Trace elements over time and carbon

Spare time · Dec 27, 2020

So I have run carbon (usually did red sea, switched to rox, and then did some red sea 2 weeks ago)on my system for the typical features that most run carbon for. However, I also ran it in hopes that if I was to have some impurity in dosing or some unused trace element built up that it would potentially help lower than number. I know that this probably is a bit too generalized to say whether or not this would work for all trace elements but I figured this works for toxic metals and what not. However, because I have a tang with HLLE developing, I am removing carbon and only keeping my socks, refugium, and little purigen packet ( up to 100 gallon per packet) in the tank. I am debating whether or not to try carbon again once my tang heals from HLLE. I have no clue how long this would tank. Is there any sort of validity to my concerns? Would polyfilter be able to substitute carbon?

Greg P · Dec 27, 2020

Unless you have lots of coral warfare going on I'd recommend you stick with regular water changes over using carbon. If you really feel the need, just run it one week/month.
I was using Rox up until spring 2016. Once removed my yellow tang healed and was fine ever since.

Spare time · Dec 29, 2020

Greg P said:
Unless you have lots of coral warfare going on I'd recommend you stick with regular water changes over using carbon. If you really feel the need, just run it one week/month.
I was using Rox up until spring 2016. Once removed my yellow tang healed and was fine ever since.

I am not using carbon for the purpose of coral warefare (only my sps to to battle constantly). My primary use was to clarify the water and to act as a sort of buffer for elements that I dose that may or may not be used and could be built up over time (such as some metal or something from a trace element mix that could be toxic overtime); my main question was if this is a justified use of carbon. Since I have roughly 75-90 gallons of water, I would need very large amounts of water to change each month if that was the path I would take, and I don't have a mixing or water storage station (just a 5 gallon bucket and a pump). Given work and school, it would take me over a week to do a significant water change and I just simply don't want the mess.

PS I like your profile picture. The yellow is my favorite wrasse but sadly they enjoy miraculous escapes from my tank