I have a 90 gallon saltwater aquarium that has been set up for about 5 months now. I am slowly adding livestock to the aquarium. I added a couple pieces of coral at about the 4 month mark. Last week, I added 2 clownfish, 2 blue gobies, and a yellow basslet. Prior to adding the fish, my water parameters have been consistently good at 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 0 nitrates, and .04 - .08 phosphates. I have not tested my water since adding the fish which I will do this weekend. My question is whether or not I should add some carbon to the aquarium to take care of the fish and food wastes? Thanks for your feedback!
Carbon or Not?
- Thread starter BF90GREEF
- Start date
Potatohead
New member
Carbon is generally used to make the water more clear, that's really about it. I personally like using it.
Bent
I got nothin'
Sometimes it's helpful if there are specific suspected toxins in the water.
Potatohead
New member
Or to remove medicines... Forgot about that
Bent
I got nothin'
Yep, me too.
Reef Frog
New member
Removes disolved orgsnics too. If the water from a change is put n 5 gallon bucket & you see a yellow shade, you could benefit from carbon. It's like removing some of tomorrow's phosphates & nitrates today.
Don't go cheap, get good stuff.
Some fish like Tangs can suffer from HLLE it's reported if tiny particles get in the tank. Some corals already adapted to rich water may protest & deflate or show stress sometimes if funky water is cleaned too quickly,'especially with lots of high power big quality carbon.
I use it off & on based on my observations. When I pull a bat out and it's still likely effect it I rinse in RODI water & keep it refrigerated.
Don't go cheap, get good stuff.
Some fish like Tangs can suffer from HLLE it's reported if tiny particles get in the tank. Some corals already adapted to rich water may protest & deflate or show stress sometimes if funky water is cleaned too quickly,'especially with lots of high power big quality carbon.
I use it off & on based on my observations. When I pull a bat out and it's still likely effect it I rinse in RODI water & keep it refrigerated.
Last edited:
Bent
I got nothin'
CStrickland
New member
I think in the long run its probs more efficient/cost effective to use other stuff like a skimmer, gfo, and regular water changes for nutrient export. There's no good test for how dirty water is, so it's a crap shoot when carbon needs replacing. I've heard it can be exhausted in a few hours depending on the water it's cleaning.
But once you get the main exports online, it can polish the water nicely. When I'm having houseguests I like to clean my glass, vacuum the sand, change the filter socks, and place a piece of this filter pad stuff that's impregnated with carbon such that the water has to flow through it for a few hours. Make the tank look sharp.
It occurs to me as I read your op again, that you might be asking about dosing carbon, as opposed to running carbon. That's diff, and usually used to solve a problem. But if you are asking about adding vodka, or vinegar, or biopellets, or nopox, we can advise on that too.
But once you get the main exports online, it can polish the water nicely. When I'm having houseguests I like to clean my glass, vacuum the sand, change the filter socks, and place a piece of this filter pad stuff that's impregnated with carbon such that the water has to flow through it for a few hours. Make the tank look sharp.
It occurs to me as I read your op again, that you might be asking about dosing carbon, as opposed to running carbon. That's diff, and usually used to solve a problem. But if you are asking about adding vodka, or vinegar, or biopellets, or nopox, we can advise on that too.
Reef Frog
New member
^'All good points indeed. But many organics escape a skimmer, which are said to only be about 30% effective or something like that. The best test is the white bucket/yellow water test. You can sometimes see carbon clean it up in a few short hours.
My skimmer seems to get the bulk of the crud but the GAC does the detail work. Metaphore Alert; it's like cleaning a dirty floor. The skimmer is sweeping up &'vacuuming the dust bunnies & last nights stray cocktail peanuts & such. The carbon is wet mopping.
I kind of use the force, if you will, and can see when it's needed in my tank. I believe it can be over done.
For those who raise soft corals notorious for being chemical warriors, alongside hard stony corals in the same tank, running good carbon is the GO-TO solution when toxins hit the fan.
A light hand is needed with carbon in tanks already running GFO and other export medias - especially when dealing with poor polyp extension, color loss & of course bleaching.
My skimmer seems to get the bulk of the crud but the GAC does the detail work. Metaphore Alert; it's like cleaning a dirty floor. The skimmer is sweeping up &'vacuuming the dust bunnies & last nights stray cocktail peanuts & such. The carbon is wet mopping.
I kind of use the force, if you will, and can see when it's needed in my tank. I believe it can be over done.
For those who raise soft corals notorious for being chemical warriors, alongside hard stony corals in the same tank, running good carbon is the GO-TO solution when toxins hit the fan.
A light hand is needed with carbon in tanks already running GFO and other export medias - especially when dealing with poor polyp extension, color loss & of course bleaching.
JohnnyHildo
Member
carbon also does a great job of keeping the fish tank smell out of your house. i decided to try running without it for a couple of weeks this spring and decided to go back to it.
gone fishin
New member
I keep a mix of corals in my tank, softies, LPS, SPS and gorgonians. I can usually tell when my carbon needs changed by how my corals are reacting. I personally prefer using the ROX 0.8 from BRS, it has a very low dust content and a higher surface area. Good luck just my 2 cents
BigEZ77
Member
Yes, that is a big reason why I use it! I have a bag of Chemipure Blue and a bag of purigen in my sump (change every two months). I also run a reactor with Phosguard and a little but of matrix carbon on top (change every two weeks) in the hopes of absorbing some of the aluminum before it hits the tank. So far so good, corals and fish seem happy.
desjardini
In Memoriam
Depending on the frequency in which you do water changes, sometimes this will eliminate the need for GAC on a system.
billdogg
Well-known member
I have always used carbon in every tank I have ever had. 24/7/365, for all of the reasons mentioned above. I really can't think of a good reason NOT to use it. It is most effective in a reactor just like GFO, but it can also be used in a canister filter (one of the really good uses for a canister IMO) or if no other means is available, placed in a fine mesh bag and tossed int he sump. (old pantyhose will work and can then just be tossed when you change it out)
hth
hth
