Coal in your reef tank: Do you use carbon?

[bushdoc]

I used it in the past, but not now. Partially because I have a problem with low nutrients and there is not enough corals in my tank yet to release toxins. I might consider it when tank has got more inhabitants.

 

[Garf]

Yep, little but often. Everything in the tank exudes something that can affect everything else, whether intentionally or just as a byproduct of living. Carbon is one line of defense.

 

[shwareefer]

I only use it reactively. If some corals look annoyed but I can't measure anything wrong, I throw on a hangon with some carbon and/or a polyfilter. Otherwise I don't use it.

 

[kboogie]

I use Purigen. The link between granulated carbon and HLLE is too strong to risk it. There is a good study using oceanic tangs which should be the nail in the coffin for carbon use.

 

[tsharpe291]

I run carbon through a reactor, replace it once a month.

 

[Martin Turrubiates]

Use it all the time. Usually run it once a month in a dual reactor but I use Rox .8 it doesn’t hurt my tangs since it’s not cheap carbon

 

[homer1475]

24/7/365

Rox 0.8 in a reactor with a small bit of GFO mixed in, changed biweekly.

 

[OCFishGuy]

I run carbon 24/7 and change out a bag of it every few months or if my Nitrate stat to climb to high.

 

[ReefHog10]

Always because you never know when a kid might put their hand or something in the tank.

Or me.. (everytime I say I’m going to keep my own hands out for a while I wake up the next morning to one of the urchins having knocked over 1/2 the corals.. never fails.. ha)

 

[glency]

I do. When I don’t the water in a white bucket is green and a little smelly. With it, it’s blue and smells like an ocean breeze while eating ice cream in the later afternoon, summertime, on the north shore of Hawaii.

 

[Garf]

I use Purigen. The link between granulated carbon and HLLE is too strong to risk it. There is a good study using oceanic tangs which should be the nail in the coffin for carbon use.

I’ve tried purigen, to me didn’t appear to do much, if anything. Is there a study on purigen?

 

[StewL6]

I use Brightwell Purit in mesh bag in sump for a couple weeks every couple of months. I have fough heavy metals in my tank. My SPS look a lot brighter with more vivid colors when I use it.

 

[addictedtoreefing]

Coal in your reef tank: Do you use carbon?

When it comes to presents you may wistfully stare at your tank and think, “All I want for Christmas is you” or “I want a Hippopus for Christmas”, but what about your stocking? Were you on the naughty or nice list? Will you get coal in your stocking? Ok, you don’t have to answer that, but we would like to know if you put coal in your tank - I mean, in the form of carbon and carbon dosing? Anyone else use a carbon tower for their RODI water? Do you use carbon? Tell us why or why not and share your experiences.

Photo by @Bulk Reef Supply

If you must know, I did actually get a large hunk of coal in my stocking when I was twelve. My dad filled the Christmas stockings that we opened on Christmas Eve and my mom was in charge of the presents that we opened on Christmas morning. I got a train set on Christmas morning, but many, many years later I still remember the coal. I deserved it and my dad got his message across. I made extra sure that I was on the nice list the next year. If you do get coal this year (and a few of you probably deserve it), I hope that it comes in the form of carbon!

 

[addictedtoreefing]

I use carbon on a regular basis in case of coral warfare. Also it really takes the yellow out of tank if water changes arent as frequent. Every 2 weeks I try to change it.

 

[i cant think]

I use carbon however the reason why isn’t for water clarity instead it’s because I have a mixed reef with 4 leathers (6 if you include Capnella in the leathers). My newest leather, a Neon Green Lobophytum, loves to shed and is currently pulling his longest shed so far. But with the carbon my Miyagi Tort doesn’t care and is wide open
If you’re curious, this is a close up of the leather that’s shedding currently.

 

[Moscar]

I drank the (blue) Kool Aid.
Korallen-Zucht activated carbon in a bag on top of my rocks in a Zeovit reactor.

 

[Tacticool-Reefer]

Since I’ve been told (unsure if this is true or not) that carbon tends to release phosphate after sometime, three days is all I leave it in my canister at a two weeks rotation.

 

[Garf]

Since I’ve been told (unsure if this is true or not) that carbon tends to release phosphate after sometime, three days is all I leave it in my canister at a two weeks rotation.

Yeah, I think the level of phosphate is tiny however. Three days does seem a reasonable amount of time for carbon to be covered in bacteria however, blocking it up. I’ve not actually seen a test that uses bacteria coated carbon to see if it’s still effective.

Just as a curiosity there was a paper from years ago that tried regenerating certain types of carbon in a microwave but that was not from a saltwater tank, which probably complicates things significantly;

Microwave-assisted regeneration of activated carbon

Microwave heating was used in the regeneration of methylene blue-loaded activated carbons produced from fibers (PFAC), empty fruit bunches (EFBAC) and…

www.sciencedirect.com

 

[Labridaedicted]

I run it sparingly if there is obvious coral aggression or if I notice the water clouding. I run it maybe 2-3 days in an average year.

When I run it, the water gets too clear and the fish start trying to attack their reflections.

 

[Weeb]

One aspect of carbon/activated carbon is that for a few days or a couple of weeks (depending on quantity, size of aquarium, and organics quantity) will take on organic molecules. As sites fill of these organics the smaller 'nooks and crannies' fill with trace elements.

Keep water changes going; change carbon when it has done its organics job.