aquavitro 28662 Purfiltrum

I purchased Purfiltrum in hopes of reducing the nitrate level of my tap water so that I can safely use it in my fish tanks. Purfiltrum is advertised as a resin that "controls ammonia, nitrates and nitrites by removing nitrogenous organic waste that would otherwise be converted into these harmful chemicals." For freshwater fish, ammonia - which is converted to nitrite and nitrate - is the main nitrogenous waste of concern. However, this resin does not handle existing nitrate well, and it appears that its presence permanently inhibits the resin's functionality.In my first test use, I ran Purfiltrum in an external filter on tap water with a nitrate level of about 40 ppm (by visual estimate using API test strips) for 24 hours. It reduced the existing nitrate level to about 5 ppm and the resin color changed to a barely discernible off-white. Leaving it in the filter for a couple of additional days did not reduce nitrates further but did result in the growth of a worrisome bright pink "mold" (which did mostly rinse out; note that there were NO slime coat products or other added chemicals in my tap water, including chlorine). I regenerated it following manufacturer instructions and it returned to bright white but full functionality was NOT restored. A second test (again using my tap water) only reduced the nitrate level to about 15 ppm after 24 hours. I regenerated it a third time, but this test was worse: only reducing nitrates to about 18-20 ppm which is unusable for me.My conclusion is that since healthy freshwater fish tanks will naturally have some low level of nitrates, and its presence inhibits the functionality of this resin, I find it useless for my purposes - as well as irritating since it is sold WITHOUT the necessary mesh filter bag. My tap water does not contain ammonia, so I cannot speak to its functionality there but I cannot recommend Purfiltrum for controlling nitrates.

This product is similar to Purigen, but much higher capacity for ammonia and waste control. It lasts about 3-4 times longer than Purigen on my catfish tank and on my goldfish tank. Makes maintenance so much easier! Unfortunately it’s very hard to find, as most people don’t understand the benefit of using this over Purigen (especially because it’s more expensive), but it’s worth a try to keep your tank cleaner and your fish healthier for a longer period of time between cleanings.

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