Do You Use Carbon?

I don't use carbon at all. I have a skimmer and that's it. Shoot, I don't even do water changes.

*Disclaimer* Not doing water changes on a tank when you are unsure of the results that will follow is not wise.

 

I use Pura Complete





luna

 

I agree the fish look like they are floating when its used.

 

One of my intentions with this thread is to see if anyone has had any negative effects with their tank with carbon usage. One way would be using too much carbon on your system.

Note: negative effect would exclude bleaching of corals do to increased light penetration.

 

I'm not sure how to vote on this one. I didn't run carbon consistently until around Christmas when I bought a reactor from BRS. I had used it from time to time just in a sock in a high flow area.

I pulled carbon out of my system this weekend after I had a frag I bought last week die of RTN. This was the first acro frag I bought since running carbon through a reactor. It is the only frag I have ever lost. Coincidence or carbon?

Strike 1


About the same time as I started carbon I had 3 polyps of my tooth coral start bleaching.

Strike 2


This weekend I also lost a branch (5 heads) of my huge Frogspawn. I kept losing it one head at a time until I just cut the whole branch off. ot sure of the cause. It's possible that I brushed off a piece of dried salt into the tank that landed on the frogspawn when I made my netted lid.

Strike 3


I never saw any difference in acro growth after adding carbon. Water clarity looks the same to me. Since I can't determine the cause of these issues the safe thing is to assume it was the most recent thing I changed in the tank. Carbon.

Therefore, it is out for now anyway. I don't run GFO. I don't use any filter socks. I just use chaeto. My nitrate level is about .2 ppm and phosphate is undetectable with the Salifert kit.

 

This is some of the issues im having and I think its do to carbon on my system.

Good post... now we are bringing some depth to this thread

 

my water still looks crystal clear even when i dont use carbon. most of the chaeto cathes the paticles though.

 

I don't use it and my water isn't CRYSTAL clear but it's clean. I have particles floating in the water all the time....just like the ocean does. When I did have carbon my zoas were not doing as well as when I removed it.

 

I haven't had any problems with carbon or phosphate remover, but I started with them. I read the directions on a phosphate remover and they said to start at half dosage to start so as not to shock the corals due to the abrupt drop in phosphate levels. You may be experiencing the same thing along with shock from the removal of DOC's through the carbon usage.

 

Is Aquaphos Feric oxide or aluminum?

Never noticed anything with carbon. You did just add your skimmer. Are you feeding enough?

More skimming and carbon will remove more food, but I have no issues compared toyou and never noticed any down turn from carbon use. I use ROX .8 from BRS... supposedly the best carbon you can get for reefs running through a reator. So my point is I'm using the "best" in the most efficient way without any issues. By running yours in media bags, it is not as effective. Still worth doing and it still works, just saying not as fast. So having issues from your carbon seems unlikely.