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10-17-2007, 06:08 AM
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#1 (permalink)
| | Plankton
Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Middleboro, MA Age: 43
Posts: 15
Karma: 2
 |  To carbon or not?
I know alot of you run carbon in some way, I was wondering if I could just drop a bag into the fuge or those carbon bioballs? Or do you really need to have in a filter or reactor to see the real benefit?
How often should you replace the carbon?
My 90gal reef tank has has a 30gal fuge/sump and the tank has 120lbs of LR.
Thanks!
_________
90gal Reef Display 120gal system.
"A man is only as good as his word." | 
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10-17-2007, 06:24 AM
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#2 (permalink)
| | Gnarly Old Codfish
Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Silverdale, Washington Age: 58
Posts: 4,474
  
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Good questions...
I put bag of carbon in filter sock in sump...
Usually change carbon about every other water change or so (3/4 weeks) ... have no idea if this is too often or not enough...  _________ AG "125," AquaC EV 180, 30 gal sump, "SCWD", 80 lbs LR, CoralSeaLife "Moonlite" Hood, PFO 250W HQI Mini-Pendant (SPS HQI 14000k bulb)
12 Gallon NanoCube - 24w stock PC 50/50 light "...nothing good ever happens fast in a reef tank, only bad things happen fast..."
- MIKE PALLETTA - (Davis Family Reef Aquarium - Home Page/Reef Log) (Best Photos of 2008!) | |
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10-17-2007, 08:23 AM
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#3 (permalink)
| | Corkscrew Tentacle Anemone
Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Miami,Fl
Posts: 737
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If youre going to run carbon then having a reactor is the best thing but you can also run carbon passively by putting it in a bag or sock in your sump. _________ 90 gallon tank with center overflows, 44 gallon custom sump/fuge, Tek T5 retrofit 4x54 bulbs, Reef Octopus nw200 protein skimmer, Iwaki WMD40RLXT return pump (changed to panworld 100pxx),Knop c ca reactor, PA light house controller.
Click: Real-Time Stats 
^^ Testing it out! Ill add more param.. later. | |
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10-17-2007, 08:28 AM
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#4 (permalink)
| | Plankton
Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Middleboro, MA Age: 43
Posts: 15
Karma: 2
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Thanks, I will try it in the sump for now but plan to add a reactor for it. | |
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10-17-2007, 09:21 AM
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#5 (permalink)
| | Fire Shrimp
Join Date: May 2005 Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 335
Karma: 62
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I run it in my sump as well - A bag of Carbon and 2 bags of chemi-pure. Might be a little redundant...but hey it works for me. :-)
There is a lot of flow in my sump, so a lot of water comes in contact with the carbon over the course of a day. | |
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10-17-2007, 10:03 AM
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#6 (permalink)
| | 3reef Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Wethersfield, CT Age: 38
Posts: 5,812
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Dropping a bag of carbon in the sump will do nothing. Water needs to pass through the carbon for it to be effective. We put our carbon in a specimen container with holes drilled on the bottom of it and hang it in the sump, directly under the skimmer output. | |
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10-17-2007, 10:18 AM
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#7 (permalink)
| | Plankton
Join Date: Mar 2007 Age: 26
Posts: 18
Karma: 1
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Good call Amcarrig.
I need to work on moving to a more direct flow area when i get home.
But i like that placement idea
_________
Jonny O
<------ Thats my weasel, His name is Goose | |
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10-17-2007, 10:52 AM
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#8 (permalink)
| | Gnarly Old Codfish
Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Silverdale, Washington Age: 58
Posts: 4,474
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Quote:
Originally Posted by omard  Good questions...
I put bag of carbon in filter sock in sump...
Usually change carbon about every other water change or so (3/4 weeks) ... have no idea if this is too often or not enough... | PS...filter sock is on return line... | |
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10-17-2007, 01:43 PM
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#9 (permalink)
| | Corkscrew Tentacle Anemone
Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Miami,Fl
Posts: 737
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Thats how i plan on putting mine. Hanging it on the return line ,or putting it before the baffles or something. Forgot to tell him to do it like omard. | |
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10-17-2007, 02:11 PM
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#10 (permalink)
| | Montipora Digitata
Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: valencia,pa. Age: 34
Posts: 1,097
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i use a carbon sponge in my sump.all water has to run through it.i change it every 2 wks.i know its time cause i can smell the water.good rule of thumb is one cup of carbon for every 55 gallons.my sponge is half inch thick by 4inches by 8 inches.i think regular carbon works better than my sponge so i'll be changing my set up later this yr.
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55 gallon reef with 4x54 watt t5,29 gallon sump,red monti cap,1blue echinophyllia,trumpet,red lobo,2 toadstools 1purple and 1neon,gsp,xenia and yellow xenia,red ,many mushrooms,2 giant frilly shrooms,cabbage coral,yellow polyps,many zoos,1 orange and one neon green nepthia,duncans,cladiella | |
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