Seachem's Purigen? Hot Stuff Or Hype?

[squeakytoy]

I am in the midst of a tank cycling that has already claimed one of my favorite fishes, and I am desperate to keep the rest of them alive. To that extent, I am willing to try things that I normally wouldn't. Seachem's Purigen seems to be just what I need to keep the water non-toxic until the tank can establish it's on bacteria to self regulate. It is supposed to control ammonia, nitrites and nitrates, as well as many other toxins in the water. However, does it control it so well that it starves the bacteria out? I dont want to kill my fish through action OR inaction.

Please help me out, anyone who as used it.

 

[aaronnorth]

i didnt know it bonded NO2 & NO3. I just though it did ammonia.

 

[squeakytoy]

"Purigen™ is a premium synthetic adsorbent that is unlike any other filtration product. It is not a mixture of ion exchangers or adsorbents, but a unique macro-porous synthetic polymer that removes soluble and insoluble impurities from water at a rate and capacity that exceeds all others by over 500%. Purigen™ controls ammonia, nitrites and nitrates by removing nitrogenous organic waste that would otherwise release these harmful compounds. Purigen’s™ impact on trace elements is minimal. It significantly raises redox. It polishes water to unparalleled clarity."

thats from their site... as such it seems like a miracle product for newbies and those that think they know what they are doing... (like me!) but it's no substitute for a self maintaining tank.

 

[aaronnorth]

i have heard good reviews about it (but not about NO2 & NO3, that is why i didnt know) maybe someone has had an experience with it.

 

[squeakytoy]

I've used seachems stuff before, and I have liked it, I just have no experience with this. I might just have to try it though.

 

[Corleone]

Ion exchange is what zeolite does. It removes ammonia very efficiently. Enough so that bacteria don't grow well, and when it saturates, ammonia starts going up.

Basically, sounds like one of those products that once you start using, you'll have to keep buying or start a full cycle when you stop. I use zeolite in quarantine tanks at any hint of ammonia, but never in a permanent tank.

 

[squeakytoy]

Kinda what I am worried about, but I am thinking about using a "dose" for a tank half my size. I want the excess gone, not the entirety.

 

[NonstickRon]

Kinda what I am worried about, but I am thinking about using a "dose" for a tank half my size. I want the excess gone, not the entirety.

Just use Prime. Detoxifies without removing it. Bacteria can still eat it.

 

[Corleone]

I agree. You don't want much ammonia there, but you also don't really want anything competing with your biofilter. I might be being overcautious, but I trust my bacteria more than any additive.

Do you have many live plants? I found adding plants is a great way to boost the cycle. Fast growing stemmed plants are supposed to be the best for this. Personally, I packed my tank with cheap valis and hornwort for the cycle and swapped them for more diverse plants afterwards. Plants preferentially absorb ammonia instead of nitrate when it's present in the water, and they don't leave the same less toxic wastes behind as bacteria. Even if you have fish that can't be kept with plants like silver dollars, goldfish, or cichlids that move substrate, you can probably use some cheap plants as a short term ammonia sink.