Activated carbon Hob nano question

[Ogi]

I have a Hob filter in my 12 gallon reef tank which is cycling rated for a 25 gallon tank, I have filled it with activated carbon and live rock chunks or rubble roughly one cm in size. Is that sufficient enough? I also have a power head which does 158 gph, along with a lot of live rock taking up two thirds of the tank and a 2 inch live sand bed.

Is this enough to cycle my live rock which I purchased from a local pet store and is full of life. Will it be enough to get rid of the ammonia ?

 

[CuzzA]

Yes. You don't need rock in the filter. Just makes it harder to clean. You can use pantyhose as carbon socks to put in the filter. Makes rinsing and changing easier.

 

[Ogi]

Thank you, great tip, now just to be patient and test my water again

 

[CuzzA]

You can also buy quilt batting and rubberband it to used filters. Just rip off the old batting and rubberband the new. Changed weekly a bag of quilt batting will probably last you a couple years and likely costs less than one replacement filter. Plus no time wasted cleaning dirty filters and wasting RO water.

 

[skeeter_ca]

Yes. The live rock in your tank will be your biological filter and is probably more than enough. The rubble in your HOB will just add more to it.

 

[Ogi]

Does anyone know what this is?

Does anyone know what this is?

View attachment 331677

Does anyone know what this is?

the red worm/ algae looking things

also what should my alkalinity be?

temp 78f
specific gravity 1.0223
ph 8
alk 14kh
ammonia 1
nitrite and nitrate 0
12gallon tank
hob with active carbon rated for 25 gallon
fluval led lighting (not sure strength)
water movement 7 times greater than tank gph
tank is roughly a week old, how am i doing?

 

[Dkuhlmann]

You don't need to run carbon while your tank is cycling. All you are doing is wasting money with doing that.

 

[Ogi]

Oh I got it for free so I thought why not, also read it helps with the smell which it seems to have in my case

 

[CuzzA]

View attachment 331677

Does anyone know what this is?

the red worm/ algae looking things

also what should my alkalinity be?

temp 78f
specific gravity 1.0223
ph 8
alk 14kh
ammonia 1
nitrite and nitrate 0
12gallon tank
hob with active carbon rated for 25 gallon
fluval led lighting (not sure strength)
water movement 7 times greater than tank gph
tank is roughly a week old, how am i doing?

Are the things hard or soft? Your alkalinity is too high. Natural sea water is around 7, you're double that. A good number to keep it at is 8. This gives you a little wiggle room if it should fall. I doubt that light is going to grow much more than very easy soft corals, which in a 12 gallon tank is really all you should consider keeping anyway. It sounds like you're on the right track. Wait until ammonia is zero for a couple days and then add a couple snails and hermits.

Be prepared that on a tank this small it will require close monitoring for topping off with RO/DI water and frequent water changes.

You don't need to run carbon while your tank is cycling. All you are doing is wasting money with doing that.

Personally, I think running carbon in a new tank is a good idea. We simply don't know what contaminants may have been introduced from the setup process. We're throwing together a bunch of equipment and materials from warehouses and manufacturing plants all over the world and also introducing rock from unknown origins.

 

[Ogi]

I haven't touched them as of yet. Thank you for the constructive critiscm