Carbon and HLLE

[hann1bal]

So this may be a stupid question but I was just forwarded an article that stated a link was discovered between running activated carbon and HLLE disease common in Tangs.

The article is a few years old (I can find it if I need to) but it was not the only one. I guess my question is if that is still the common wisdom of the day and if people are NOT running carbon as a precaution.

I couldn't find alot of good info and although I run carbon in a reactor off and on - I don't want to if its a bad idea.

P.S. I'm surprised I havn't heard this warning before. Unless the science is unclear.

 

[bif24701]

Yes, there is a possible link found during a study. However it was also found that if you rinse the carbon well, prevent it from abrasion and creating dust in your system that risk can be minimized. I use super low dust, easy rinse ROX .8 pellet carbon in a reactor and my tangs have never shown any signs of HLLE.


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[ReefTankHunter]

I read also cheap poor quality carbon is a factor.
I always use good quality carbon and under dose as precaution.

 

[slief]

Yes, there is a possible link found during a study. However it was also found that if you rinse the carbon well, prevent it from abrasion and creating dust in your system that risk can be minimized. I use super low dust, easy rinse ROX .8 pellet carbon in a reactor and my tangs have never shown any signs of HLLE.


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+1. I use good carbon including but not limited to Rox 8. I always rinse my carbon and in 30 years of using it, I've never had a case of HLLE. Stray voltage in my opinion is of greater concern for HLLE. At least if you are rising your carbon properly and preventing the carbon dust from getting into the water column.

 

[hann1bal]

Thanks everyone!

 

[FishN00b83]

Yeah carbon dust has been said to cause some HLLE.

 

[jda]

Many, many use carbon all of the time with no issues. That test is crazy... the food was junk and the fish were really not suitable for life in captivity... either of these is just as likely a reason than the carbon.

 

[slief]

Many, many use carbon all of the time with no issues. That test is crazy... the food was junk and the fish were really not suitable for life in captivity... either of these is just as likely a reason than the carbon.

I think you hit on another key issue which is food. Fish need a variety of quality food and in the absence of that, fish are likely more prone to HLLE.

 

[ca1ore]

IMO it's primarily about nutrition. No bigger red herring in the hobby than stray voltage, and I've used carbon for decades without a persistent case of HLLE. Those tangs that came to me with it quickly cleared with proper feeding.

 

[jda]

Before there were super high quality foods like mysis and high quality pellets like NLS, I would supplement with Vitamin E and some fatty acids. Those would do the trick.

Most of the HLLE cases that you see today are from people who only feed tangs nori since they think that they are herbivores rather than omnivores and need their meaty stuff.