge out the tap. I believe purigen neutralized that yellow tinge I was looking for in just under 24 hours
I don’t soak mine, just rinse in tap water then put it in the filter, works well.
yeah I basically rinsed it in the aquarium FML, eventually cleared up after 2 days@@Sea-cucumber1151
I just use a mix of vinegar and water to clean the glass on my aquarium. I'm careful not to get any in the tank. But if a little got in, I wouldn't have to worry about it.
I love crystal clear water and this is how is my method . For info, I have 20 gallon long, slightly over stock and heavily planted tank with a Sicce internal filter. Also I have have Corydoras and no one mentions they are constantly making the water cloudy because they always scavenging for food. Also I only do 20% water change every 4-6 week, occasionally Changing the the filter media every 1-2week.Also I test my water with API master test once a month to make sure I don’t any ammonia. So how I do it? I use poly fil and little bit. My filter chamber give me enough room to use a coarse sponge on the bottom, i cut the sponge part of sponge filter as my middle media to catch finer debris, and last a bit of poly fil to polish. And that how I get clear water.
Note: poly fil get clogged if you use too much or it becomes full of debris and can over flow if you have HOB filters.
I used poly fill for yrs I buy the the polishing pad now and cut to fit mu hob. And rinse every other week and put back. Lil more money but I think it's better just my opinion
@@debnazario7226 Very curious: Whats is this Poly Fil? and Polishing Pad? And whare is it bought?
@@henrikmadsen2176 I think they mean poly-wool, better known as pillow or quilt batting (stuffing). It's what I use, I just get a big roll for 20 bucks from Walmart. Where I come from PolyFill is drywall mud :) available in powder or premixed form, it's as old as the hills. Pillow stuffing probably works better but then what do I know :) I don't rinse it, I chuck it and cut some more, it's easy enough with a 20 foot roll and it's half the price of Big Al's stuff. I rinse my sponge in the water I drain from the tank so I don't really lose a lot of bacteria, and I drain the filter of yucky water, usually leaving the bio balls alone. For bio balls I use plastic dish scrubbers, from the Dollar Store. I also build my own stands and sumps, but I'm not using a sump on any tanks rn :) I do big water changes with a pump every week, because some of my guys want super clean water, nitrates under 10 ppm. I don't hear the fish complaining so I guess it's OK :)
Really enjoyed the video and the information in it. I'm at a point where I just run sponge filters and let nature take its course.
Love the big ol monstera in the beginning. I use white vinegar to clean the outside of my tanks. Been out of the hobby for a couple years and I am itching to restart a tank as of late. Perfect video for me at this moment. Thanks!
I am using Purigen on my dirted tank. The tank water had a definite brownish tinge and Purigen cleared it right up. Now my tank water is extremely clear, but it took a while.
I use purigen in my aquarium and my brother always asks how I get my water so crystal clear. I also recharge my purigen with bleach and water in a mop bucket (not used for cleaning floors). 1:1 bleach and water. After soaking it in 1:1 bleach and water for 24 hours I then rinse the purigen bag under normal tap water and then I let it soak in the mop bucket with tap water that has Seachem Safe in it for 24 hours. Important thing to note, I will pick up the mop bucket and spin it back and forth for about 30 seconds to get the bag moving around in the water at least 5 times within that first 24 hours with the bleach water and then 5 times with the seachem safe also. This just makes sure all the contents in the bag are being treated. After the seachem safe treatment I take the bag out and drain the water out by squeezing the bag. I leave just a little tad bit of water in the bag just to keep the purigen moist. Then I put the bag of purigen into a zip lock bag and tuck it away until I am ready to swap it with the bag of purigen I have in my FX6. I have two big bags of purigen so while one is in the filter the other is being recharged.
My first time setting up a tank and I accidentally set it up right because my water is perfectly clear all my tests are perfect consistently every time I test it my plants are growing well and fish are thriving.
Last August I went to the Everglades to herp. I ended up, like every trip, bringing Channeled Apple snails back for my front pond. This year I brought back half a bucket of water too. Rather than dump that water over plants, for whatever reason, I chose to dump it in the pond….
My pond hasn’t been green since that that decision, and I’m shocked at how clear it has remained. I’m talking a molded pond I put in around 2010 that is generally green water. I’ve not cleaned my filter bc everything is so clear.
Don't go over the top with clear water.I leave my small tank alone.Plenty of plants planted in soil sand and gravel.I have a filter tunning an bubbles of fresh air .The fish like to swim in the bubbles.I don't do cleaning anymore at the bottom of the tank.Sometimes leave well alone if the fish eat look happy swim about and don't die you are doing ok.
The fact the creator has the voice of Chris Pratt and the same refusal to carefully read and follow directions that I am guilty of made this a relatable and fun video. Thanks for the purigen review!
Cheers! Hahah
Lol yeah he does!!
i really like your way of talking and explaining stuff, it's like you do it from heart and put much effort into it, thanks a lot :)
34 yrs old and have been a hobbyist (fresh water) for god knows how long (definitely not more than 34 years though) and never put in any chemicals for crystal clear water. except using medicines to treat sick fishes in the past.
The most recent tank that i built is a 4 ft tank last December (no plants, 1 inch thick medium gravel bed, some open palm sized rocks collected from the river). I recall doing water changes just that month and never a single time till date this year except the top ups. I have an overhead sump filtration system (DIY) which has been low maintenance too.
Tips from my own experience are:
1. Good filtration and proper cycling of the entire water volume.
2. Feeding :- understand how the food (packed or fresh or live) affects your water quality and the right amount of food that is right in quality and quantity required by each fish.
3. Light :- that's a big topic to debate on, but to make it simple? Don't keep the lights on for 12 - 24 hrs 😂, even fishes don't like a high beam of light hitting them for a long period of time, the room light will do unless you wish to sit close to the aquarium and cherish the fishes for a little while.
First of all you put the Purigen in the wrong place. It should be in the top tray, because it’s a polisher. If you keep it in the bottom tray with all those dirty trays on top, you’re going to drastically impede flow. And you’re going to waste $20 of Purigen. I’ve used this product for some time and it’s great!!! Great for removing ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and it clears the water. It’s more cost effective to buy the 500mL jar and make your own bags(use very fine mesh bags for Purigen). Ive also regenerated it (with bleach) and reused it again. It’s not that hard. I’ve stopped doing it cuz I’m lazy sometimes with 15 aquariums. As I tell my brother-in-law, “Read the directions.” It’s a great product, I love it.
I have recharged Purigen for years with no problems whatsoever. Soak the bag in a bowl or vase with 50/50 bleach to water. Once the Purigen turns all white (about 24 hrs) then rinse it really, really well. Remember, bleach/chlorine will eventually evaporate. Then after the bleach treatment, heavily rinse the Purigen bag. Then soak if for a few days with a bunch of Prime dechlorinated water. You can repeat this step if you feel better. I recharge the Purigen bags about 3x before replacing them.
Ill def try it out!
@@AQUAPROS Its safe, I promise!
I prefer dirty tanks if that makes sense, I want my tank to look like an actual lake and most lakes arent crystal clear. If I have a tank that is meant to model a high mountain lake or a fast flowing river I think I would be more into the clear water though.
I am the type who likes the rocks to be a bit green and I dont mind black beard algae in moderation, I also tend to have some amount of mulm as well as dead leaves and small twigs at the bottom. I just enjoy letting my aquarium be self sufficient and function like a real ecosystem while also looking nice, I only spend like 10 minutes a week on my 40 tall for example because it simply doesnt need to be messed with and it looks great. I dont think of my fish tanks as tanks but more as water filled terrariums so I want to disturb it as little as possible.
My tanks are very long term and dont look good for months after they are made because I dont rush to make it look good.
Imo that's how the fish live the longest. This hobby isn't conducive to my lifestyle, in which i tend to move every 2 or 3 years and owning fish and relocating regularly doesn't mix. At least I'm good at my tamogatchi forever lols and the digital pets don't die anymore lols 😁🤣
@ality yeah at that point you might just want to go with terrariums, a 30 gallon terrarium with a small group of dart frogs and some mourning geckos is far more movable and just as pretty. I mean you can even use a lot of aquarium plants in a dart frog vivarium since most aquarium plants actually grow better on land and dart frogs need 80-100% humidity anyways.
Also dont worry dart frogs are only toxic because they eat toxic bugs, captive born ones are harmless and live on a diet of flightless fruit flies.
the other choice is just pet bugs, a tarantula can live in a Tupperware. My uncle has a 24 year old rose hair that spent 18 months in storage once, it didnt eat during that time. It was also winter in Montana, many tarantulas are very hardy considering one spent 18 months in storage, that is over a year with no food and while it was not doing very well it made a recovery and is still alive.
Beard algae! Enough to put right off the entire hobby.
Hi, Thanks for the Purigen review. Where do you get your plants and plant logs?
Great video, great information. I'm a strong believer in purigen and recharging with bleach is not hard at all. I have multiple packets going on 4-5 tanks with extras that get used while others are recharging. That cannister filter needs a good cleaning lol. Increase that flow will help with everything you want in at tank that size (ie: less algae, higher oxygen, water clarity, etc). I rise all my mechanical filtration aka sponges in my sink and all my trays of biological media get dunked up and down in a 5 gallon bucket of aquarium water. All that organic waste in your filter definitely raises overall nitrates in your water. I recommend 3-6 mos for cannister cleaning!
Yep, it is the thing. Cleared my 55g in about 6 hours with tannins and dirt (garden soil).
Great advice and video . I have just set up my planted 75gal and I run two hang filters one running the standard media and the second running poly fill and activate carbon . It works great for crystal clear water . I do plan to use purigan when the tank matures
Ok, your aquarium is beautiful. Beautiful fish. Thank you for the purigen tip.
9:29 When you are not expecting guests and you forgot to unplug dead fish from waterfilter pickup...
I think it works for a show tank. For everyday, I doubt it will do much. Now, what is it removing that might be beneficial to the tank and community? I'm always worried what it removes over tank clarity, but I run my tanks different. Thanks for the experiment and info. Take Care and Stay Safe.
It's a water polisher and does not remove beneficial things from your tank. It is truly amazing stuff. My parameters STAY perfect and I use purigen religiously.
5 yrs in a 29 and a 40.. works perfectly.. science is your friend
Oh seachem knows you exist. Seachem knows all. They are the Google of aquariums. They are all knowing. We fear seachem, we worship seachem.
Careful. I think you reached your “Seachem” limit in one post. You might conjure something or open a portal. 😉
Yeah, well Prime is a magic product.
All hail Seachem
Cloudy water is likely from too much free floating bacteria in the water. Purigen and carbon help achieve colorless water. But I’d say the over filtration and having a huge load of brown gunk in the filter (waste eating bacteria and micro organisms) that polish the water is the key.
Thanks for the content.
I've been using Puregen for a few months. I recommend rinsing it first or it will throw powder. I also think Seachem's instructions for recharging it are over the top. I do the bleach soak for an hour and rinse it with Prime water for a few minutes.
I love this video.
It’s like your older videos that you use to make.
Rice fish are cool but… 😂
hahahah I feel ya :) thanks!
Where are you!! I am just starting out with a planted tank and shrimp which I got from my local aquarium store. I was watching your videos while cleaning and I looked up and OMG there is Pisces!
I use macropore its exactly the same as purigen but recharges with non- iodised salt not bleach at about quarter the price
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Great video brother, with an amazing topic. In my personal opinion, by my own personal experience, I can tell you that I have been using Purigen for many years now, but mostly in my saltwater aquariums. Never truly have had the experience to use it in my planted aquariums, but I am definitely going to give it a try. Another product that I’ve had success using, is Chemi-pure. This filtration media removes many things, and it will keep your aquariums healthy with the crystal clear water we all desire. It’s also a solution for freshwater aquariums. Anyway, love your topics as always man, keep up the good work.
cheers dude!
I would rather have a small HOB that takes seconds to service than any canister that gets neglected because service is worthy of a video.
You should run the Purigen under running water until the water runs clear or you risk making your tank milky until the filter catches up.
Purigen is fantastic for limiting tannins in your tanks. Driftwood can be a struggle if you don't want blackwater. Especially the common mopani driftwood. A bag of purigen clears it up overnight.
0:00-5:17 : Yapping
5:18 : the info you came for
My understanding was that one big reason for using Purigen was to prevent ammonia peaks that could potentially kill your fish.
Thanks. Helpful af. Curious about your magnetic? Glass cleaner. Where you leave it when your done, have you noticed if the fish approach it or appear to stay away. ??
I have Purigen and carbon in a FX6 which is on my heavily stocked 125g tank (6ft). I was planning on using a 2nd filter to better cover the intake , but the FX6 flow is so strong I decided to wait before adding a 2nd cannister. The results are great. Very clear water, and any cloudiness after feeding is quickly absorbed. I also run a large sponge in tank, so I can't say if the FX6 alone would be as effective. BUT, I run sponges in ALL my tanks along with cannisters, and this 125g is as clear, or clearer than any other. So Purigen will be added to all my other tanks when doing the next maintenance.
If you want the science on this, look up organic scavenger resin. I think Purigen is this stuff.
A similar looking aqurium product is nitrate removal resin. The latter not recommended for planted tanks because it removes nitrate.
Regeneration for both are different too.
Hi, I just found you and I’m enjoying your videos. I’m confused though… I thought this was a natural planted tanks and they don’t need any pumps and filters? So am I misinterpreting this? I’m just trying to learn because I’d like to start the natural tank without filtration, etc. etc.… Thanks in advance for any and all help.😊
I kinda do it all these days, lots of good methods in fish keeping, cheers!!
I’m new at the ecosystem idea(2-3 years). I have a 55g and sun-sun 704-b (only $100) can filter with UV, cycles 500some g/hr. It’s way overstocked by miles, as my south American cichlids won’t stop multiplying with a cast of other characters. Idk how many fish & a red eared slider, heavily planted. Huge bio load. Only change my trays maybe 3x/1 year max. All water parameters stay in the goldylocks zone w very few water or spot gravel cleanings, 5 gal 1x/month then topped off. The 🦠 seem to processes everything. I leave my lights on too long until I get a timer. It maintained close to crystal waters but I’ll try this. The precipitant drops do well, I like the biome concept, I think plants are a must.
Hey, would you know a good way to filter the water before putting it in the tank?
I'm using tap water, and the ph is like 14. Super hard water. It takes like 4 months for brown crust to form all over my filter, the outside of the water tubes, the edge of the tank. Like a brown crystal, that looks like sand/rust, and is a pain to chop off.
It's like that stuff you get on old shower heads, but I don't want to soak my tank in vinegar.
I was thinking I could set some 5 gallon buckets on top of each other and put sand or something in the middle bucket.
Ideas?
I use purigen but I think I have it in the wrong order, it should be the last thing the water touches when leaving the hob. Next cleaning I will switch it up with new purigen and see the how much it differs.
My 20 gallon planted acrylic tank with built in sump at the back haven’t had a water change for now closed to 2 years and I have over 50 fishes inside, always have super clear water. I don’t use Purigen. I agree with the fish store owner to go big on bio media. My success with this tank is not because I have 10x larger filtration. In my case, my filtration is built in and I am limited to that. I believe that my success is the balance of everything. Having 50 + fishes that are all healthy with pristine water that has not been changed for almost 2 years, the secret is in the bio media. Even my substrate acts as a bio media. I have mime in a bit more than 3 inch of substrate. Tons of nerite snail to clean my glass with one rubber lip pleco. I never use a glass cleaner. In my built in sump, I have bio balls, Matrix, those porous yellow blocks, those red looking like nuggets and more. I also put 3 bioballs in the intake flaw that constantly rotating by the flaw. So I don’t believe that going big with filter is the key but if anyone can afford it, I am sure it will help but not necessarily needed. My 7 gallon cool water tank is even longer with no water changes. It’s been more than 8 years and still pristine and all fishes are healthy. I hope sharing this information will help others with this beautiful hobby. I believe that with no water changes and with proper balance, all parameters will always be the same and not fluctuate like when you do water changes and fish and all inhabitants prefer a steady quality of water. Thanks for sharing your experiment with Purigen.
I am old-school I still use those green canisters that go into the tank. I have a 75 gallon tank and I have four of them in my tank and I swear by them I don’t have any holes or tubing or anything that I have to re-pipe my tank so I can use an F6 or one of these like he has here I only use the green ones I have to order them they don’t even have an Internet site. I swear by these things are fantastic and they clean up my tank really quick and I don’t mind getting my hands dirty for my poor babies they need to clean tank but I’m gonna try this purging because I do have a problem with mechanics because I have a lot of wood in my tank but my fish love it and it’s crystal clear it’s just orange, so we look into this good tip!😊
When I first started this hobby I had frustrating problems with cloudy water. Perfect parameters, no ammo, no Nitrite, Nitrates around 10ppm, but the water wouldn't clear up.
An old timer told me it was beneficial bacteria floating in the water colum because I didn't have enough filtration.
Sure enough, I added another HOB to my setup full of ceramice rings and nothing but a sponge prefter for mechanical, and in 3 days my water was crystal clear. Follow the 10x filtration rule.
A good test would be to siphon out a gallon or so of water into a white bucket and take pics/video of that.
I didn’t realize how much tannins my driftwood was leaching until I threw some fish into a bucket to take to my LFS.
Yup, i commented the same thing. It takes alot of variables out of what your looking at
Do you also add active carbon charcoal during this process. Or purigen by it"s self in the filter ?
If you want to continue the experiment I’d leave the filter alone and add a 2nd one seeing as over filtering and water changes were his 1st 2 pieces of advice :) also, sponges hold plenty of beneficial bacteria.
That being said, purigen seems like that last 5% to clear water. It’s one of those, “if you really want to go the extra mile… but you don’t have to” kind of things.
Totally agree 💪🫡
@@AQUAPROS great video btw, love the subtle humor about the pre filter sponges 🤣 also you probably control you experiments better than some of the other people making the claims. Your resistance to cleaning the filter is something I couldn’t do lol. +Respect!
@@robertjohnston25 🤪😎😎😎
Have you considered putting your canister filter on a pull out drawer for ease of access? Love your video. What filter do you have and what size is your tank.. I thought I heard 80?
I’d like to know why you kept the dirt and junk in the media meaning the sponge etc ? Do you often only sometimes clean all the sponges and media out? Would you kindly tell me how often you’re supposed to clean all the sponges and carbon out or the filters out etc. is it each water change like every two weeks or? Also, I have a 36 gallon freshwater tank with white beach, sand, and one plastic large plant, three large leopard cichlids and one large kissing Guarmi
I mean I'd assume chemistry wise that if biological matter saturated with chemicals that would get absorbed gets stuck on the purogen the faster the purogen gets used up, so you'd want it past the point of mechanical filtration.
I learned something today. Great job explaining .
for the extra bio media you might want to use Seachem Matrix or/and Sera Siporax. And keep using the Purigen of course but put it in the last tray of your filter, so it's the last step. Awesome tank by the way
Your purigen will last much much long if you put it in your top tray. Your filtration should go mechanical, biological then chemical.
Do yourself a huge favor for the life of your media and remove the sponges and get some high quality bio media (ie: matrix, ehiem substrate pro, ehiem mech etc) and fill all your trays with that and use your prefilter as your mechanical filter. Then in your top tray put filter floss and purigen.
It's debatable whether matrix etc. is better than sponges. I know sponges were always considered mechanical only. But that view seems to be changing and they can do both mechanical and biological. Pot scrubbers are another cheap option
I say that as someone who mainly uses Matrix and Substrat Pro. I only have sponges as a pre-filter and in one tray. The other three trays are filled with Matrix and some Substrat Pro.
Old habits are hard to break. 😊
@@awilderireland absolutely agree. Only real true reason I use an actual biological media is so that I can use my sponges as mechanical filtration and clean them regularly and not worry about my beneficial bacteria
Thanks Man! I just got back into this from 2007. Waiting on my 80 Gallon WaterBox. Have my RO system. This was my biggest peeve back then. I tried everything and no luck!! So much has changed!! Thanks again for the info! CHEERS!!
Also if you want to see if the puregen work turn off the lights and shine a UV light through the tank it will show you the tank as green. certain lights will make it look lighter. Hopefully if the puregen is in a few days and you check with the UV light I think it should look a little lighter!
This looks like API Nito-Zorb Bag that I used to use in my filters. This stuff works and keeps the readings in check. Never really cared about water clarity, but It kept my nitrates down. Highly recommend. Instead of doing water changes every week, I could easily go every 3 weeks when I used it.
So have used purigen. Helps great with algae control and removal of excess minerals in the water. It’s a wonderful tool for use in shell dweller and cichlids tanks.
At the 12 hour mark, the biggest change is visible by looking at the wall behind the aquarium on the long wall. It definitely removed tannins. I'd recommend checking out pimp my filter to learn more about what order the media should go in for your filter. Some run from top to bottom, some from bottom to top. They should go in mechanical, bio, chemical order , so where you put the purigen (as well as the sponges) matters. The idea is to filter the muck by a large pore sponge, medium pore sponge, fine pad. Then the de-muckified water goes through the bio filter without clogging the pores so the bb can work unimpeded. Then at the end, let the purigen or charcoal finish things up. Everything will last longer that way.
He's like the guy who stops you on a dark alley trying to sell you life insurance and car insurance in one
This is awesome to find , where did you get your tank from? I planned on starting a planted tank project
Try a uv steralizer it helps a lot it cleans ur water by UV light..
purigen is a must especially with driftwood and anything that leaches tannins. just added som to my nano and its crystal...
I use it in my tanks and I can definitely tell a difference.. The other big plus is this product will last you long time? So for the cost, I think it’s well worth it..
filter floss from a oven hood , or from inside a pillow as long as its white with no toxins , it will polish the water , i had a 6x2x2 amazon tank and the water was sparkling clean , polished water is amazing in any tank .
ADG is the best! I love going there just to watch the tanks. They're living works of art.
Can you provide a link to the lights you are using? Great looking tank!
I use Aquarium co-op sponge filters....so, should I go to the next size for my tanks for clearer water? ...I also use RO water
The after shot does pop from the long side. You say to do some more research on this and not just go buy some after watching this video. You did exactly what i would have done (gone out, bought some and thrown it in). I'm not buying the purigen because i don't mind my tannins, but if i did mind I would do this. Thanks AP.
The long side view showed it quite well. Ive been using purigen for yrs, Its great stuff. also totally agree with filtration, filtration, filtration. You can never have too much. I run triple or more gph on all my tanks with zero issues. My 150g malawi tank is heavily overstocked. Only tank i dont use purigen in is my planted amazon tank in which i prefer the yellowish tannin water i get from the drift wood.
Honestly, If your tank is set up with enough area (ie. 3 inch substrate and all the decor) for enough bacteria to colonise according to Bioload ( your tank is the Bio filter), You should load that canister with nothing but sponges and not have to sweat about losing bacteria. 2 trays of plastic nuts is not going to make a huge difference. Load it up full of course filters and the last tray before the tank put ,medium and fine sponge. Done!
watched your video...bought purigen right after. Thanks!
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Would you replace activated carbon if using Purigen?
Only problem with carbon in planted tanks is takes out water based fertilizers where purigen isn't meant to but says doesn't . Dymax has same product
Been running this stuff in the final filter stage for years now. Never bothered trying to recharge a pack. They last long enough and it's cheap enough to just toss another pack in the top tray
I think Purigen works amazingly well. But, in my experience it clears my algae too much! Because of this, it has a negative impact on my tank due to not enough food for algae eaters (I do supplement as well). So, as much as I love that sparkling clear water. I tend to go for clear water (from polyfill) with some tannins. Makes the type of fish I have happier.
So I currently have a HOB filter and a sponge filter... can I add a puregen bag into the space in my HOB to help it for now... I plan on getting a canister eventually but not right now. Thoughts?
Clean the hoses whenever you restart your canister filter. That way you avoid all the nasty junk spewing back into your tank.
Your dining room is awesome!
I use it as the final stage for polishing. It is incredible.