Habitat - Indoor :: purigen - regeneration and testing chlorine?

[birdslikeleaves]

Hi, I have a couple questions about regenerating Purigen.
I have 2 bags of it and am planning on swapping them out for regeneration once a month.

Should I be buying a test kit to test "free chlorine" or "total chlorine"? I've tried to find an answer online and on this forum but it's just left me more confused than ever.
The only place I could find chlorine test kits around here is Leslie's Pool Supply.. They have 2 options:
DPD Basic Test kit: tests for pH (6.8 - 8.2) and free chlorine (0.5 - 5ppm chlorine).
OTO Basic Test Kit: tests for total chlorine (0.5 to 5ppm), total bromine (1 to 10ppm), and pH (6.8 to 8.2).

My other question - how do you store the bag you're not using? I've read that people put them in ziplock bags so they don't dry out, but wouldn't cause mildew or mold to grow? Do you regenerate the bag as soon as you take it out of the filter, then store it until needed? Or do you wait to regenerate it until you're ready to swap again?

Thanks in advance for the help... The idea of regenerating with bleach makes me extremely nervous, but I can't afford to buy new Purigen every month!

[devilduck]

I've regenerated mine a few months ago. Yes it is pretty scary, after the regeneration is complete you have to rinse the purigen pretty well. Rinsed it the best I could under running water, then let it sit in some water for a day, then rinsed it again. Put it back in the filter and it all been good. After regeneration it is still an off white color, it did not regain the bright white it was when it was new.

I'd regenerate a no more than 3-4 times before buying a new batch.

[steve]

Why are you testing for chlorine? Are you using carbon to remove it from the tap water?

[VeipaCray]

Chlorine evaporates quickly. I never test mine... never had a problem. Just follow the directions then let it sit out for a bit to dry out before putting it in your tank.

If you regenerate your purigen monthly you should be able to get a year out of it.

[birdslikeleaves]

After soaking the regenerated Purigen in Prime, I wanted to be absolutely sure there is no residual chlorine left from the bleach. The Seachem website says "In case of doubt, soak beads in small quantity of water and test for residual chlorine with a chlorine test kit." As I said before, I'm really nervous about this whole "soak the Purigen in bleach" thing!