A lot of efforts go into making and maintaining a home aquarium. Quite a lot of factors have to be considered as well like water maintenance. It’s necessary to give reef animals the best suitable and safe environment for them to live in and providing them with top-notch water is vital. You should know the Purigen vs Carbon to make Aquarium.
If the water is not maintained correctly, you will be putting the life of your fish in danger because if the water is not clean, bacteria will build up causing various diseases to the fish. Everyone wants to avoid such a situation and that’s why there are many solutions sold in the market that will help you keep the water filtered and safe.
We want to keep our fish safe and that’s why we rely on products that are sold in the market like our items and carbon. Purigen and carbon are two products that are most commonly used. But which filter among Purigen vs Carbon is the best for your home aquarium? Let’s find out…
What is Purigen?
To remove organic impurities from the water as a chemical filter Purigen is used these days. Purigen has the capability to control ammonia, nitrate levels as well as nitrate since it is a synthetic polymer. Extreme levels of nitrate, or ammonia can be harmful to the environment of your tank and that’s why it has to be dealt with.
How does Purigen remove the molecules from the tank? Purigen is known for not removing these harmful molecules directly instead, before the compounds decompose into them it eliminates the compounds. Purigen reduces water pollution. How long does Purigen take to show its effects? You will notice the effects not before a few hours from the first use.
How to use Purigen?
Whether the filter is in the sump, external or internal Purigen can be put to use for any type of filter. For instance, if you have a 100 ml sealed bag to let it work it is enough to insert it in the filter. You should just make sure to keep this product at a spot where there is enough good current.
You need to make sure to identify how much Purigen is needed for your tank size if you have loose material, much before you use it. You can make use of a filter bag to pour the correct amount of Purigen. Make sure it is a good quality filter bag because not just any filter bag will do.
The mesh of the filter bag you choose should not be too large so you can prevent the particles from running away and also the filter bag should be just the right size for the amount of Purigen you require. When you’re regenerating the material, you will need a chlorine-proof filter bag, so use a chlorine-proof filter bag at the very beginning itself.
How to Regenerate Purigen?
The regeneration feature in Purigen is what makes it stand out the most. People all around the world love the regeneration feature in Purigen. If you notice the material changing or has changed to black or brown, you should know it’s time to change. In this way, you can manage to keep your tank healthy and safe.
If you want to regenerate Purigen at home, then use the following steps:
- Before we start, it is important to take all safety measures to deal with bleach and also make sure to be in a well-ventilated area.
- Use the filter bag to soak it for a time period of 24 hours in a non-metallic container filled with 50% of water and the rest of the 50% has to be of household chlorine bleach.
- You should know that the 100 ml puringe package comes along with a chlorine-proof filter bag. But if you are using loose Purigen get a chlorine-proof filter bag or you can just regenerate the Purigen without a bag.
- After a time period of 12 hours, turn the bag upside down. But when it comes to loose Purigen, gently stir it so every particle of it is properly immersed in the bleach.
- Rinse the bag after 24 hours when the Purigen gets back to its white color which is original.
- The following step for saltwater: you need to make sure you soak it for 8 hours in a solution that includes 2 tablespoons of de-chlorinator per cup of water.
- Following step for freshwater: make sure to soak it for four hours in a solution that includes 1 tablespoon of buffer per cup of water.
- Rinse again.
(If in any case, you can still smell the presence of chlorine, repeat all the steps mentioned above until you no longer smell chlorine again.)
What is Activated Carbon?
Activated carbon is taken from charcoal and is used in various fields for purposes of medical to chemical purification. It is a carbon-derived material that increases its absorbent features.
It is famous among almost all reefers because it has depurative properties and manages to eliminate all basic impurities from the water. Anything ranging from decomposed organic, foul odors to any of the toxins released from corals and algae is what activated carbon can eliminate. It helps to fight off the discoloration of water as well.
It comes in tiny pellets that are black in color and are mostly used loosely. But you will also find bottles of activated carbon which are portioned with the help of a ratio chart per gallon of water.
Purigen and activated carbon work similarly except for the fact that activated carbon seals with a wider range of components.
How to Use Activated Carbon in an Aquarium?
In order to avoid producing more dust to clean make sure you do not rub or grind the pellets in any form. Just rinse the carbon before you put it to use. Your carbon will be ready to use once you notice that the water ran clearly through your filter.
Pouring the material into a filter sock and placing it on the bottom of the tank is the easiest and cheapest way to use carbon in a tank. If you want it to be the most effective then you need to see to it that the water should flow over or through the carbon non-stop and that is why you need to be absolutely sure of placing it in a high flow area.
What determines the amount of activated carbon used? The amount of carbon you can use depends on the size of your tank. Remember, less is more. In order to keep your reef tank healthy and safe, it is always recommended to use the least carbon which you can keep changing.
You can add activated carbon in both saltwater as well as freshwater but when it comes to saltwater there are some things you must keep in mind.
Saltwater Aquarium and Activated Carbon
Unfortunately, some elements that reef animals in saltwater aquariums require are eliminated by activated carbon since it does not differentiate between the elements to filter them out.
If you are worried about the loss of all trace elements then you have a simple solution ahead of you is to reduce the amount of activated carbon in your aquarium.
The carbon may leach phosphate into the water which is an issue that should be addressed immediately since big amounts of phosphate in your tank may lead to the growth of algae-like brown algae which is a problem.
In order to avoid this issue of phosphate in your tank, choose a brand that does not contain high levels of phosphate.
Conclusion
There is not much difference between Purigen and carbon since it’s just minimal factors that differ like economical and time-consuming factors.
While Purigen has a regeneration feature that amuses everybody, it can be considered a plus point here. However, the process of regeneration does consume a lot of time. While on the other hand, activated carbon can be cheap as well as it has a higher filtering capacity. The only thing is that it has to be changed often to avoid pollution.
However, you can use Purigen or activated carbon only when it is specifically or strictly necessary. Besides those conditions, make sure you do not use either of them on a continuous basis.