Equipment Review and Discussion :: Good source for Fluval 305 media?

[SouthpawSliders]

I recently got a Fluval 305 for my turtle tank, and I used the media included to get started. The biomax media is supposed to be good for 3 months or so, but the carbon is only good for about a month.

It's been about a month, and I'm just starting to get a hint of ammonia smell. The water is very clear, as the filter does a good job of mechanically filtering out particles, but I think the carbon is saturated, and no longer can adsorb the ammonia.

I plan on doing a partial water change, and then change out the carbon sachets so I can (or rather they ,Nibbler & Houdini the RES turtles!) have nice clean water! This way, I should be able to keep the good bacteria going, but filter out the yucky stuff.

Do you guys know of any good sources to get the carbon in bulk? I found a guy on eBay that has a deal on 24 boxes of the 3 packs of carbon sachets for $158 total with shipping, which comes out to a little over $6.50 per 3 pack. This is cheaper than my local petco which has them for about $10 per 3 pack.

Any recommendations?




Edited to add:

Or, should I consider Purigen? I read a few posts about it, but until now, I've never heard of it. It sounds like it would be a big money saver, and should work fine. I do want to save some cash, but not at the expense of hurting my turtles.

If this stuff works, and is good for them, I would definitely like to try it. Or, what about a combination of carbon and purigen? Like maybe, fill one basket with carbon, and the other 2 with purigen, or something like that?

[steve]

When are you doing partial changes? Bio media only needs the occasional rinsing and carbon needs to be replaced about every month. You can buy a container of carbon and bag it yourself and you can do the Purigen route too, though it's not cheap. It'll save you money in the long run I wouldn't bother mixing it with carbon, you don't need to complicate things for yourself. A lot of people skip chemical filtration anyway and rely on partial changes.

[VeipaCray]

For a Fluval 305, all you need is one pre-bagged thing of Purigen. It's $8 at big als. Not sure where everyone is getting the Purigen is expensive idea. It's the same price as carbon to purchase, but it's reusable so it's cheaper the longer you use it. I'd suggest getting two of these. Clean one while the other is in use and keep rotating them. You can certainly get by with one if funds are an issue.
http://www.bigalsonline.com/Fish_Filter-Media_Chemical-Filter-Media_Purigen_8048129_82.html?tc=default

For bio media, this is the best deal $7 for 1L of spun glass bio media:
http://www.aquatraders.com/Odyssea-Super-Porus-Bio-Glass-p/46013.htm

If you decide you want to go with Carbon instead of purigen, Bulk Reef Supply is your store.
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/products/carbon-and-gfo/bulk-carbon

The best deal at bulkreefsupply.com for carbon is 15 lbs of Lignite carbon for $67.
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/15-pounds-5-gallons-bulk-lignite-aquarium-carbon-15-pounds-5-gallons-bulk-lignite-aquarium-carbon.html

Chemical filtration (carbon or purigen) is not a substitute for regular water changes. Do both. $8 for a bag of purigen (reusable) and a 10% monthly water change will make your turtle a very happy pet.

[steve]

I had thought it cost more

How many ml do you think a 305 would need?

[VeipaCray]

A single bag is large enough to take up most of a tray in a 305. I run a single bag in my 305 that's on my wife's cichlid tank.

The pre-bagged Purigen is 100ml I believe. Should be plenty.

For a 305, I would use the sponges that came with for mechanical, Fill up 2 of the 3 trays with bio rings, and a mix of bio rings and the purigen bag in the third tray.

[SouthpawSliders]

The 305 has 6 trays right? At least I remember filling 3 with biomax & 3 with carbon.

If I go with either bulk carbon or purigen, what size bags do I need? I don't mind spending a few extra bucks up front with the purigen if it will save a lot in the long run.

Yes, I'll be doing partial changes too. I have a siphon/vacuum thingy that makes it easy.

Do I not have to fill every basket?

[SouthpawSliders]

Re: purigen-

From the website:

Purigen is a premium synthetic adsorbent that is unlike any other filtration product. It is not a mixture of ion exchangers or adsorbents, but a unique macro-porous synthetic polymer that removes soluble and insoluble impurities from water at a rate and capacity that exceeds all others, even hypersorb , by over 500%. Purigen removes proteins, nitrites and nitrates, ammonia, and a broad spectrum of organics, yet its impact on trace elements is minimal. It significantly raises redox. It polishes water to unparalleled clarity. Like Hypersorb , Purigen darkens progressively as it exhausts, and is easily renewed by treating with household bleach. A 100 ml bag of Purigen purifies and polishes up to 100 gallons of water for up to six months. Purigen is designed for both marine and freshwater use. Not to be used with any products with slime coat in them as this can cause the product to become toxic.

**************

So how often must it be refreshed/renewed by a bleach treatment? Also, is it compatible with Zoo Med Reptisafe water conditioner? The reptisafe says it "stimulates" slime coat.

What's the word on this?

Also, do I only need to have one bag of purigen in the 305 at a time? I have the cash to buy more- I could get 6 of them so I could have 3 in the filter and have 3 in reserve to alternate them. And, how many renewals can the purigen take before they stop working?

[VeipaCray]

Water conditioner is a chlorine / chloramine remover. It's completely unnecessary. There are other ways to treat water for chlorine and chloramine without using chemicals. There are many threads on this forum about exactly that topic. A healthy turtle living in a healthy clean environment will produce whatever slime coat it needs naturally. Adding chemicals to your water is never a good idea. Remember your turtle drinks the water it lives in.

How often it needs to be renewed depends on how dirty your water is. The package says every 4-6 months, but I regenerate mine monthly as I clean my filter. You only need one bag in a 305 at a time. I'd get two. While one is in the filter, the other can be regenerated and ready to go for the next filter cleaning. I'd just keep swapping the two of them back and forth. As for the number of renewals, it's synthetic and never really wears out. As long as the bag doesn't rip open you should be able to use the purigen over and over and over.

[SouthpawSliders]

So should I leave the other baskets empty? Or add extra of something else?

1 bag of purigen can replace 3 bags of carbon?

[VeipaCray]

You shouldn't ever have 3 bags or trays of carbon. You need mostly biological filtration. See my post in this thread timestamped 11:07 AM yesterday on how to setup a fluval 305.