purigen and filter floss question

[j86miu]

I have a biocube 14g and looking to replace the original filter and sponge with filter floss and purigen.

How often do you replace the filter floss and do you recharge or just use new purigen? where or what is the cheapest way to get new purigen? Replacing sponges and carbon filters can get expensive

[NanoReefNoob]

I have a 14G bio as well with a media basket, filterfloss, purigen, and cemipure. I change the filter floss out when ever I do a water change (1 time a week) and The purigen and cemipure every 3 months to 5 months. Watch you water test during that time when you see your water chemisty start to decline you know it is time to change out you elements. also once a month I run the cemipure and purigen through a RO bath for about a minute or so. I dont know if it does any thing but it makes me feel better lol.

Good luck with your tank

[dimitrge]

Watch the floss because they clog up. Change it weekly. Chemi pure I prefer but they sell purigen in small premade bags. Best way is to get a mesh bag and buy a container and refill once a month

[MrTuskfish]

Purigen and Chemi-Pure do about the same thing. Both are great products, IMO. The carbon that comes with filter pads is worthless; good carbon isn't shiny or irregularly shaped. A bag of Chemi-pure should last at least 6 months in just 14 gal. Purigen is cheap. A $6.19 bag at F&S should last 6 months in a 14 gal tank. The floss is another problem, it can really raise nitrate (assuming you are keeping corals/inverts). the amount of LR would make a difference, but the more often you clean/change the floss, the better. Water quality in a small tank demands a lot of attention.

[sponger0]

i change the filter floss on my biocube almost everyday. Just to be on the safe side and so I can clean any debri from the tank

[j86miu]

Originally Posted by sponger0

i change the filter floss on my biocube almost everyday. Just to be on the safe side and so I can clean any debri from the tank

Isn't that a little excessive? how often do you perform other maintenance cleanings?

[sponger0]

Not really. Have you looked at it after one day?

I check my alk/calc/mag every 3 days

Water changes every week. Never a problem in my tank besides phos but I have a reactor and everything is healthy and growing.

As one other member mentioned, it clogs up pretty easy and soon the water runs over it and not through it. And its cheap

[TjwBlake]

on my BC8 I change the filterfloss every waterchange (1/week) and chemipure 3-4 months

[rich19020]

on my 14 Biocube I change the filter floss 2 times a week. You can tell when it needs to be changed. Turns a yucky color of green. Puirgen and Chemi-pure every three months.

[Agu]

Just as a heads up I don't regularly use filter floss but when I do it's polyester batting from a fabric store. Bought an end roll about 5 years ago for about $5 and at the rate I use it the floss will last until 2070 .

Even if changed every day it would probably be gone by now at a cost of $2/year. At a couple of dollars a year it just makes sense to change filter floss often.

[MrTuskfish]

Originally Posted by Agu

Just as a heads up I don't regularly use filter floss but when I do it's polyester batting from a fabric store. Bought an end roll about 5 years ago for about $5 and at the rate I use it the floss will last until 2070 .

Even if changed every day it would probably be gone by now at a cost of $2/year. At a couple of dollars a year it just makes sense to change filter floss often.

Yeah, I've used a lot of that floss. I really like Aqua-Clear filters for mech & chem filtration. They last forever (I had one run almost non- stop, except for a move, for more than 20 yrs. they also have a big sponge instead of floss which is easy to rinse and re-use forever. Cleaning media in a 14 gal tank is much more important than a large tank. Just a couple days crud, in a 14 gal tank can easily hurt water params, especially if keeping a mini-reef.