250 Gallon Starphire tank

[Quinster]

I stopped baking beads long ago, and instead just throw away the silica beads I use. I only use them for 2 - 4 weeks depending on the humidity level of the air I am drawing in, then dispose of them.
I am sure anyone who has used the regenerating silica is thinking this is a waste, but I switched to silica cat litter, as it is pretty well the same material, and for $3 a 5# bag, every bag lasts 6 months +.
They do color change from white to a cream color when they are getting saturated, also I can tell by the make up and consistency of the bubbles in the reaction chamber of the skimmer.

FYI for a cheap alternative.