Using Carbon in an SPS tank...
 

What are peoples thought's on using carbon in an SPS reef tank, I have read it can remove trace elements etc...
But my tank was starting to get a yellow tint last week so I added about 500ml on friday night and now the water is crystal clear again, I know after the carbon is exhausted it will release back into the system. What I was wondering is, should I keep it in for a week or two or just pull it out now that it has done what I wanted it to do?
As well if I do pull it and decide to use it for a few days every month, is it OK to let it sit out dry in a zip lock bag?

Many if not ALL the boy boys with SPS tanks on here run carbon.

I use carbon in my tank 24/7. Every 6 weeks or so I change it out for new stuff

And big girls too :biggrin: And by big boys / girls I mean the ones that I wish my tank looked half as good as there's.

Down the Drain, Exports from Reef Aquaria by Ronald L. Shimek, Ph.D. - Reefkeeping.com

I found the first few paragraphs in this article to be a real eye opener. I do not think the article is about carbon usage. But I know other then absorbing organic compounds, carbons other job is to absorb heavy metals. I will be starting Carbon ASAP. I realize this might be where some of my problems come from in keeping any SPS other then montipora until now.

Thanks for the replys everyone, and thanks for the read pitopharmer. I may just be making a change to my husbandry.

How big is your tank? 500ml is a lot of carbon, unless you have a very big tank.

Same here but I do the change once a month.

Carbon.

Have never, and will never, run a tank without it.

Or if you use cheap carbon.

Better grade carbons use much less.

emerald crab, I have a 180g display tank. With about 40g of water in my sump, I have 150lbs of live rock in my display, so usually when I dose I do so for 160g of actual water.

I am using the Fluval Carbon, I buy it in the 1650g container, the lable is stateing it's a low-ash carbon, and I consider it to be a fine granual with the pieces being in the 3mm range.

Does anyone run carbon and chemi-pure elite? Or just one or the other

Obviously replacement relates to volumes (tank/reactor) and what the water is actually like. I also monthly but just because. I'm not aware of any way available to us to detect when it's depleted. Is there a way?

I'm running RowaPhos, Chemi-Pure Elite, AND Carbon. Although I'm doing the tango with GHA, and so far I think I'm winning with the aid of a Seahare. :lol:

I think if you notice a color difference in your tank water when you change your carbon or do a water change you've gone too long.

If you notice color difference in your tank.... you have more of a water change issue.

Carbon is not a replacement for clean water.

I Don't if thats totally correct as I have been doing a 25% every Saturday for the last two months, Now as for the carbon, this is the first time I have used it in this setup which has been up now for 20 months.

There is a test that reads UV transmittance through seawater. You read the DOC before and after the carbon filter.

Myself, like the rest of us, don't bother with some expensive test. I change it every 4 to 6 weeks.

Not sure what you are saying.

You have yellow water???

Correct, my water started getting a yellowish tint to it...:question::question:

Thanks everyone, I have gottin what I needed from this post. I will run carbon all the time now and change monthly.

I prefer to use Purigen. More expensive but can last for up to 6 months and is rechargeable by soaking in 50/50 bleach/water solution.

Used to use Chemipure. Carbon was just to quick to get "fillled" and needing replacement for me.


Anthony

Here's a good article on carbon.

Ah... Missed that.

Strange... At 25% water change a week and still yellowing. Try cutting back on feeding perhaps. Reduce waste.

Or run carbon :smile:

+1

I think this is just something that would happen over time, if carbon is not used perhaps, as I was feeding a mixture of mysis and brine everyother evening, than a 2" x 2" sheet of seaweed on the off night.

with a properly sized protein skimmer there is really no need for running carbon

that being said, in the event something "occurs" in your tank....such as the death of something, the presence of carbon can assist with this aspect.