I have recently been reevaluating my carbon use and wondered what procedures everyone else here uses. Currently I use Kent Reef Carbon and add the directed amount to a seachem "the bag" every two weeks. the more i think about it i really don't have a need to use it this often and was thinking about dropping back to what kent recommends which is to run it for 4 or 5 days a month. what are everyones thoughts?
Carbon Useage
- Thread starter cdub
- Start date
- Messages
- 1,998
- Reaction score
- 0
i use alot of carbon and change it every 3 weeks ...jeff i dont think carbon will work for that long but correct me if im wrong ...but if it works and its not broken dont try to fix it
Depending on how much flow going through the carbon, and how much carbon you got + how "dirty" your tank is, it can stop being very effective in 7-12 days. I use liberal amounts of carbon 3 days out of the week, and change them every 2 weeks. The placement of the carbon is right under the over-flow return in order to get the maximum flow.
I change mine 4-6 week mark. Carbons usefulness ends pretty quickly. I doubt I get more than a few days use out of it before it is relatively inert in the tank. I change mine when I feel it might be saturated to the point of nitrate contamination.
just as i thought there are a lot of practices out there that seem to work. i thought that the growth of my corals has been slowing down over the last 6 months or so where i have been more strict about getting my carbon changes every two weeks. i think i'm going to up the "wetness" of my skimmate and drop my carbon down to changing it every month.
of course it could also have something to do with buying a house, moving everything from my apartment and having them sitting in 50 gal tubs for 2 weeks. setting up my tank and then building a fish room in my garage and plumbing it into the system.
of course it could also have something to do with buying a house, moving everything from my apartment and having them sitting in 50 gal tubs for 2 weeks. setting up my tank and then building a fish room in my garage and plumbing it into the system.
- Messages
- 4,441
- Reaction score
- 1,330
GAC - granulated activated carbon, is something I run all the time as well. Search for threads on reefcentral's chemistry forum for a guy named "Boomer". He's an expert on the stuff that Randy often refers to.
Some of the lesser known info is that all fresh GAC leach phosphates into your tank to some degree. There are also different grades of GAC, some of which do more harm than good. As it does trap organics, if you keep it in for long periods it will release those organics as nitrates and phosphates back into your water.
Some of the lesser known info is that all fresh GAC leach phosphates into your tank to some degree. There are also different grades of GAC, some of which do more harm than good. As it does trap organics, if you keep it in for long periods it will release those organics as nitrates and phosphates back into your water.
- Messages
- 643
- Reaction score
- 0
I've been told by manufactures... That most carbons are pretty well exshauted/and turning into a bacteria bed after 3 days or so. I would like to no what boomer has to say about that.
I guess, we all be better off just using a very little bit and changing it every 3 days
Also Kent brand tests pretty poorly as far a carbons go. Although it may have a longer use life than the better brands.
I guess, we all be better off just using a very little bit and changing it every 3 days
Also Kent brand tests pretty poorly as far a carbons go. Although it may have a longer use life than the better brands.
- Messages
- 4,441
- Reaction score
- 1,330
From my understanding... Yes to Cameron's question. Carbon will begin to release some of the organics its absorbed as nitrates and phosphates once it becomes "organic" itself which just means that its teaming with bacteria that are using its absorbed stuff as food sources.
I would think this process begins when the carbon first touches the water... After a month I'm sure its "organic". I like to actually wash my bag of carbon out after mashing it around with my hands... Hmmm that can be interpreted poorly. Anyways, after washing it thoroughly I just throw it back into the sump. That basically removes the biological film to some degree and also a bit of the top layer of the carbon which is used up.
From my understanding... Yes to Bryan's question. Carbon will absorb trace elements that are bound to organics but not so much as to really make a difference in the amount of trace elements in the tank. The exception to that is if you are using more carbon than you should. Typically you should be using 1-3 tablespoons per 10 gallons. The variance in amount used is based on effectiveness of the carbon.
That brings us to cdub's question... Yes some carbons are better than others. Kent uses a vapor phase carbon for their activated carbon. It is less effective than lignite based carbons in reef tanks. The vapor phase carbon is good when its dry and is a good cheap choice for ozone generators... but not in reef tanks. You want lignite based carbon that is acid washed. The acid washing removes a lot of the phosphates and ash from the carbon. Black diamond is fine. Seachem matrix is better. Warner Marine is better than that... Rox 0.8 is supposedly the best.
I use black diamond its cost effective and is both lignite based and acid washed.
I would think this process begins when the carbon first touches the water... After a month I'm sure its "organic". I like to actually wash my bag of carbon out after mashing it around with my hands... Hmmm that can be interpreted poorly. Anyways, after washing it thoroughly I just throw it back into the sump. That basically removes the biological film to some degree and also a bit of the top layer of the carbon which is used up.
From my understanding... Yes to Bryan's question. Carbon will absorb trace elements that are bound to organics but not so much as to really make a difference in the amount of trace elements in the tank. The exception to that is if you are using more carbon than you should. Typically you should be using 1-3 tablespoons per 10 gallons. The variance in amount used is based on effectiveness of the carbon.
That brings us to cdub's question... Yes some carbons are better than others. Kent uses a vapor phase carbon for their activated carbon. It is less effective than lignite based carbons in reef tanks. The vapor phase carbon is good when its dry and is a good cheap choice for ozone generators... but not in reef tanks. You want lignite based carbon that is acid washed. The acid washing removes a lot of the phosphates and ash from the carbon. Black diamond is fine. Seachem matrix is better. Warner Marine is better than that... Rox 0.8 is supposedly the best.
I use black diamond its cost effective and is both lignite based and acid washed.
- Messages
- 643
- Reaction score
- 0
If i had to go without carbon or a skimmer, on some tanks id get rid of the skimmer first.
I think skimming is certainly overrated on smaller tanks but on larger tanks I think it pulls more organics out than pretty much anything that isn't biological.
BTW, twopartsolution.com sells acid washed carbon for pretty cheap as well and they carry the more expensive Rox at a good price in bulk. Not sure how it stands up to Black Diamond. My only knock agaist it is that it is small.
BTW, twopartsolution.com sells acid washed carbon for pretty cheap as well and they carry the more expensive Rox at a good price in bulk. Not sure how it stands up to Black Diamond. My only knock agaist it is that it is small.
- Messages
- 643
- Reaction score
- 0
From what i can tell the Bulk stuff is the same quality lignite as Warner marine.
And i dont think Black Daimond is lignite, although it is good quality.
And i dont think Black Daimond is lignite, although it is good quality.
Agreed.
