Carbon vs. Purigen?

[Teebo]

Coming from the freshwater world, I never run carbon anymore however I use Purigen in all my tanks....I find it rivals over carbon both in efficiency and lifespan. I was never able to get my water as clear as I can with Purigen, and I don't have to touch/change it NEARLY as much as carbon. I probably clean/recharge my Purigen only 3 times a year, which also makes it cost effective.

Am I leaving anything behind by using Purigen rather than carbon in a reef tank?? Thanks

 

[mcarroll]

I would leave both of them out of routine use – use them only as-needed. I would try to get away from the idea of ultra-clear water or low nutrient levels being such an ideal....it's not healthy in a reef tank.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Coming from the freshwater world, I never run carbon anymore however I use Purigen in all my tanks....I find it rivals over carbon both in efficiency and lifespan. I was never able to get my water as clear as I can with Purigen, and I don't have to touch/change it NEARLY as much as carbon. I probably clean/recharge my Purigen only 3 times a year, which also makes it cost effective.

Am I leaving anything behind by using Purigen rather than carbon in a reef tank?? Thanks

We do not have any decent data on what types of organics the two bind, but I expect they are not identical. While some folks certainly like Purigen, it is not generally "preferred" by reefers over GAC.

FWIW, not all GAC is equivalent, and if you had poor success with it, maybe it wasn't a top type, like ROX 0.8?

IMO, neither of these products will last as long as you suggest and still be very effective since they will likely become coated with bacteria in a month or so.

 

[Teebo]

IMO, neither of these products will last as long as you suggest and still be very effective since they will likely become coated with bacteria in a month or so.

What does bacteria coverage have to do with it? Everything is covered in bacteria, the bag of Purigen at the bottom of my FW canister filter is probably covered in it from a few months of use...but my water is still so transparent that guests often ask if there is any water in my tanks at all.

If neither is necessary, I will try just using Purigen alone since I favor that personally. If there is something left in the water I need removed I will experiment with carbon.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What does bacteria coverage have to do with it? Everything is covered in bacteria, the bag of Purigen at the bottom of my FW canister filter is probably covered in it from a few months of use...but my water is still so transparent that guests often ask if there is any water in my tanks at all.

If neither is necessary, I will try just using Purigen alone since I favor that personally. If there is something left in the water I need removed I will experiment with carbon.

The idea is that bacteria grow over the surfaces and basically close off the product so that organics do not access it very well from the water column.

Most people's experiences with Purigen do not match yours.

 

[OhDumb]

I run carbon for water clarity and it works for me. I change it out monthly. I have a white bucket I do weekly water changes in. The water has a noticeable yellow tint when I'm not running carbon for awhile or it's way over time to change it out. I don't have any experience with Purigen, so can't help there.

My assumption to Randy's comment is the porous nature of GAC is what makes it work. If those pores are clogged with bacteria it's not able to do its job.

 

[Teebo]

Good points guys, thank you.

I also read some people carbon dose their systems?? Which started to confuse me as if your adding organic carbon as nutritional fertilizer for the corals, yet GAC removes what people intentionally dose??

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The organics typically chosen for carbon dosing (ethanol/vodka, acetic acid/vinegar, methanol, isopropanol, etc) are very hydrophilic and generally won’t bind appreciably to GAC, or Purigen, and won’t be skimmed out. [emoji3]

 

[Teebo]

The organics typically chosen for carbon dosing (ethanol/vodka, acetic acid/vinegar, methanol, isopropanol, etc) are very hydrophilic and generally won’t bind appreciably to GAC, or Purigen, and won’t be skimmed out. [emoji3]

Thank you