Do you use Activated Carbon in your reef?

+1 i use the Rox .8 as well. i personally wouldn't use low grade carbon that produces a lot of dust. Some people feel that it is a cause of HLLE.

 

imo carbon must be rum only when a problem is present water will have a green to yellow tent to it, a good protein skimmer will handle most buildups, the reason i say this is, carbon picks up alot more things then just the bad stuff it will takeup chemicals that your tank needs as well as the stuff it doesn't one is iodine and i believe there are alot of others as well so, you must replenish them if you use carbon and just because your carbon says no contaminates this may not be a true statement. like the kent recall

 

Protein skimmers may only capture proteins that will stick to bubbles. Many other harmful proteins still remain and can be removed with carbon. Carbon can filter more harmful elements then needed elements. Replenishment of essential elements is a given, in a closed system...JMO ; )

 

i have found the only time i need it is in time of trouble, this is imo if something dies if the protein skimmer isn't working or i don't do water changes i don't have all the test kits for all the trance eliments in the salt mix and you will hear it time and time again that i used carbon and some of my corals died and then you read you used to much, imo says to me if its a good thing then why did it kill these coral so i use it when needed and very small amounts to ensure it don't kill. place a plastic white card on the back side of your tank with light yellow per marker line on it and when you have a hard time seeing the mark do water changes or carbon this to me makes more sense then to remove good chemicals from the water when nothing is wrong, it keeps the tank more stable imo and stable is where its at in this hobby

 

..I'll drink to that....Like I have said before...If it works..don't fix it...and NO "one" tank is the same....and I will also add...don't use crap products...and you reduce your odds of crap results...that's it..I'm going to begin my vodka dosing...where the heck are those olives? ! LOL ; )
Enjoy your week end EVERYONE !!;D

 

Why are people saying can canister filters for a reek aquarium? I seem to be doing OK with the Rena XP2 but maybe I am missing something.

 

Most people say don't use them because if you don't keep up on the maintenance, then they can quickly become nitrate factories like bioballs in wet dry filters.

 

they take up alot of denitrifying bacteria which is a good thing and inside the tank may lose some to the filter then you clean the filter and lose a great amount of bacteria and your ammonia level can rise and kill your fish and coral thats a simple way to put it without getting into graphic terms

 

Don't forget about purigen. I run it in one of my reactors instead of carbon. The stuff is absolutely awesome.

 

I use purigen in all my tanks!