Carbon Purigen Seachem - 4 Questions

[potatocouch]

Guys, I bought this Purigen Carbon (was recommended by my LFS).

The carbon is in a bag and in the instruction, it was advised to rinse before use and to put it onto area with high flow.

4 questions:

1. Do you rinse it with RODI water?

2. Can I put this onto the overflow chamber? fits the criteria of "high flow" area.

3. Do I just float this bag? My concern it will go to the next chamber and then next and then got sucked in the return pump or perhaps the skimmer pump, causing blockage.

4. Would you recommend putting this Purigen Carbon when the tank is in cycle?

 

[Luukosian]

1. Rinse ideally with RODI but bucket of old tank water during water change would be ok.

2. I wouldn't put anything in my overflow for fear of it clogging and overflowing and making a mess but if you kept an eye on flow it might be ok

3. If you are going to use media in a bag make sure it is secured so it can't float around and put it in a high flow area so it can do its job

4. I probably wouldn't waste media during cycle....just wait until cycle is done and do your water changes then when everything starts to clear up run your media.

All this being said I run a reactor with GFO and carbon separately and this is probably the best route in my opinion. I have never used the purigen. I am assuming this is a red sea or some other kind of all in one tank with a separate compartment, some more information on your set up would probably help.

 

[DaveK]

Are you running Purigen or Carbon or a mixture of both? They are very different products.

Ideally both are best run in a reactor. The flow through a media bag in the sump or overflow is not ideal, but either will still work there.

For years there has been an ongoing discussion about carbon verses Purigen and which is best, and if you should use one of them or nothing at all.

I'd say either product has it's place, and there are places where the work well, but many don't use them at all.

 

[Choff]

Dave have you run purigen in a reactor? It's so fine , I've never tried it. Do you do anything special?

...stupid auto correct

 

[DaveK]

Dave have you run purigen in a reactor? It's so fine , I've never tried it. Do you do anything special?

...stupid auto correct

Good point. I should clarify this. By reactor, I mean something where you can force the water to run through the media. A very fine media such as Purigen should still be in a fine media bag.

Because the media bag needs to be so fine, you don't usually get good flow through it if you just put it in the sump or filtration system and water can bypass it.