[raven_wilde]

Here's a new one for you guys....

Is it possible to destroy Purigen by leaving it in the 50/50 bleach/water solution for too long?

This is why I ask:
I went and set a pouch of Purigen in the recommended 50/50 solution sometime right before Christmas. I placed it up on a high shelf (primarily to keep the cats away from it) and then promptly forgot about it until just this weekend. It was still fully submerged and pretty much any trace of bleach smell was gone.

I know that if I were to try and use it I would still need to let it sit in Prime for a while but I'm wondering- is it even still good at this point? Did I destroy it? Or did the bleach merely finish oxidizing and then peace out?

Please advise!

 

[discuspaul]

The answer to your question is yes.
You should only leave the Purigen in the bleach wash just long enough for it to more or less return to it's original whitish color - usually approx 24 hours.

IME, overbleaching can not only reduce the effectiveness of Purigen by reducing and neutralizing its purifying elements, but it can also disintegrate it completely, to the point where it completely disappears.
If you were to put Purigen in 100% bleach and leave it that way for several days, there would likely be no Purigen at all left in the bag when you returned.
I'm surprised your bag of Purigen still contained anywhere near the original amount - did you not notice any difference ?

 

[raven_wilde]

It looks to be about the same amount as the bag that I pulled out today and am currently bleaching. They're sitting side by side right now and I can't see any visible differences between them... except of course that one is much much whiter than the other.

 

[discuspaul]

Lucky you. But I still believe that bag of Purigen will no longer be very effective.

 

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi raven wilde,

Good news, it should not be a problem according to Seachem. Per this thread this was Seachem's response to someone asked what would happen if they left their Purigen in bleach for longer than 48 hours.

It is OK to do so although not necessary. If storing Purigen for any length of time, we recommend keeping it moist to prevent the resin from drying out.

 

[msharper]

There is a big difference between 24 hours and 4 weeks… I doubt it is dangerous in any way but as Paul said it probably won't be very effective.

 

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi raven wilde,

What was even more interesting was this thread where someone used 100% bleach instead of the 50% recommended. Here is what Seachem said:

It should still be okay to use. Make sure Purigen does not smell like bleach when you get ready to use it.

 

[willknowitall]

i have put purigen in full strength bleach for several days many times and have found no decomposition
100% pure bleach as people are calling it is 6%, so half strength is 3%
not a massive difference
bleach will start evaporating as soon as it is open to air
so your purigen thats been soaking in it has endured a smaller and smaller concentration from hour to hour , day to day

i wouldn't worry about it
does it come close to its original color?
does it discolor rapidly when placed in filter?
is you new found clarity that you exsperiance when you started using it being maintained?
if so its doing its job

 

[discuspaul]

I've been in touch with Seachem several times over the past couple of years and got the distinct sense that they hedge and tell you what they feel you need to hear - that's marketing. Like one quote above which says 'it SHOULD still be okay to use'.
IMO their 'responders' (who are not the chemists) have no more knowledge or actual experience with Purigen than you or I.
Been using Purigen for several years, and I have had the actual experience of using it after it had been overbleached, or had been re-charged several times, and in my estimation it definitely did not produce anywhere near the results it did when it was brand new.
And I can tell you for a fact that Purigen will completely disintegrate and disappear if left in a total bleach solution for several days - it's happened to me more than once when I was forgetful and didn't rinse it per schedule.
What kind of diluted bleach are some of you using, anyway ? LOL

 

[raven_wilde]

I've been in touch with Seachem several times over the past couple of years and got the distinct sense that they hedge and tell you what they feel you need to hear - that's marketing. Like one quote above which says 'it SHOULD still be okay to use'.

One would think that if their responses were solely marketing/profit based they would say "Your Purigen is now absolutely useless... plz drop more money on another packet, k thx bai"

Anyway... I think I'm going to finish the recharge off and soak it in some Prime. I'll go ahead and put it in my tank again and see what happens. Doesn't sound like it will hurt anyway.

I'll let you all know what happens next month when I pull it out of my filter.

 

[Big O]

Is Seachem HyperSorb is that the same as Purigen?

 

[ktownhero]

Purigen does amazing things for the clarity of your water, but I've found it to be just a big PITA. I recharged it twice and then decided I'm tired of having to think about it. It wears out way too fast.