Seachem Purigen - My Before And After Report.

Hi folks,
Im new over here and am always keen to add posts of value if I can and thought this data might be of use to someone.

As my blog will later show (when I add it to here), my new 360L Aquaoak aquarium is up and running but the volume of bogwood in there has caused the dreaded tea coloured water.

It wasnt terrible by any means, but looking down the tank end to end it annoyed me as thats the end you were faced with as you enter the room.

Its important to know the filtration in there already as otherwise you cant quite quantify the data as of course I could well be adding it to a tank with inadequate filtration for all you know, so for reference.

For filtration I have:

First Fluval 406 with (in order of flow):
Pre filter of Fluval Foam
Fluval Bio Foam
Fluval G-Nodes
Fluval Biomax
Fluval polishing pad


Second Fluval 406 with (in order of flow):
Pre filter of Fluval Foam
Fluval Bio Foam
Fluval G-Nodes
Seachem Matrix
Fluval polishing pad


Fluval 106 (This powers my UV which needs lower flow)
Pre filter of Fluval Foam
Fluval G-Nodes
Seachem Matrix
Fluval polishing pad


The water, whilst lovely and clear from head on:




Looks like this from the end.



I know its 5foot long so will never look quite like gin, but id like it better. So after some research I decided to take a punt on 2x 100gm pre-bagged packs of Seacem Purigen and put them both into one of the 406s packed as a sandwhich with fluval polishing pads. So I actually added the Purigen and an extra pad after it.

24hrs later.



The curtains were drawn to keep ambient light the same during each end shot. I am astounded to be honest... The water looks amazing, and we are only 24hrs in! Something that actually works as well as it says on the tin!

Ive got another 2 packets on order for the other 406!

I've seen that tank and stand with the wine-rack in a showroom! Looks amazing. I wish I had room for it in my house.

I've also used Purigen and can testify for the water clarity. I have a wide thin layer in the first tray of my external filter and you can't even see the water.

What convinced me to use Purigen is that it doesn't out-compete the bacteria for ammonia and nitrites - it's just an additional type of filter. But, unlike carbon it doesn't affect trace elements (like ferts) which you'd want kept in the water. It's a bit expensive, but the volume I have should last 6 months, and you can recharge it many times.

It's a no-brainer for me; if you can afford Purigen, get it.

....and another person who can take beautiful piccies of their fish, while all I can manage is an out of focus blur.

Curses!

Pictures look fantastic - crisp and clear! 

Brilliant photos.

I also used Purigen to remove the tannins from my tank.

I have seen some beautiful Blackwater aquariums where the tannins really add to the look, and the fish love it as it's close to their natural habitat.

Welcome to ThinkFish, EvolutionStu

Does your name allude to a certain make of Mitsubishi motor or the more traditional use of the word...?

I concur with the guys above, your photography skills match your fish... Simply stunning. I assume using a DSLR? I really need to upgrade from my Bridge. Shutter speed is everything and it just isn't up to the task...

I'm intrigued by this Seachem Purigen.. It comes mostly in 250ml bottles which I gather you pour into a fine mesh and add to the filter media... And 1 litre treats 4000litres for up to 6 months...?? So a 250ml bottle would treat 1000 litres and my piddling little 180 litre tank would need approximately 50ml/grams of the stuff every 6 months? Or am I completely misinterpreting the instructions?

Look forward to following your progress and best of luck with the Science experiment this evening, I enjoy giving the test tubes a rattle every now and then. The missus joked I should wear a white coat 

Wow, thanks for all the kind words folks.
Im a self employed motorsport technitian by trade but I also do photography on a quite serious level (mainly landscape - Im a keen hiker) so if anyone wants any advice on such matters please feel free to ask.

Does your name allude to a certain make of Mitsubishi motor or the more traditional use of the word...?

I concur with the guys above, your photography skills match your fish... Simply stunning. I assume using a DSLR? I really need to upgrade from my Bridge. Shutter speed is everything and it just isn't up to the task...

I'm intrigued by this Seachem Purigen.. It comes mostly in 250ml bottles which I gather you pour into a fine mesh and add to the filter media... And 1 litre treats 4000litres for up to 6 months...?? So a 250ml bottle would treat 1000 litres and my piddling little 180 litre tank would need approximately 50ml/grams of the stuff every 6 months? Or am I completely misinterpreting the instructions?

Look forward to following your progress and best of luck with the Science experiment this evening, I enjoy giving the test tubes a rattle every now and then. The missus joked I should wear a white coat 

Its work related really, although I do map a lot of EVO's and once owned a Makkinen 6.

Ref the camera, yes, Canon 5D MK3, lens for these was a 50mm f/1.8 using f2.
Even then, I needed to shoot at about 3200ISO to get the right shutter speed.

The Purigen is rated to 400litres per pack. As far as I could deduce you cant use too much so I threw two in one of the 406's and have another two for the if im wrong, I will let you know. LOL

I would recomend you buy the bagged one as otherwise, the only bag known to retain it is the Seachem "The Bag" as its tiny!

Thanks Cora, thats very useful info, I googled for a while before I bought it and didnt come across anyone who had sucessfully used anything else.

To save a bit of money, you don't need to use Seachem's "The Bag" which is £15 for a micron-sized-hole bag. Muslin bags which are also very fine will do just nicely. You can get a bunch off eBay for pennies. They hold my Purigen no problem.

The advantage of The Bag (TM) is it's a sealed unit which some might find more convenient.

...

Ref the camera, yes, Canon 5D MK3, lens for these was a 50mm f/1.8 using f2.
Even then, I needed to shoot at about 3200ISO to get the right shutter speed.
...

Good info! I've just bought myself a Canon DSLR and have been using auto settings up to now. I'll have to learn how shoot manual and this is at least a starting point. 


And re: bags for Purigen, I've used the foot end of a pair of ladies tights.
 As they come in black they hide nicely in the filter too.

Quote from: Extreme_One on June 16, 2016, 04:20:34 PM

And re: bags for Purigen, I've used the foot end of a pair of ladies tights.
 As they come in black they hide nicely in the filter too.

Sure...you just happened to have them lying around, eh? 

lol well I wasn't wearing them and didn't want them to go to waste.