Purigen VS Chemipure (Which Is Best For Your Aquarium?)
Purigen and chemipure are two of the widely used filter media in aquarium hobbies worldwide, each with its peculiarities.
This article aims to provide comprehensive information with some comparative analysis describing both the filter media’s operation and effectiveness. So let’s dive into the comparison of purigen vs chemipure.
General comparison
| Chemipure | Purigen |
| Chemipure performs various cleaning functions and is considered an all-in-one filter medium. Apart from keeping the DOCs, phosphates, and silicates levels in check, it also polishes water quality by removing the water’s foul odors. | Purigen is designed only to keep nitrogenous wastes in check by removing the root cause of these wastes. Owing to its quality not letting nitrogen compounds get build-up, it keeps the tank water crystal clear. |
| Chemipure is a once-used filter medium. It needs to be replaced with a new bag once the old one gets worn out, making it relatively more costly to the pocket than that of purigen. | Purigen is very affordable as you don’t need to throw it away once worn out. Instead, it can be regenerated and reused up to 10 times, saving you money in bulk. |
| Chemipure takes 5-6 weeks before it needs to be replaced. | Purigen can go up to 4 months normally. However, in a fully stocked tank, it needs to be regenerated every month. |
| Buy Chemipure from Amazon | Buy Purigen from Amazon |
Difference between Purigen & Chemipure (blue/elite)
Purigen and chemipure both come with similar purposes. Before we go into a comparative analysis of purigen and chemipure performance, let it be clear that both filters are ideal options to choose from.
01. So, they are alike and are best used to eliminate wastes and DOCs (Dissolved Organic Substances). But to be very precise, they differ in their action depending on the materials used in them to target a particular substance to be removed from the water.
2. Chemipure has remained a versatile filter medium over the years and has been in use ever since the evolution of the modern hobby. Purigen is comparatively new in the hobby.
3. Chemipure and purigen come in a container and are placed in packets or bags in canisters or HOB filters. The only difference is in their composition, and ultimately they differ in their action.
4. Chemipure further comes in two types: Chemipure elite and chemipure blue. Chemipure elite bag is contained a mixture of high-grade granulated carbons, GFO (Granular Ferric oxide) for phosphate, and resin for ionic exchange.
On the other hand, chemipure blue contains non-granulated and pelletized carbon and phosphate and organic resins for phosphate and protein control. While purigen is more of a synthetic polymer designed to capture impurities and nitrogenous wastes, it would later decay to produce nitrites.
5. Chemipure is a versatile cleaner courtesy of all those high-quality carbons and absorbent resins for various compounds and ions.
Although purigen is renowned for its ability to control nitrogenous levels, it is now aided with its latest version known as Phosguard for phosphate and silicate removal.
Purigen
Eay to set up?
Some of the very few properties that set purigen unique from other filter media are its adaptability and ease of using purigen. You can easily use purigen with internal, external, HOB, and sump filters.
The amount of purigen to be used depends on the tank size and the bioload it generates. Ideally, 100 ml of purigen is used for a 105-gallon tank.
You can use it in comparative ratios as per tank conditions, tank size, and tank density. For the best results, make sure to pace the filter containing the purigen bag in an area where water currents are strong.
Operation
We already know the specialty of purigen to control nitrogenous wastes. But the question still exists on how exactly it works to prevent nitrogenous wastes from building up in the water.
Purigen does not directly remove ammonia, nitrites, or nitrates from the tank. Instead, the synthetic absorptive and porous polymer is made and works directly on removing visible organic wastes that would release harmful ammonium compounds.
Among other media cartridges in the filter, purigen should be the last one through which water passes before spilling back into the main tank.
Maintenance requirements
As discussed previously, purigen only functions a few months before it reaches its maximum absorbing limit. In a moderately populated tank, purigen can work for more than a couple of months, whereas it gets worn out in merely a month in heavily populated tanks.
Once it is exhausted, it needs to be replaced or regenerated. Typically you can reuse it repeatedly for 10 times, but you can replace it with the new one sooner if you feel.
It is very easy to regenerate purigen, but at the same time, it requires cautions to be carried out. The regeneration process requires using a bleaching solution, for which you need to be extra cautious.
Effectiveness of Purigen
Apart from eliminating the sources of nitrogenous waste-producing organic substances, purigen is highly efficient in removing discolorations from the water, making it look crystal clear.
This is one thing that we have been focusing on all along, but the most important quality because of which purigen is a highly relied-on media, and the ability to retain trace elements necessary for the growth of plants and good algae.
Purigen is very precise in its function to differentiate between what to retain and what not to.
Disadvantages of Purigen
Although purigen has not much to offer compared to the chemipure, there isn’t any notable disadvantage of purigen to be discussed separately.
However, the only thing needed to be taken care of while handling purigen in its regeneration. Make sure that no external chemical or bleaching leftovers return to the tank with purigen.
Is it reusable?
Yes, Purigen is reusable. The process to make it re-useable over again is known as the regeneration of purigen. Purigen needs to be regenerated once it gets exhausted.
As already mentioned, you can maximally regenerate it 10 times. But in the tanks with high bioload, it is best to reuse it not more than 3 to 4 times.
Chemipure (blue/elite)
Easy to set up?
Chemipure usually comes in a nylon bag placed in a sealed container. The bag is tightly tied proximally. Taking the bag out of the container and putting it into use often gets complicated.
The best way to use chemipure is to quickly rinse it under clean tap water until the black run-out stops. Now put it right into whatever filter you have. Be sure that the bag is flattened and that not all the chemipure is stuffed on one side of the bag.
Once installed in the filter, ensure that the water passes through it and leaves back with a considerable flow.
Operation
Chemipure operates by efficiently putting a stop to heavy metals, DOCs, phenol, phosphates, silicates, and even nitrogenous compounds owing to high-grade carbons, resins for phosphate and silicate control, and ionic exchange.
Controlling phosphate levels and maintaining healthy ionic exchange chemipure helps maintain the pH of the water. Chemipure blue is often more praised for working with carbon: the non-granulated carbon, which we also call QuickWash carbon.
Moreover, the chemipure GFO essentially controls phosphate levels, which deprives nuisance algae of the growth supplement.
Effectiveness of Chemipure
Both chemipure blue and elite work equally great in heavily stocked salt as well as freshwater aquariums. The pre-bag of chemipure measures approximately 5 oz, which is sufficient for a 20-gallon populated tank.
Cautions must be taken while handling the amount of chemipure to be used. Less dense or less populated tanks may get deprived of essential nutrients if the amount of chemipure exceeds normal.
Maintenance requirements
Chemipure is a once-used filter medium, unlike purigen, which can be used over and over again.
However, it usually lasts between 2-4 months if the tank doesn’t produce much bioload. For highly populated or dense tanks, it needs to be replaced earlier than its supposed life expectancy.
Disadvantages of Chemipure
I can’t think of any disadvantage that chemipure can potentially impose on the established system. But it may happen to eradicate certain must-need nutrients out of the water.
Therefore, chemipure must always be measured accordingly with the tank size and the number of inhabitants in the tank.
If you have just started the tank and are still in the cycling phase, do not go with purigen or chemipure right away. Instead, wait until after the tank is fully cycled and ready to receive chemical treatment.
Final Thoughts
Filtration is the most important thing for the sustenance and maintenance of the aquaria. Over the years, with the introduction of various filtration setups and filter media in the hobby, it has been very easy and effective to keep the aquarium water conditions up to par.
If you intend to keep the fish at home and come across the people recommending purigen and meet others exciting chemipure as the best filter medium available, you may get puzzled. Nothing to be confused about.
With all that being said, chemipure will remove more unwanted materials than purigen. However, both work essentially well.
