FAQ: How long will my Seachem® filter media last?

This has a complicated answer, because all chemical filter medias exhaust on the basis of capacity, not on the basis of time.  Many companies will give an arbitrary length of time that their filter medias will last, but in reality, all chemical filter medias last "until they are full".  All Seachem® chemical filter medias work extremely quickly, which means that if they are given infinite amounts of contaminant to absorb, they will exhaust very quickly.  However, if an aquarium has a more "average" level of contaminants, most Seachem® filter medias will last a month or more.  

Here is an estimate of the amount of time that most Seachem® filter medias will last in an "average" aquarium before they need to be replaced or regenerated.

Filter media	Indicators	Typical duration	What do do when exhausted
CupriSorb™	Turns blue as it exhausts	6-12 months Absorbs up to 8.0 mg/L copper from the aquarium	Replace or regenerate
de*nitrate™	Biomedia - does not exhaust.	Never - should be rinsed in old tank water as needed to prevent clogging with detritus	Does not exhaust - rinse in old tank water if clogged
Tidal Foam™	Mechanical media - clogs with detritus over time	2 weeks	Rinse with old tank water if clogged.  Replace if damaged.
HyperSorb™	Turns brown as it exhausts	1-2 months	Replace or regenerate
Matrix™	Biomedia - does not exhaust	Never - should be rinsed in old tank water as needed to prevent clogging with detritus	Does not exhaust - rinse in old tank water if clogged
MatrixCarbon™	Noticable organic waste buildup in aquarium	2-3 months	Replace
PhosBond™	Rising phosphate or silicate levels	1 month Recommended dose absorbs approximately 0.3 mg/L phosphate	Replace
PhosGuard™	Rising phosphate or silicate levels	1 month Recommended dose absorbs approximately 0.3 mg/L phosphate	Replace
PhosNet™	Rising phosphate or silicate levels	1 month Recommended dose absorbs approximately 0.3 mg/L phosphate	Replace
Purigen®	Turns brown as it exhausts	2-3 months	Replace or regenerate
Renew™	Noticable organic waste buildup in aquarium	2-4 weeks	Replace
SeaGel™	Noticable organic waste buildup in aquarium or rising phosphate or silicate levels	1-2 months	Replace
ZeoLite™	Rising ammonia levels	1-2 weeks	Replace