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Switching up filter media: Chemi-pure


Mazzy21

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Hi, I am switching from plain carbon to Chemi-pure. With that I am wondering about the other items I usually use.

 

Typically I have plain carbon, Purigen, Phosguard (on and off), and some kind of biomax cubes. I don't currently run a skimmer but I did get a reactor last Christmas that I'd like to check out/use so I may throw that in. I have an Oceanic BioCube 29.

I'm wondering if there is any purpose to the Purigen when using Chemipure? I don't understand what one does that the other doesn't do, so if you guys think both are best could you also please add what you think one provides that the other doesn't?

Thank you!

PS - 2nd ? - I'm getting a new return pump. I've used many and frankly I've liked the stock pump the best of all the ridiculously expensive pumps I've tried but it's old and getting pretty loud and rumbly in it's old age. Has anyone tried a plain ol' cheap pond pump for their return? I found one on Amazon 330gph for like $15. I am honestly thinking it's probably going to do just as well as the $70 Sicces or other similar pumps. Anyone used one?

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I'm not 100% positive on this, but I believe Chemipure is a superior carbo with the addition of ion resins similar to purigen. If you are using chemipure elite then it also contains ferric oxide, which would be your phosphate remover. Unless you are battling algae, you shouldn't need the phosphate remover. I found when I used Elite, my tank became too clean for the liking of my zoanthids.

 

As far as the return pump, as long as you are getting the flow you want and its not too loud or puts out too much heat then use what you like.

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Put me in the why switch camp.  Bulk quality carbon and a couple filter media bags should be all you need.  No reason to pay the price premium of Chemipure.

 

 

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Laziness is the reason. I'm not satisfied with the quick depletion of regular carbon and the need to change it so often. I would prefer a set up where the floss is changed, obviously, but the media can stay around for a while. Also, Phosguard is not a constant-use item for me, but I have needed to use it at times and I like the results when I do. So it's really the Purigen that I am most wondering about - whether it is even needed with the Chemipure? Also, I def want to play with that new reactor so I've been thinking on it and I'll just be putting some kind of little biobeads in it to see if it's a piece of equip I like or if it's just an extra hassle with little pay off.

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partlycloudy531

If you go with Chemipure Blue it has something very similar to Purigen in it. The Elite has GFO in it.  If it was me I’d try running the Blue without Purigen or Phosguard and see if you get the results you want. Otherwise the Chemipure Blue would just be a waste of money if you still have to mess with that other stuff. 

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12 minutes ago, partlycloudy531 said:

If you go with Chemipure Blue it has something very similar to Purigen in it. The Elite has GFO in it.  If it was me I’d try running the Blue without Purigen or Phosguard and see if you get the results you want. Otherwise the Chemipure Blue would just be a waste of money if you still have to mess with that other stuff. 

Thank you, that's kind of what I was wondering. I was going to go with Blue and from what I read it seemed like it would replace all the others but I really wasn't sure if I was understanding it right. What interested me most was the up to 4 month change schedule.

 

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WindyCityReefer.

Been there before and I ended up switching to ROX.8 carbon. No carbon source will last you 4 months and retain the same efficiency over that time. If you are interested in the reactor, use a larger carbon size with it and you will have much better efficiency compared to a mesh bag. You will get better use out of the carbon and save money when buying in bulk. BRS did a video comparing carbon and it’s use. 

https://youtu.be/88NEV0P-YXc

 

Also, purigen or phosguard will be 100% more effective than the fraction of phosphate-removal media found in chemipure. 

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3 hours ago, Mazzy21 said:

Laziness is the reason. I'm not satisfied with the quick depletion of regular carbon and the need to change it so often. I would prefer a set up where the floss is changed, obviously, but the media can stay around for a while. Also, Phosguard is not a constant-use item for me, but I have needed to use it at times and I like the results when I do. So it's really the Purigen that I am most wondering about - whether it is even needed with the Chemipure? Also, I def want to play with that new reactor so I've been thinking on it and I'll just be putting some kind of little biobeads in it to see if it's a piece of equip I like or if it's just an extra hassle with little pay off.

It won't last you the month or whatever it claims....or rather it won't last any longer then other high quality carbons that are a fraction of the price.

 

Chemipure to me is something for people starting out, or rather attracts them as they are still figuring things out and it's kind of a 'all in one' thing. 

 

It's overpriced for what it is and the guy who came up with it is a smart man for marketing such a thing...and that is what it is...marketing.

 

I like BRS rox....switched from chemipure ages ago and love it. Sometimes I toss a little purigen or gfo in. The boyd media bags are cheap and fine enough to hold purigen.

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It doesn't last the months it claims to last.

I changed my chemipure monthly

 

 Switched back to my seachem carbon which is switched out every 3 weeks. 

 

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I've run ChemiPure elite on my 29g for years now. Primarily for the  ease of the "all in one" bag. Just throw the bag in the fuge and change periodically. Now if I had a larger tank it would start to become less cost effective and would probably look at other solutions. Amazon has it for $8.63 if you subscribe to a bi monthly subscription which is hard to beat if you are looking for GFO as well.

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7 hours ago, Joboo said:

I've run ChemiPure elite on my 29g for years now. Primarily for the  ease of the "all in one" bag. Just throw the bag in the fuge and change periodically. Now if I had a larger tank it would start to become less cost effective and would probably look at other solutions. Amazon has it for $8.63 if you subscribe to a bi monthly subscription which is hard to beat if you are looking for GFO as well.

So you run JUST ChemiPure and no other resins of any kind?

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As far as everyone pointing out the ChemiPure is just "expensive carbon", I used to have that same stance. It's only very recently that I noticed tanks I'd read about with ppl saying they run ChemiPure with some combo of Seachem products. I'm a fan of Seachem, always have used their products, even when I ran freshwater, but I just wonder if I am being too dismissive of ChemiPure's claims (to basically be much better than your average carbon) and it may really be something worth checking out, and that's what I'm doing here and why I'm asking about it.

Also it's worth reiterating that I don't use a skimmer so any way I can improve my media game I'm up for checking out new things. I do miss a skimmer honestly, but I like the nice streamline look of my tank when I don't have that sticking out, and since aesthetics is the whole point of our reef tanks it doesn't really work to see some ugly piece of equipment sticking out (although I am also pondering, at some point. check out the old school air stone style glass ones that would go into my chambers without sticking out too far - hypothetically - but that isn't a priority for right now).

 

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16 minutes ago, Mazzy21 said:

So you run JUST ChemiPure and no other resins of any kind?

Yup, That’s correct.
 

Btw.. I don’t run a skimmer either. Not much benefit on such a small tank IMHO.

Edited by Joboo
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I used chemipure. Didn't notice an improvement or change from using other medias. Except I have more control with media I bag.

 

I don't run a skimmer.

 

There are members that use no media, no skimmers, and have successful tanks.

 

Filter media isn't a must to have a beautiful and healthy system, if anything over use of media can be a problem.

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Just now, Clown79 said:

Filter media isn't a must to have a beautiful and healthy system, if anything over use of media can be a problem.

I am definitely guilty of the overkill problem with media so that's another reason I'm asking about these media combos.

 

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12 hours ago, Joboo said:

Btw.. I don’t run a skimmer either. Not much benefit on such a small tank IMHO.

There isn't much real benefit to activated carbon or the other media mentioned either....and there is actual potential for harm.

 

I get why folks run skimmers -- they also only offer a small benefit, but with them that's kinda the idea.  But there's almost no chance of harm as they are analogous to waves breaking on a beach.

 

But I honestly don't get the popular trend in everyday usage of chemical media "just because".  There's no real analog for these things on a wild reef and unlike a protein skimmer they are designed to mess with your water chemistry.

 

Seems like if you get an all in one tank the first thing convention has you do is to get a media basket for it and fill it up with media -- whether you need it or not -- as if "media" were harmless and foolproof and 100% reef beneficial. 

 

🤦‍♂️

 

You should have a use-case before putting anything like that in your tank IMO.  E.g.  Is the water really yellow?  Do you have a dino bloom?  In those cases, activated carbon is called for until the situation has passed.  (Use cases for phosphate removers and other media are similar but more complicated.)

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