Carbon Question: How often do you run it and how often do you change it?

[Whasmack]

1. How often are you running carbon to filter your water?
I leave the reactor online 24/7; with a low flow rate.

2. How often are you replacing your carbon?
Once every 2 months or so. Maybe less frequently.

3. What size aquarium do you have?
180g + 120g
4. Are you using a media reactor to filter your water through the carbon or some other method?
Media Reactor.

Carbon pulls a lot of good & bad out of the water. Since I don't to W/C's & dose a bunch of minor / trace elements, it can be counter productive to run carbon.

 

[Ferrell]

Once a month for one week, or when cutting leathers

 

[jack_aubry]

I don't run any carbon on my 40G AIO. I was waiting until the water turned yellowish before starting, but almost a year in hasn't happened yet. I do a 15% wc every week, and the water I put in looks like the water I take out.

 

[Mortie31]

I use an oxydator instead of carbon, run it 24/7 and haven’t had yellowing of water in a couple of years since started using it...

 

[Metcho]

1. How often are you running carbon to filter your water?24/7

2. How often are you replacing your carbon? Every month.

3. What size aquarium do you have?
40 breeder 30 breeder and 225 peninsula with 90 gal sump

4. Are you using a media reactor to filter your water through the carbon or some other method? Yes Brs reactor

 

[mucky1957]

24/7 in a 240lt tank..change it every 6 weeks or so.

 

[av8soulfly]

I run carbon in my 3 nano tanks but not in my 100 gallon FOWLR or my 100 gallon REEF mostly for financial reasons. I would need to be buying carbon every few days if I used it in the large tanks.

 

[Andrew D]

1. How often are you running carbon to filter your water? I'm using ROX Carbon 24/7, 2 cannisters full

2. How often are you replacing your carbon? I replace 1 of 2 cannisters every week (when I remember)

3. What size aquarium do you have? 700+G system (350 display, 150G sump, 90G frag, 100G nem tank, 20G mantis tank)

4. Are you using a media reactor to filter your water through the carbon or some other method? yes, BRS media reactors

 

[Danoag]

When I first started. I ran the brs rox0.8 at half of what they recommend in a brs reactor . Changed it with ever other water change about once a month. After about 8 months running with only fish. Finally got my lights to add coral. Got few peices that did well at first but started to not open as well. Thought I’d done something wrong. Eventually I did a ICP test you find out I had 0 level of iodine. I dosed brightwell iodion only 3ml and things started to plump back up and zoas are opening everything looks loads better. Long story I know but I’m thinking the carbon I used took the iodine out of the water. Does this make sense?

 

[ca1ore]

I run carbon continuously. I do a bucket test and replace when there is any sign of yellowing water .... typically that is every few months. Display is a 450 with about 600 total system gallons. GAC runs in a TLF large cannister.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Carbon Poll: How often do you run it and how often do you change it?

What is Carbon Filtration?

"Commonly used in reef tanks, activated carbon is great for a whole variety of reasons, ranging for removal of general contaminants, dissolved organics, undesirable odors, yellowing pigments in the water, removing the build-up of toxins that corals and algae emit to fight each other, and much more. Other than manual removal via water changes, we would say the number one reason reefers use activated carbon is to remove yellowing pigments in the water. Water coloration is both a visual indicator of pollution building up in the water, but also make the corals drabber and can quickly reduce the overall power transfer from the light to the bottom of the tank by 30% or more. You may not think your water is yellow, but the best time to notice is actually when the lights are out the water should be crystal clear with near zero yellow tinting. Even better next time you do a water change fill up a bucket with a white bottom, and you'll see precisely how yellow water may be. It should be a crystal-clear with any color being present being a slight blue tint." - BulkReefSupply.com

So let's talk about it!

1. How often are you running carbon to filter your water?

2. How often are you replacing your carbon?

3. What size aquarium do you have?

4. Are you using a media reactor to filter your water through the carbon or some other method?

I do need to set up a carbon filter, to clear the water maybe once a month. My water has a green tint to it which is not bad, considering 70 Pacific oysters being used as natural filtration and such, but if I use carbon it will look crystal clear, looking at the tank straight on no issues but if you look the length of it, a slight Haze. So it's one of those things on our list to do. When I hope soon, I do have a do-it-yourself two and a half gallon canister I just might remove the biological filtration material and use that just run it like for 24 hours once a month.

 

[Squidward]

Due to HLLE and I have 10 Tangs. No Thanks.

 

[X-37B]

24/7
1 cup Rox 0.8
Small nano reactor that
Holds 1 cup
Replace 1st of every month.
120 DT
40 breeder sump


45 frag/lagoon system
40 breeder sump
4 tbs Rox 0.8 in mesh bag in sump
Change 1st every month

 

[madweazl]

So I technically run it 24/7 but I've been lazy that last two months and I've probably only replaced it twice in that time frame so it likely hasn't been doing much. I need to get back on track with my typical maintenance habits. I select "most of the time" due to my laziness LOL.

 

[James Emory]

1. How often are you running carbon to filter your water? 24/7

2. How often are you replacing your carbon? I was changing every 2 weeks, but am trialing changing every month (that stuff gets expensive)

3. What size aquarium do you have? 180 gal display, 100 gal sump and 20 gal frag tank. The other tank is a 32 gal Biocube.

4. Are you using a media reactor to filter your water through the carbon or some other method? The larger system is on a reactor, the biocube just has a media bag

I'm going to discontinue the use of carbon/chemi pure. My water is way too sterile for a reef tank. No measurable phosphates or nitrates. Need to get those numbers up just a tad.

 

[Sonor]

I run my carbon in a media sock 24/7. I replace it when the bucket test shows yellowing which is about 1-2 months. My display is approx 190 gallons with approx 250 gallon total system volume.

 

[tony'stank]

1 24/7 - Chemipure blue
2 change every 2 mos.
3 90 Gal RSR 450
4 yes BRS dual reactor

 

[Haacheew]

1. How often are you running carbon to filter your water? -- 24/7 (most of time)

2. How often are you replacing your carbon? -- 2 months

3. What size aquarium do you have? -- 20 gallon

4. Are you using a media reactor to filter your water through the carbon or some other method? -- filter bag only

 

[jd371]

Two tanks, 75g ( 85g total) mixed reef and 20g ( 30g total) anemone.
running 24/7 for both
replace about twice a month
reactor for the 75g and mesh bag in sump for 20g

 

[Arabyps]

1. How often are you running carbon to filter your water? 24/7

2. How often are you replacing your carbon? Every 2weeks

3. What size aquarium do you have? 130 gallon display tank, 40 gallon sump

4. Are you using a media reactor to filter your water through the carbon or some other method? Media reactor