CARBON usage, methods, advice.....

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13065511#post13065511 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Boomer
Well, send them here to this thread :lol:

already did

 

[melev]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13065499#post13065499 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Boomer
Marc

You spend way to much of your time "polishing" things. And I don't mean just floors either

I Cup / 50 gals is now becoming pretty much std. Ken's test show more than that may be needed. The old std was on the order of 1 tbls / gal. ( 3 cups /50 gal) to 1 tbls / 5 gal. ( ~ 0.5 cups / 50 gal. ) How much you use is really a choice, as all GAC is NOT the same. More does not hurt anything. If you pay close attention to your pH you will see it drops quicker than with new GAC. That drop depends on the load and the type and amount of GAC. Many waste GAC by change it out to fast. A month is a good time but one should take it out ounce a week, rinse it at the same time you kinda crush it with your hands as you tumble the bag and put it back in. GAC is not shot in one week. A simple MB test will prove that. It is just less effective.

Thanks for chiming in. I'm using whatever GAC Borneman likes, the same stuff their university uses. I don't know what it is specifically, nor who makes it. I do know it has no phosphate in it after soaking it for 24 hours, so that's good.

I don't think I'll pull it out to rinse it and crush it. I'd rather just change it out.

I've got a mixed reef, and the 3 cups of carbon are doing a good job keeping the alleopathy & chem warfare my corals exude out of the water.

What is a MB test?

 

[Michael]

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/2/aafeature1

 

[Boomer]

Methylene Blue, you know what that is correct ? Put a std does in some FW and then pump the water through GAC to see how much, how fast/long it takes the water clear. You could just do it in a bucket and set the bag in there with an aristone. This will give you a good idea after you done this a few times when to change it out. I'll bet you take out the GAC you are chucking the MB will be gone in a few hrs. and the water clear.

 

[melev]

Neat. Nope, I didn't know about that. Where do you get it?

Like I need one more thing to do. :lol:

 

[Boomer]

Almost all LFS have it. It is used allot for freshater fish eggs to kill off fungus.

One example
http://www.novalek.com/kordon/methylene_blue/index.htm

http://www.fishvet.com/Methylene_Blue.htm