Question on regenerating Purigen

Mudfrog

Piranha
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Oct 3, 2005
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I regenerated some Purigen two days ago. After soaking in a bleach / water solution for 24 hours it looked nice and white, prior to that most of the bags were dark brown. When I started rinsing the the bleach out, the Purigen started to turn brown again. I don't think it was Purigen from the middle of the bag, but I guess it could have been. When I soaked it in bleach, I did swish it around with my hands, I also tried to mix the bag up as best as I could. Some youtube videos have the people violently shaking it up. Is it normal for Purigen to turn brown that quickly or was it probably not as clean as I thought it was?
 

boldtogether

Polypterus
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Sep 25, 2008
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Most likely it wasn't soaked properly....then againt, you may have very contaminated rinse water....maybe rinse it with DI, DO or RO water....or get a gallon or two of distilled water and rinse it with that...a cheap experiment.
It may also be exhausted. Purigen is amazing and nothing can touch it, but it certainly doesn't last forever and that is why I only use it when necessary.
 

boldtogether

Polypterus
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Oh yeah, I forgot to mention...bleach sold these days sometimes has an antisplash chemical added that changes the specific gravity of the solution...in effect making it more viscous. Also, did you forget to add water conditioner to the rinse/final soak?
I just looked at my container of Seachem and it says to use Prime....which I hate, but the water conditioner I use has always worked just fine.
 

Mudfrog

Piranha
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I did add some Prime to each container. The two large bags of Purigen looked the most brown, There is quite a bit of Purigen in "The Bag". My two smaller bags that come presealed did have some brown show up, but nothing like the bigger two bags.
 

Mudfrog

Piranha
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Oct 3, 2005
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I'm guessing maybe due to the amount of Purigen that I have in the two larger bags, it probably didn't get mixed well. Next time I'll try shaking it more.

I have to say, putting these back in the tank after I put bleach on them, has me a little concerned..
 

boldtogether

Polypterus
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Sep 25, 2008
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Just smell them....if you don't smell Cl2 you are fine...add some Prime to the tank too for a little piece of mind.
I have a friend who puts the Purigen in a container with the bleach and an air stone...he soaks it with the air as an oxydizer until the Cl2 is actually gassed off...I believe it to be more than 24hr but not much more. Then the soak in water conditioner.....he swears it makes the Purigen like new.
 
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