Do You Use Carbon?

Discussion in 'Water Chemistry' started by tatted4ever, Jan 18, 2010.

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Do You Use Carbon?

  1. Yes

    86.0%
  2. No

    14.0%
  1. pgreef

    pgreef Fire Goby

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    Every time a do a water change I place a gallon bucket of outgoing old tank water next to a 5 gallon bucket of new incoming water. In my tank, without carbon, there is very little difference in color.
     
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  3. inwall75

    inwall75 Giant Squid

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    I can pretty much guarantee that you're wrong. In the day, we used things like this and looked through the water while it was in the tank. These aren't really sold anymore (as far as I know) but there are lots of low tech ways to make them.

    [​IMG]
     
  4. Siddique

    Siddique Dragon Wrasse

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    I run carbon 24/7. But I only have softies and LPS. I don't see any ill effects as of now. I'm actually going to set up a carbon reactor tomorrow.
     
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  5. baugherb

    baugherb Giant Squid

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    I use carbon for a week then out for 3 weeks..
     
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  6. tatted4ever

    tatted4ever Clown Trigger

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    Probably what Im gonna end up doing.
     
  7. Jcaudillo

    Jcaudillo Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2010
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    Southern California
    I am very new to Reefs however i use Activated Carbon in my HOB Filter 1 1/2 cups or close to that as well. I notice the water is Crystal CLEAR as well as everything in the tank seems to be moving around a little more... Maybe its just me. However i do not have any LPS or SPS Yet. Sorry not much help but thought i would toss that out there. I will be using it for 2 weeks on then 2 weeks off.
     
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  9. Golden Rhino

    Golden Rhino Spaghetti Worm

    Joined:
    Jan 19, 2010
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    I'm gonna chime in and say that I had to figure my tank out, too.

    When I first started it, I ran carbon 24/7, and while neither I nor the LFS could find anything wrong with my water parameters, my Colt and Zoas stayed closed most of the time, with the Colt shedding roughly twice per month. (Mushrooms and other softies didn't seem to be bothered.)

    On a hunch, (as a last resort, actually) I removed the carbon, and while the Colt and Zoas finally started staying open, I began to suffer unwanted algae after a few months. I've been running carbon two days per week for a couple months now with excellent results.

    Hope this helps.
     
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  10. pgoodsell

    pgoodsell Horrid Stonefish

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    Sparks, Nv
    I use carbon 24/7, but I don't have any sps. From what was posted about GFO in this thread, I'm starting to think it might be that. Seems you want to slowly add it to a system. I never knew that before. Good info. Hope you get it figured out.
     
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  11. inwall75

    inwall75 Giant Squid

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    I've had many aquariums over the years. Softy tanks, SPS tanks, Mixed Reefs, species tanks, etc. I've used carbon in all of them to no ill effect. Public aquariums use carbon with no ill effect. Wholesalers that I know use carbon with no ill effect. I don't know what carbon's you guys are using but I've never had a problem with it.

    I partially owned a LFS that had over 25,000 gallons in it. My partner didn't want to use carbon because he had heard bad rumors about it. We had a 600g tank that had nothing but SPS. I told him he was wrong about carbon. I opened up some carbon and ran it on this tank alone. After a couple of days he came back and said, "What on earth did you do? This tank is spotless compared to all the others and look at the colors on the SPS". I said, "Carbon".
     
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  12. tatted4ever

    tatted4ever Clown Trigger

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    cool 8)