# Purigen & 240 Gallon Tank



## joeyo (Jul 2, 2012)

Hey Cichlid People!

I have been watching youtube videos about crystal clear water with cichlids. These tanks are all saying its done with Purigen. I just don't know how much they are using.

I have a 240g heavily stocked tank of juvenile cichlids, ranging from 1.5 to 3.5" and have had this cycled and running for almost three months. I have about 42 ounces of Purigen in four mesh bags sitting in my sump, but not certain if more Purigen is the answer to crystal clear water.

I have a very good practice of bi-weekly 30% water changes and my ammonia (.25ppm), & nitrates (10ppm). I have a light haze in the water that is picked up more-so when the LED's are on, which is most of the day 7am through 9pm. I am guessing that this haze is a bacterial bloom, but need to confirm. I do have 4 pieces of large spider wood, a 3D background and a large supply of rock in the tank, 3 - 14" Anubis and 3 - 8" java ferns also in the tank. I have a 15x15x48" sump, with bio-balls and pinky pad which is changed weekly, I am also running an FX6 with ceramic rings and the base sponges. I feed the cichlids 2x a day sometimes, but they clean up the mess of food to reduce residue. I also vacuum 1x per week.

Is Purigen in the right volume, going to bring me clearer water or am i missing something? The tank is definitely settled now, just looking for clearer water. Let me know what I can do to get crystal clear water.

Thanks, Joe


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## ha77 (Dec 8, 2016)

Do you always have ammonia? It should be zero.


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## joeyo (Jul 2, 2012)

It was almost five days since my last water change. Which is why why I reported the ammonia. I'll always show a little ammonia just before my waterchange.

Because I am finally cycled, I'm trying to move towards a weekly WC only. Sunday to a Saturday or Sunday, is the schedule I'm trying to make work. I travel a lot, and so this is my challenge. But even with small trace of ammonia, I don't believe that would be much of a factor for HD water clarity.

I'm also trying to ensure I know what my water challenges are before buying tons of this or that trying to address it chemically. - hope that made sense.

I read a post somewhere else, where a person was using 1 liter of purigen in his 190 gallon tank, and getting crystal clear water - that's a lot of cash for Purigen. So that's why I'm asking the experts. I'm not lazy, I'll do the water changes 2x a week still if necessary, but that slight haze annoys me. I see it more from the sides, looking end to end.

I scrubbed my spiderwood last weekend as I saw little white hairs on pieces, small areas, nothing out of control. Overall, just letting you know what's in the tank and trying to identify possible culprits. This is a bacterial (for three cloudiness issue). Hope it doesn't sound like I'm trying to answer my own question, just trying to keep the original question on track.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I have crystal clear water and have never used any chemical media. Keep working on your water quality.

The ammonia is unusual and it could encourage bacteria in the water column and white hairs (fungus? mold?) growing on your wood. Natural algae growth in a mature tank you would expect to be green or black or even red. White or beige is a danger sign.


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## tanker3 (May 18, 2015)

1) Purigen only removes certain impurities from the water, it will not make the water any more clear.
2) Purigen is a "one-time" charge, because it can be "rejuvenated" and reused.
3) There should never be ammonia in your water. Find out why your "cycled" tank is measuring some.
4) Need to look more into the haze, if it is bacteria, then you need to find what is causing it. Not just trying to remove it.
5) "But they clean up they clean up the mess of food to reduce residue". What does this mean? Is food going everywhere? Are they not eating all the food at once?


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## Cyphound (Oct 20, 2014)

I would think a 50 or 60% water change once a week would be better. I know using prime will give a.25ppm reading. I never use anything other then mechanical and biological media. You could read a book through the length of my tanks. Final suggestion. Imo 14 hours of light is too much especially if your not there anyway. Put your lights on timers and run for 7 or 8. How are your fish. Are they healthy? 
Mike


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Agree with tanker3's question about food...the cichlids should catch all of it as it falls through the water with nothing left on the substrate. Unless you have cats in which case a dozen pellets hitting the substrate for them is a good idea.


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## joeyo (Jul 2, 2012)

Ok, I must be over feeding. I use 4 algae wafers and two big pinches per day to feed them. They always seem so hungry, I have about 38 juveniles in total (including cats and plecos). They look health, active swimming not much hostility. I will cut back on feeding and go back to 2x per weeek water changes .


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## Pdxmonkeyboy (Oct 17, 2016)

If you have an fx6 and a sump you should definately have clear water!!

pinches tells me flake food.... probably the messiest food there is. Try some sinking pellets when the flake runs out.

Honestly the best water polisher you can buy is simply polyester fill from wall mart or other craft store. (just make sure it doesn't have antimicrobial coating.

stuff a bunch in one of the trays in the fx6... boom! clean water.


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## joeyo (Jul 2, 2012)

Quick update; on Saturday, my last water change was about 60% and when I got it back up an running, I made a point to only feed a little at a time so majority of it is eaten before hitting ground as suggested. I will start turning off my wave-maker as that's a bit disruptive at feeding time. It was painful to feed them so sparingly, but I need to remember their stomachs are tiny! Also, I feed them North Fin 1mm pellets, they are slow sinking. I do not feed flake and for my bottom feeders and vegeans, I use algae wafers, new amount is two vs. four wafers. I have 3 Sydontis Cats and 4 plecos, (2 Calicos and 2 albinos). The water looked great through Tuesday, but I couldn't do a WC till Wednesday (yesterday). That water change was also about 60%, and when I change the water, its half of the tank water and then almost all the sump water. I have also been cleaning the FX6 these past two sessions, I use aquarium water to clean the sponges in it, and I have two small bags of ceramic rings in the middle tray. the top tray has two coarse sponges and the bottom tray has one thin coarse sponge. Should I switch out the coarse sponge for filter floss in the top and bottom trays since I have ceramic rings in the middle? For the Sump, its Pimkly Pad, bio-balls, coarse sponge, purigen then return pump to main tank. I also have timers on my 6 led lights by TrueLumen. 3 are 12k diamond white and 3 are 12K with Actinic Blue Combos. The Timer is also by TrueLumen, I switched it to three turning on from 9 to noon and then off, while the combo then goes from noon to 7. Its less light, half, but if I go less than that, the basement is pretty dark and I do not want them to have issues with the on demand light where they could have a stroke - that actually happened to me... Ok, any new thoughts to the changes? Advice welcome. Still not perfect water - the light, when its on you see the beams shining through the water, its not "thick" but its noticeable.


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## joeyo (Jul 2, 2012)

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Hope this helps in assisting me with my questions and showing my set up.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Putting filter floss in an FX6 is a bad idea. It will clog quickly. I wouldn't be cracking the canister open so soon after setting up the tank. Not sure if you are on city water, or have chlorine/chloramines from the tap, but rinsing those sponges off with such water can kill some of your bacteria off.

Purigen would be good for dealing with a poor water source, such as high in metals. There may be alterior motives in YT videos, promoting certain products for sponsorships.

Once your tank is indeed cycled, see where you're at with water clarity. White growth is common with new submerged wood. It should clear up for you.

Tank look awesome. Nice job.


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## gillmanjr (Jan 27, 2017)

I'm about to start running Purigen in my 50 gallon, I'll let you know if you makes any difference. My tank is new and has been cycling for the last month, during the cycling I've only been running a small amount of carbon in a reactor. My water is fairly clear but there is a little bit of cloudiness, similar to your water. Tomorrow night I am going to be adding the Purigen to my reactor in preparation for my fish delivery on Saturday. I'm going to use exactly the recommended dose on the bottle for 60 gallons (which includes my sump water). I'll let you know if I see any difference with my water clarity.


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## Eric_S (Feb 27, 2007)

I have a similar issue with my established 210g but maybe not quite as bad as yours. It's a malawi tank, but not heavily stocked right now. From the front my water looks pristine but from the side there is a slight white haze. It's slight but I'm like you where that's not good enough. I do weekly 50% water changes but by the end of the week, the haze is back. Feeding less definitely helps. I added polyfil but that wasn't the solution. I've resisted all the push for purigen and chemipure elite lately, but finally gave in. I loaded up on both and am running both on my 210 right now. Unsurprisingly, the stuff doesn't work miracles. It does seem a little better, but crystal clear it is not.

My 125 Tang tank on the other hand is truly crystal clear. Same maintenance schedule as the 210. I feed it more heavily than my 210, and twice a day versus only once a day in my 210, go figure. I do feed primarily sprirulina flake in my Tang vs NLS pellets in my Malawi. That may play some role. NLS seems to make a mess.

I'm at the point where I think it's good enough and I'm not going to drive myself nuts over it. The water is clear to the unsuspecting eye. Just not pristine to the perfectionist looking at my tank from the side.


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## gillmanjr (Jan 27, 2017)

So I added the Purigen yesterday afternoon and I don't really notice any significant difference in my water clarity. However, the purigen definitely removed some Nitrates. Yesterday I tested after my water change and there was around 40 ppm, this morning it was down around 20.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

To me that is a bad thing. I'd rather provide fresh water and physically remove the nitrates. This way I know if my fish are producing too much, and I can monitor...change stock or increase water changes accordingly. Remember nitrates are just an indicator...they are not the only possibly harmful chemical we are removing.


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