POLL - Do you Run Carbon or No? I hear it is bad for Zoanthids and Chalices and can cause Lateral L

Do you Run Carbon in your Aquarium?


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Railcar79

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Hard to say, I would be leaning to a parameter out of balance that you are not testing, parasite, or something else out of whack. Lights, flow, chemical warefare, pests, temperature swings, PH variances, so many things could be causing the issue, the last one I would be looking to would be carbon
 

vetteguy53081

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I use ChemiPure without issue, carbon is a polisher for water. I must have it
 

Davesgt

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I run the same type of carbon and I couldn't imagine not using it.
I've ran carbon for years and have never had any of the issues mentioned. I use ROX 0.8 which is a premium carbon.
 

PaulKreider

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I was running low quality carbon and I suspect it caused the death of two tangs. Since then I never ran carbon and my current yellow tang has been with me for over a year.

I think the quality of the carbon plays a large roll.
 

kurtyboh

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@paulKreider, The quality of carbon definitely has a large role to play in this discussion there are several low end brands wash their carbon in phosphoric acid, as you can imagine they leech quite a bit of phosphate into the tank following this, brands that use hydrochloric or sulfuric acids are more expensive however have a much safer rate of leeching phosphate although it can still be a very minor amount.
 

Mike J.

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25 years and counting and never an issue using carbon. I run small quantities 24/7/365 and change it when I remember.

Exact same here. I have zoas growing off the rocks onto the sand. And, for some reason chalice love my tank, no problems there either.
 

Katesreef

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Do you use "Special" Carbon?

My LFS sells Regular Carbon and also "Reef Carbon"

I use the Freshwater Carbon that comes in Silver Packets from Tetra.

Is that why my Corals are Dying?

Should I use a different type of Carbon?

You said you use freshwater carbon from Tetra, some on here say the cheaper carbons contain metals that can hurt your reef. Do you feed your coral? I feed my zoas and my acans mysis shrimp and other filter foods. I don't have a chalice yet. Good luck!
 

JMSKI333

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POLL - Do you Run Carbon or No? I hear it is bad for Zoanthids and Chalices ...

FWIW I've noticed if I run too much carbon I see a decline in my chalices.
 

ryecoon

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from what i heard...Quote me if im wrong..You run carbon, chemi pure etc. During the beginning stages of a new set up after live rock and bio filtration takes over u remove the carbon. Then maintain water changes and good husbandry from then on...
 

kurtyboh

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@reycon, Yes if you are planning on using carbon and gfo using it right from the beginning won't harm anything and neither will it if you continue to use it properly from that point forward.
 

Treefer32

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I just started running carbon passively in my 230g reef primarily because my Water change water was yellow... It's only been operational since August, so not even a full 6 months yet. So, I accepted that the water would be a little dirty. It was more yellow than I expected though. So, I've since done 2 water changes and now been running carbon for 2 weeks. I've noticed two things.... A huge outgrowth of Cyano on my sand. (I had just gotten rid of a bunch of cyano). And I have a orange fungia plate coral that was growing beautifully. It stopped growing and I just noticed recession of some flesh. All since the two water changes and the addition of the carbon. My guess is maybe a too fast change in nutrients... Not sure...
 

stunreefer

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I am told Chalices have no Pests.

What Pests do they have?

Chalice eating Nudibranchs?
They most certainly have pests, as all corals can. I'm not aware of any pests that specifically attack only chalices (although they probably exist), however I've seen several predators come in on them before. 'Chalices' should be dipped and QT'd along with all other corals, IMO.

I run carbon passively, changed about once per month to keep water crystal clear. I use the basic carbon from BRS. If rinsed thoroughly there's nothing wrong with it. If running any carbon in a reactor it shouldn't be tumbled, IMO. With that said I have no experience using 'premium' carbon, so maybe you can tumble that, although I don't see a reason to do so.
 
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vetteguy53081

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Activated carbon is a chemical filtration media that is very well suited for removing dissolved organic compounds. The benefits of regular use are crystal clear water and removal of foul odors. An additional benefit of carbon is it binds up some of the toxins released by tank inhabitants that are used by those organisms to wage chemical warfare against their neighbors.
Activated carbon is essentially just charcoal that is treated with oxygen to open up millions of pores at the microscopic level. These pores make the carbon highly reactive by way of adsorption.
Adsorption differs from absorption in that adsorption is accomplished by a weak chemical bond that occurs only at the surface of the compound. It is for this reason that the surface area of carbon has such an effect on its performance.
Absorption is a filtering effect that occurs throughout the entire volume. Imagine how a sponge soaks up and traps water for example. To some degree, both occur when activated carbon is utilized in the home aquarium, but mainly it is the adsorption effect that makes it a form of chemical filtration.
[h=2][/h]As stated above, activated carbon removes organic compounds from aquaria by adsorption and absorption principles. Both processes involve the transfer of the pollutants from the water to the solid phase.
Adsorption relies on electrostatic Van der Walls forces. This attractive “force” forms relatively weak bonds between the carbon and dissolved organic compounds in the water. Activated carbon could release, or desorb, what it removed at some point, but practically speaking, this rarely occurs. Bacteria readily colonize the outer surface of the activated carbon and consume some of the sorbed organics. The bacterial action reactivates a small portion of the carbon and, perhaps, prevents desorption.
Absorption refers to the diffusion of compounds into the porous network where physical entrapment takes place. Ozone, for example, is absorbed into activated carbon and is thus “detoxified” and made safe for the aquarium.
When placing it in the reef system, high flow is beneficial, so we recommend placing it in a strong flow area of the sump or in its own reactor. As a side note, activated carbon can get dusty, so it is a wise choice to rinse it thoroughly to prevent small particles from drifting around your reef.
[h=2][/h]There are some common myths about activated carbon I need to dispel:

Myth #1: It can be recharged in an oven.
FACT: The process of activating the material means increasing its internal surface area and getting rid of impurities. This is done at nearly 2,000°F in a controlled environment. Technically, it is possible to recharge spent activated carbon, but it won’t be done at home.
Myth #2: It will mess up your water chemistry.
FACT: Carbon does not remove ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate from water. It also does not have an effect on water hardness or alkalinity.
Myth #3: It will remove trace elements.
FACT: Activated carbon does not have a major effect on trace elements. Trace elements such as cesium, chromium, cadmium, selenium, cobalt, silver, lead, tin, helium, lanthanum, and cerium are not really soluble in sea water (and possibly toxic in non-trace quantities). Thus, the TLDR answer is that in the marine aquarium, activated carbon will not remove trace elements.
Conclusion
In short, activated carbon is the most prevalent form of chemical filtration in the hobby for a reason. It is highly effective and easy to use. Best of all, it is one of the least expensive methods to filter an aquarium given its dramatic improvements on water quality.
 

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