| General Reef Discussion In this forum we discuss issues related to keeping marine and reef aquariums in a friendly flame-free environment. |
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10-10-2006, 07:15 AM
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#1
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Plankton
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Sydney
Posts: 21
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Charcoal in a salt water aquarium
Hello,
I recently purchased an Aqua One AQ850 and noticed that there were two small bags filled with charcoal.
What do I do with them? Are they required for filtration purposes?
Thanks
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10-10-2006, 07:28 AM
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#2
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I loves me a water change
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: WI
Posts: 7,678
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The charcoal is used for chemical filtration...it gets some of the ickies out of your water. 
They are not required, and if they are used, should be changed weekly or bi-monthly.
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Chris
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10-10-2006, 07:29 AM
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#3
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I loves me a water change
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: WI
Posts: 7,678
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Oh dang...where are my manners??
Welcome aboard, clownaround!! w0000000000000000000000000t!!!
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Chris
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10-10-2006, 07:43 AM
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#4
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Shark
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Corning, California
Posts: 1,488
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welcome
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Sara
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10-10-2006, 07:53 AM
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#5
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Stinky Slimey FEESH
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: San Antonio
Posts: 1,867
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Welcome to TRT! Some people use charcoal to freshen the water and make it clearer - it will not hurt the saltwater tank.
HHC
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You can't kill a fish born to hang.....
135-gal Oceanic reef, MH, PC, Lunar
12-gal Nanocube
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10-10-2006, 08:29 AM
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#6
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Plankton
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Sydney
Posts: 21
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Cool, thanks for that. I've been cycling the tank over the last few weeks and just added some clowns to it, the ocellaris species.
I threw the charcoal in near the filter up the top not knowing what it would do so I was stressing if it would be harmful to the fish or not.
Thanks for the welcome too.
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10-10-2006, 08:32 AM
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#7
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It can be rebuilt.
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Pittsboro, NC
Posts: 19,158
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Welcome to TRT!!!
just put the carbon in a high flow area, like a filter and it will do the rest. it is a good idea to rinse it first to get rid of a lot of the extra fines.
G~
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Think Tanker
Friends Don't Let Friends Use Refugiums!
Reef Knowledge Impaired
"J" crowd member.
My Build Thread
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10-10-2006, 08:41 AM
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#8
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BIG SMELLY MOD
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Livingston Parish, Denham Springs, Louisiana
Posts: 16,860
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Welcome to TRT!!!!
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Vince aka VINNIE
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10-10-2006, 09:03 AM
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#9
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senior member
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Walnut Grove, SC, USA
Posts: 13,423
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Just curious, how has your water been testing out? Do you have any of the values for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and salinity yet?
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Tom <"))))>(
(TDWyatt)
Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something. -Plato
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10-10-2006, 09:12 AM
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#10
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Plankton
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Sydney
Posts: 21
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Yes, I was testing the water weekly.
High range ph 8.2
Nitrate 10ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Ammonia 0ppm
specific gravity around 1.023
All were fine and in the ranges suggested to keep salt water fish.
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10-10-2006, 09:17 AM
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#11
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senior member
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Walnut Grove, SC, USA
Posts: 13,423
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clownaround
All were fine and in the ranges suggested to keep salt water fish.
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Just looking for the numbers over the last few days to get a feel for how your system is maturing so far, and when your peaks hit in the progression ofyour system. Most marine systems are so dynamic that single test values have little meaning, it is more important to see the general trends in a system.
Could you post a perspective for us from the last several weeks???
TIA
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Tom <"))))>(
(TDWyatt)
Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something. -Plato
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10-10-2006, 09:29 AM
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#12
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Plankton
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Sydney
Posts: 21
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Yep
Week 1
ammonia - .5ppm
nitrite - 25ppm
nitrate - 0ppm
Week 2
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 10ppm
Week 3
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 10ppm
I pretty much added about 20kg of live rock as soon as I got the salt water at the right temp (25deg.) and the specific gravity at 1.023. Only took about a day or so to sort that out.
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10-10-2006, 09:44 AM
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#13
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Shark
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Yuma, Arizona
Posts: 1,472
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Welcome to TRT!!
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55gal... BB of course! 
Love the 
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10-10-2006, 10:07 AM
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#14
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Plankton
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Sydney
Posts: 21
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Thanks. I really should introduce myself somewhere.
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10-10-2006, 05:33 PM
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#15
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clown fishy
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: sunny southern california
Posts: 597
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what size is your tank? imo a tank isnt really cycled for at least two months.
and welcome to trt!
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MIKE.
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