Freshwater Carbon in Marine Tank

[Zeeter]

I accidentally bought carbon with freshwater formulated zeolite in it. This wouldn't be a big deal and I would normally wait a couple of days for a reorder except that I'm currently running chemi clean and thought this would be a good time to change it out. Didn't realize until after tossing the old stuff that the new stuff was for freshwater.

This is a foolish question, but I can't really find anything online about using this stuff in a marine tank. For reference, it is Marineland Diamond Blend Ammonia-Neutralizing Zeolite and Carbon.

From what I can tell, at best it's going to do its carbon thing and the zeolite might remove some stray ammonia. At worst it's going to do its carbon thing and then the zeolite isn't going to do anything but sit there mocking me.

Can anyone confirm this? I have some Chemi Pure on order at the moment to use moving forward.

Speaking of Chemi Pure, here is another dumb question. Any issues with breaking the bag open to use loosely in the reactor? Doesn't seem as though it would matter.

 

[thomas_neil]

Zeolite is a product to lower/remove nutrients from the water. It won't hurt anything but may lower your NO3 and PO4. People run reactors of the stuff, its kind of like carbon dosing without "dosing" anything to the tank.

 

[Zeeter]

Zeolite is a product to lower/remove nutrients from the water. It won't hurt anything but may lower your NO3 and PO4. People run reactors of the stuff, its kind of like carbon dosing without "dosing" anything to the tank.

My understanding is that there is a different formula (?) for freshwater zeolite vs. marine zeolite. I don't think the freshwater mix will hurt the reef tank, but am trying to be sure.

 

[thomas_neil]

Sorry, had a brain fart. This is what I could find from a quick google search.

 

[Zeeter]

Sorry, had a brain fart. This is what I could find from a quick google search.

Wow! That's an eye opener.

Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Well, what do they think it will do? lol

But its deadly!!! lol

Id use it, then switch to ROX 0.8. IME Marineland Black Diamond contributed to HLLE-like issues in my tank.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Wow! That's an eye opener.

Thanks

Yes, how badly some web sites provide misinformation. lol

 

[thomas_neil]

Yes, how badly some web sites provide misinformation. lol

Id listen to Randy over what I quickly found on google

 

[Zeeter]

Id listen to Randy over what I quickly found on google

With respect to all involved, I'm going to wait for my chemi pure to arrive and then not worry about it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

With respect to all involved, I'm going to wait for my chemi pure to arrive and then not worry about it.

No offense taken, but this sort of online misinformation with no explanation or justification was a primary reason for having reef chemistry forums for the past 30 years.

And no offense to Zweeter, but his response is why many companies continue to tout misinformation: because it gets people to use or not use certain products without any convincing rationale.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Here's my hypothesis of how this misinformation started from a nugget of truth...

1. The zeolite clinoptilolite binds ammonia in fresh water (true fact).
2. it has much less capacity to bind ammonia from seawater, so company X selling it says that (true fact)
3. Someone else repeats that as it should not be used in seawater
4. Someone else says it is bad to use it in seawater
5. Someone else says it is lethal in seawater.

So a minimally useful/useless product becomes a lethal product.

 

[Zeeter]

Here's my hypothesis of how this misinformation started from a nugget of truth...

1. The zeolite clinoptilolite binds ammonia in fresh water (true fact).
2. it has much less capacity to bind ammonia from seawater, so company X selling it says that (true fact)
3. Someone else repeats that as it should not be used in seawater
4. Someone else says it is bad to use it in seawater
5. Someone else says it is lethal in seawater.

So a minimally useful/useless product becomes a lethal product.

That's funny and probably pretty accurate!!