Carbon as a substrate in a Pico Reef?

[Polymate3D]

Hello everyone

Call me silly for even thinking of this idea, but I have a 0.7L pico reef I am running and wish to add some carbon due to soft coral toxins. I also want a thin substrate on the base.

So my idea is to use Seachem Matrix Carbon as a thin substrate, and change some of it out each week. From what I can read, The matrix carbon is fairly hard, low dust and a bigger more structure to most.

The aquarium naturally at such a small size is already a fairly experimental tank but going very well with my own custom pump, heater and control board / light, but do you think this will result it is turning to dust and causing problems?

- Paul

 

[RSNJReef]

Honestly I think it’s a cool idea, but, it depends on what you’re going to keep in the tank. Anything with sensitive gills may get irritated with carbon fines, which inevitably will happen as you stir the carbon or remove some of it. Carbon is also pretty porous, so once it’s spent on chemical absorption, it’ll inevitably become a nitrifying bacteria bed, kind of like what aqua-char becomes after it’s been exhausted.

Also, keep in mind that carbon doesn’t make the bad stuff disappear, it just absorbs it, so the bad stuff is still in your tank, just locked down until you remove the carbon or the carbon breaks down, which would take a while but wouldn’t happen for a long time (how long I don’t know).