Carbon Question Help!!! Please

combiemaster · 03-17-2006, 10:44 PM

Hey guys i put the stock carbon that came with my nano cube and it time to change it. it has been 1 month since it was in. so i went to Petco and bought one which is named Kent Marine Coral Carbon. Is this the same as regular carbon? because it says it much stronger that the regular one. will this hurt my tank in anyway. i have a couple of fish and about 25lbs Premium Fiji live rock. i am going to add some star polyps and mushrooms next week. it said on the bottle something about using other carbon for 3 days or someting like that really did not understand. can someone explain this in english

. Is it safe to have this in here for the whole month live regular carbon thx in adv for your help guys.

zanymaster · 03-17-2006, 11:07 PM

Don't use carbon in a reef tank.It'll build up nitrates you don't want that.Take out everything but the sponge and do the weekly water changes and you'll be fine.

zanymaster · 03-17-2006, 11:09 PM

A yellow tang in a 24 gallon?Too small for him.You need to put him in something way bigger when he grows.

combiemaster · 03-18-2006, 12:37 AM

why would the nitrates go up with the carbon if i have corals. but shoulnt i use carbon to keep the water clean/clear and not smelly. (saltwater)

gwen_o_lyn · 03-18-2006, 12:45 AM

I used to be on the anti-carbon bandwagon, but I'm not anymore. Carbon can be very beneficial in a tank. I wouldn't use it though unless it was really needed ie for coral warfare. I run carbon 24/7 now. The good carbons like that Kent stuff you mentioned won't leach phosphates. Never heard of the "coral" carbon, but it's prolly the same stuff- just follow the directions and use the amount it says.

VWD · 03-18-2006, 12:45 AM

You can use carbon and it will benifit you, but you need to change it out often, don't forget about it and never change it out. I don't use it but it don't hurt.

combiemaster · 03-18-2006, 01:03 AM

ok one more question would it be possible to use one of my wife nylons to fill it with carbon. instead or using the other stick one from the other carbon. so i dont have to clip or sew it shut all the time. would the nylon cause any damage to my tank thx

VWD · 03-18-2006, 01:05 AM

No it will work, So long as it don't have perfume or anything on it. I know alot of people that use them.

combiemaster · 03-18-2006, 01:08 AM

ok cool ill set that up when i get home tonight from work THx for you help

VWD · 03-18-2006, 01:09 AM

Anytime. Have a good night. You are alway welcome to ask ?

JennM · 03-18-2006, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zanymaster

Don't use carbon in a reef tank.It'll build up nitrates you don't want that.

Please explain this statement. Respectfully, it makes NO sense to me.

Carbon removes toxins and dissolved organics from the water. It will help keep your water clear and not get a yellow tint to it, it removes coral toxins so there's less chance of "chemical warfare" between your corals.

Kent Reef Carbon is an excellent product. I've been using it for many years.

Jenn

know-it-all · 03-18-2006, 08:57 AM

IMO, it's effective life cycle of carbon is far less than people think
I leaning towards 1 week before it's saturated/clogged
I've been thinking about a way to test for the last 4 months
but I'm not smart enough to prove my theory

but the benifits of using carbon are greater than the effects of not

it can cause nitrates to rise if you leave it in too long (much like bio-balls)

JennM · 03-18-2006, 10:23 AM

Carbon is most effective in the first 24-48 hours after it's placed in the tank. Some folks run it for a brief period of time monthly, some others change it out monthly leaving it in for the whole month.

It's not going to "go biological" as you suggest, unless it's left in there for unreasonable lengths of time, in which case it's not doing any good anyway. As you said, once it's saturated, it's ineffective.

Used *properly* the benefits of carbon far outweigh any perceived detriments.

Jenn

know-it-all · 03-18-2006, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JennM

Carbon is most effective in the first 24-48 hours after it's placed in the tank. Some folks run it for a brief period of time monthly, some others change it out monthly leaving it in for the whole month.

It's not going to "go biological" as you suggest, unless it's left in there for unreasonable lengths of time, in which case it's not doing any good anyway. As you said, once it's saturated, it's ineffective.

Used *properly* the benefits of carbon far outweigh any perceived detriments.

Jenn

I agree it's not going to "go biological" and is very beneficial.

I'm refering to it trapping waste like bio-balls would do
when I put it (carbon) in my phosban-reator,
the carbon clogs up after 4 days and is very dirty when I clean it out.

as for after the first 48 hours, I don't know a way to test the effectivness
my opinion/practice is to use a small amount and change it weekly

JennM · 03-18-2006, 10:45 AM

Well, in order for it to cause nitrate buildup, it would have to "go biological". If it gets dirty, rinising it should fix that.

Putting it in a reactor is very different from the passive way most people use carbon, in a sump or in the chamber of a HOB filter. Forcing it through a reactor is more efficient, thus the carbon will exhaust much more quickly.

Jenn