Purigen vs. Chemipure Elite vs. Chemipure Blue

[StevieT]

[Hexadron]

 

They are coming out with a smaller blue version, possibly ready next month. I have a sample of it from MACNA in August, it's a perfect size and smaller than the 3.1oz. Comes packaged like a laundry detergent puck size and shape.

 

Ha, jelly fish art is owned by the son of the owners of Boyd. Guessing he got first dibs.

 

I just asked Boyd again a min ago, I figured next month after an email blast they just had about it featured at a trade show.

 

Sweet, thanks for the update Steve.

[tk3445]

Good question... Im wondering the same thing. anyone know off hand?

 

 

On a side note... Can it be harmful to use too much purigen or chemipure elite/blue in a nano tank?

[StevieT]

Boyd is still waiting on the production machine in house. The goal is Global, so early March

 

Steve, when u gettin this???

[DCUEVAS74]

Just got the Chem Blue. I couldn't find any reference on how much to use for smaller setups. I have the Fusion 20 and it seems like too much. Anyone? Or does it not matter?

[StevieT]

You're not going to OD on media

 

5.5oz is good for the Fusion 20 Treats up to 35 gallons

[Marc.The.Shark]

Boyd is still waiting on the production machine in house. The goal is Global, so early March

 

Thanks, I'll watch for it in your store.

[Jbrock183]

Although I am not 100% sure, I believe what is being referred to is ROX carbon by AquaMaxx and the GFO is granular ferric oxide which is designed to remove phosphate. The GFO is manufactured by a number of different companies. Check out www.Marinedepot.com. You can do a simple search for both items. My tank is not far enough along for these as I am just ordering my rock today.

 

Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong on my interpretation of the products mentioned.

Thanks.

[ninjamyst]

I got some of the small blue packets at a trade show in Chicago. The rep said they are good for 5-10 gallons.

[Jbrock183]

I would really appreciate it if someone would take the time to explain both the pros and cons for using Chemipure Blue vs. Rox Carbon, GFO, and Purigen?

[Hexadron]

I would really appreciate it if someone would take the time to explain both the pros and cons for using Chemipure Blue vs. Rox Carbon, GFO, and Purigen?

 

Basically Chemi-Pure Blue is convenient but a little more $, while GAC, GFO and Purigen isn't quite as convenient but cheaper. That's the quick and dirty of it.

[Swing2Harmony]

I use Floss -> ROX Carbon -> (Purigen & Rowaphos mixed) in an AquaClear 20 and it works very well for me.

I change the Carbon every 10 days and Rowa Purigen every month or so.

[reefernanoman]

 

Thanks, I'll watch for it in your store.

Me too!

Basically Chemi-Pure Blue is convenient but a little more $, while GAC, GFO and Purigen isn't quite as convenient but cheaper. That's the quick and dirty of it.

How much is a little more $? I guess with the GAC and GFO, you have to buy a filter bag, and put it inside, tie it, etc. right?

[Hexadron]

How much is a little more $? I guess with the GAC and GFO, you have to buy a filter bag, and put it inside, tie it, etc. right?

 

I'm too lazy to price it out this morning, but you would save money in the long run buying the GAC, GFO and Purigen in bulk, and then making them yourself in the filter bags. The nice thing is you can reuse the filter bags for quite some time

 

I'm still figuring if CP Blue is right for me; but so far it works alright. I think the carbon exhausts pretty quick though, and for the $ not sure if it is worth the convenience. Hopefully the smaller version (for my 10g) will be a bit more affordable and open up room in my media basket in case i need to run extra carbon etc.

[tibbsy07]

it should be noted that with GFO you typically need some sort of tumbler or media reactor as it clumps and is not as effective when clumped together.

 

I would really appreciate it if someone would take the time to explain both the pros and cons for using Chemipure Blue vs. Rox Carbon, GFO, and Purigen?

Chemipure elite is basically carbon and GFO together already measured out. You add it to your tank and you are done. When you need to get new stuff, you just throw the whole thing away and get a new one. Most people run this alongside purigen. Chemipure Blue is basically a single bag with Chemipure Elite AND purigen in it, same principle. You add it and toss as needed.

 

The issue is that in the typical amounts added and removed, chemipure elite and chemipure blue are more expensive. Purigen can be reused over and over again, as the beads can be cleaned with bleach and then rinsed/treated with seachem prime, and it's ready to go again. You basically only need 1 or 2 bags ever. Carbon and GFO come in bulk and are cheaper in the long run as you get WAY more. The downside is that depending on your tank conditions and the media you get, you can strip the water of too much nutrients, so you have to pay more attention to how much you add. This typically only applies to the phosphate removers, though.

 

For the cost of a 3 month supply (on my tank schedule) of chemipure elite or blue, I have almost a years' supply of activated carbon, a phosphate removal media (I use phosguard not GFO because I don't have a reactor), and purigen plus the seachem prime to reactivate/clean the purigen. I'm set. I just change stuff out every couple of weeks. Plus, if there is a problem and I need to change my media more frequently, I'm not hemorrhaging money.

[reefernanoman]

it should be noted that with GFO you typically need some sort of tumbler or media reactor as it clumps and is not as effective when clumped together.

 

Chemipure elite is basically carbon and GFO together already measured out. You add it to your tank and you are done. When you need to get new stuff, you just throw the whole thing away and get a new one. Most people run this alongside purigen. Chemipure Blue is basically a single bag with Chemipure Elite AND purigen in it, same principle. You add it and toss as needed.

 

The issue is that in the typical amounts added and removed, chemipure elite and chemipure blue are more expensive. Purigen can be reused over and over again, as the beads can be cleaned with bleach and then rinsed/treated with seachem prime, and it's ready to go again. You basically only need 1 or 2 bags ever. Carbon and GFO come in bulk and are cheaper in the long run as you get WAY more. The downside is that depending on your tank conditions and the media you get, you can strip the water of too much nutrients, so you have to pay more attention to how much you add. This typically only applies to the phosphate removers, though.

 

For the cost of a 3 month supply (on my tank schedule) of chemipure elite or blue, I have almost a years' supply of activated carbon, a phosphate removal media (I use phosguard not GFO because I don't have a reactor), and purigen plus the seachem prime to reactivate/clean the purigen. I'm set. I just change stuff out every couple of weeks. Plus, if there is a problem and I need to change my media more frequently, I'm not hemorrhaging money.

All good points, but call me lazy, because I'm not going to be bleaching purigen, washing it, etc, etc. I just buy another bag! I want to enjoy my tank time WATCHING my tank instead of trying to save a few bucks. I only have nano tanks anyways. Maybe if I had a bigger tank. Besides, I would be paranoid about introducing bleach into my tank if I messed up somehow.

[tibbsy07]

All good points, but call me lazy, because I'm not going to be bleaching purigen, washing it, etc, etc. I just buy another bag! I want to enjoy my tank time WATCHING my tank instead of trying to save a few bucks. I only have nano tanks anyways. Maybe if I had a bigger tank. Besides, I would be paranoid about introducing bleach into my tank if I messed up somehow.

Sure, but the fact is that if you do the regeneration step it's cheaper. I never even used to use Prime before, I just let the purigen sit in fresh water overnight and it was fine (this was in my previous 12g AP). Jedimasterben and a few others have been using hydrogen peroxide to regenerate their purigen and found it successful. Seachem says to only use bleach because it's the only thing they've tested so they can't recommend anything else, but both hydrogen peroxide and bleach should have the same effect, with hydrogen peroxide not needing a Prime/dechlorination step.

[reefernanoman]

Sure, but the fact is that if you do the regeneration step it's cheaper. I never even used to use Prime before, I just let the purigen sit in fresh water overnight and it was fine (this was in my previous 12g AP). Jedimasterben and a few others have been using hydrogen peroxide to regenerate their purigen and found it successful. Seachem says to only use bleach because it's the only thing they've tested so they can't recommend anything else, but both hydrogen peroxide and bleach should have the same effect, with hydrogen peroxide not needing a Prime/dechlorination step.

 

Cool. Like I said, I'm too lazy lol. I'm switching over to CPB anyways, and no purigen is needed? Yeah, yeah, I know. More expensive but more convenient. I like ordering stuff anyways.

[tibbsy07]

Cool. Like I said, I'm too lazy lol. I'm switching over to CPB anyways, and no purigen is needed? Yeah, yeah, I know. More expensive but more convenient. I like ordering stuff anyways.

It's all about what it's worth to someone in time and money, right? I mean CPB isn't THAT expensive. A few bucks every few months or so. I just have to keep it as cheap as possible to keep my wife happy I definitely think it makes sense to just to use CPB, but for me it saves me a lot in the long and short term to use Carbon, Phosguard and Purigen.

[reefernanoman]

It's all about what it's worth to someone in time and money, right? I mean CPB isn't THAT expensive. A few bucks every few months or so. I just have to keep it as cheap as possible to keep my wife happy I definitely think it makes sense to just to use CPB, but for me it saves me a lot in the long and short term to use Carbon, Phosguard and Purigen.

I just pick up the stuff directly from UPS, so she doesn't find out, but then my daughter sells me out when she sees something new in the tank! Lol. Can't live with them can't live without them!

[tibbsy07]

I just pick up the stuff directly from UPS, so she doesn't find out, but then my daughter sells me out when she sees something new in the tank! Lol. Can't live with them can't live without them!

Hahaha, our bank account is one in the same, and it's mainly her account (USAA ftw), so nothing goes unnoticed.

[reefernanoman]

Hahaha, our bank account is one in the same, and it's mainly her account (USAA ftw), so nothing goes unnoticed.

 

I got my own little checking account so that I can funnel the fish money in there. I'm sneaky lol.

[NYfishies]

Cool. Like I said, I'm too lazy lol. I'm switching over to CPB anyways, and no purigen is needed? Yeah, yeah, I know. More expensive but more convenient. I like ordering stuff anyways.

 

How do you know when it is time to change? At the moment I use Purigen, Chemipure Elite, and Phosban. I believe I could use just Chemipure Blue (eliminate separate Purigen bag) and Phosban. Also, do you rinse/clean your media bags each week or so?

[reefernanoman]

 

How do you know when it is time to change? At the moment I use Purigen, Chemipure Elite, and Phosban. I believe I could use just Chemipure Blue (eliminate separate Purigen bag) and Phosban. Also, do you rinse/clean your media bags each week or so?

I only rinse them before I put them in an that's it. My filter floss goes in front of my carbon, so it gets most of the gunk. I have also heard that rinsing the chemipure bags is not recommended. That's what Stevie said, and I trust him. I was changing my CPE every 6 months with no ill effects that I could see, but most people here change it after every 2 months, so that's what I'm going to do. I only have two fish in my 10G and two fish in my 28G, so it also depends on your bio load from what I have heard. Also, BRS mentioned that if you have to be cleaning your glass, it's time to change your carbon, but I have to do this every day, even after the carbon is new.

[NYfishies]

I only rinse them before I put them in an that's it. My filter floss goes in front of my carbon, so it gets most of the gunk. I have also heard that rinsing the chemipure bags is not recommended. That's what Stevie said, and I trust him. I was changing my CPE every 6 months with no ill effects that I could see, but most people here change it after every 2 months, so that's what I'm going to do. I only have two fish in my 10G and two fish in my 28G, so it also depends on your bio load from what I have heard. Also, BRS mentioned that if you have to be cleaning your glass, it's time to change your carbon, but I have to do this every day, even after the carbon is new.

 

I have the same issue with the glass. My Hanna checker reads 0 Phos (think I will pick up the SALIFERT one).

 

When you switch to CPB will you run anything like PhosBan?