Carbon

[dstall]

How long should i leave carbon in my sump?

 

[Racing1]

Hard to say, some people say 3-4 weeks and I have read that you should only run it for 2-3 days an then take it out so it doesn't leach things back into the water....

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

A few weeks is typical, as mentioned above. Obviously the true useful lifetime depends on what is in the water, how much you use, and the flow rate through it. But in the absence of any real good ways to know, most folks just guess a few weeks. Beyond that it becomes coated with bacteria and such that prevent further utility, even if it was not depleted.

 

[dstall]

Thanks Randy.

 

[Thomalop]

Should you always run carbon?

Changing it out for new carbon of course?

 

[DrBegalke]

I tend to change mine on or near the first of the month, easy to remember that way.

I also mix GFO in with it.

Some people use carbon only occasionally, I use it continuously as I think it is more efficient that way.

 

[Sk8r]

Some people have suggested a relationship between constantly running carbon and HLLE in tangs and angels. I have no data on that, but do watch that carefully.

Carbon 'absorbs' things. It absorbs ammonia. It absorbs copper. I am not personally sure what all it absorbs, but that list of trace minerals in your ocean salt might suffer somewhat from being absorbed. If angels and tangs are being affected by perpetual carbon, my suspicion would be that it is sopping up some trace element they otherwise get from the water they continually 'drink.'