What is the benefit of using activated carbon?

[cnjcpb]

what are the pros and cons of filtering with carbon & what does it do? I find conflicting info throughout the internet.

 

[Naekuh]

Pro's... makes water clear, removes fishy sea odor.... cleans water incase of chemical warfare being declared by neighboring corals.... Its cheap and proven.

Con.... i hear it can cause HLLE in Tangs and other fishes.... cheap carbon can be phosphate dumping.
Carbon needs to be washed or replaced frequently to prevent biofilm from developing on it, and reducing filtering capacity.

 

[Spare time]

Cons: HLLE if you use dusty or lginite carbon

Pros: removes toxins, hormones/pheremones, discoloring compounds, odors, etc.

I'd never run a tank without it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If you use ROX 0.8, I’m not certain that there is any obvious negative to using it in appropriate amounts.

 

[betareef]

If I may piggyback a question, I have been told it may also remove some beneficial elements from the water. Could there be any truth to this?

 

[cnjcpb]

Cons: HLLE if you use dusty or lginite carbon

Pros: removes toxins, hormones/pheremones, discoloring compounds, odors, etc.

I'd never run a tank without it.

When should I start running it? Directly after cycle? Or should I wait a couple weeks after fish?

 

[SudzFD]

I run a carbon bag in my filter all the time. I haven’t seen any negatives.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

If I may piggyback a question, I have been told it may also remove some beneficial elements from the water. Could there be any truth to this?

Running carbon removes little to no trace elements. What little may be removed hasn’t affected my fish or coral’s noticeably. I always have it present. Decades. Agree with @Randy Holmes-Farley and Rox 0.8 Watched a video years ago on its benefits vs other brands. Very convincing.

 

[Spare time]

When should I start running it? Directly after cycle? Or should I wait a couple weeks after fish?

It doesn't matter when there is no coral or fish. I usually just add it once I add either of those two. I rinse it in scorching tap water after 2 weeks to remove any biofilm and gunk and replace it after another 2 weeks.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If I may piggyback a question, I have been told it may also remove some beneficial elements from the water. Could there be any truth to this?

Yes, some trace elements are bound to organics, and if those organics are removed in any fashion (skimming, purigen, chemipure, etc.) then those trace elements will be removed as well. I do not consider that a problematic drawback.

There is, however, an extraordinary amount of misinformation about elements sticking directly to GAC. Iodine is an incredibly popular one to claim, which is based on the mistaken impression that the iodine number (binding of I2 to GAC in an organic solvent as a measure of surface area) has anything to do with binding iodide or iodate from seawater onto GAC.

ANY data or claim that you see about something binding to GAC (or any material) in fresh water should not be extrapolated to seawater. The salts in seawater make a huge difference for many types of binding.