does carbon filter out iodine, stron &moly, calcium?
- Thread starter seaduck
- Start date
Once carbon has snatched up the ammonia etc, yes, it will start on trace elements, so I've heard. Seems to me carbon is likely to snatch up anything that can bond to it in no particular order, so any running of carbon is like to take out trace elements. I'd be interested in a chemists' input on this question.
bureau13
New member
I read a statement recently where Eric Borneman said he'd remove the skimmer before removing carbon. I'd leave it there. If you're testing, you'll know if the levels are too low. If you're not...how do you know you need it? I'm personally not a big fan of adding without testing.
jds
jds
Good point. I take my water to pet store for testing. I dont think they test for calcium and stront&molyb, maybe iodine but im not sure. They sold me my 1st lps, lil frogspawn, and a kit which contains the 3 above. Told me to follow dirs on pkg for dosage so I added a few drops of each. Now ur telling me that i need to test above and maintain correct levels for each. If it will help guarantee to survival of the frog then I will start doing so. Ill see if pet store can do this too and if not ill by test kits....right?
bureau13
New member
Well, I'm no expert, but I see a lot of additive products for sale but I also see a lot of acknowledged experts in the field...who aren't trying to sell me stuff...not recommending all of them. I'm sure many of those trace elements are necessary...calcium and magnesium for example are definitely necessary for corals....but there IS an proper level, and you really won't know if you're at that level without testing. Strontium, iodine, etc are probably necessary in some amount as well, but many salt mixes contain them at some level, so whether or not you need to add more is up in the air. I personally do test for and add calcium and magnesium, but none of the others.
Of course, my froggy looks like crap, so maybe I'm not the one you should listen to!
jds
Of course, my froggy looks like crap, so maybe I'm not the one you should listen to!
jds
xdusty6920
New member
well first i should start by saying that one of the first things you should purchases when starting a reef is a good set of quality test kits. they are absolutely essential in having success. buy the things youll need to car for an animal before you buy the animal itself. once youve gotten to know your tank and its demands you will be able to greatly reduce testing and just check every once in a while to make sure your still on your marks.
bureau13 is correct. most salt mixes to contain trace elements that are sufficiently replaced in doing water changes. calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, ph, and salinity are some that youll want to be sure and manual replenish because optimal values are absolutely essential to success in a reef tank.
everyone has different feelings about carbon. some never use it and claim it strips the water of everything and results in a negative effect, some believe its as important as a skimmer and run carbon 24/7. i however am amongst the crowd that believes that it can be both. i run it randomly because i do feel it can benefit a tank but i do think it can be overdone. just read up on the topic alittle and form your own opinion on it.
good luck!
bureau13 is correct. most salt mixes to contain trace elements that are sufficiently replaced in doing water changes. calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, ph, and salinity are some that youll want to be sure and manual replenish because optimal values are absolutely essential to success in a reef tank.
everyone has different feelings about carbon. some never use it and claim it strips the water of everything and results in a negative effect, some believe its as important as a skimmer and run carbon 24/7. i however am amongst the crowd that believes that it can be both. i run it randomly because i do feel it can benefit a tank but i do think it can be overdone. just read up on the topic alittle and form your own opinion on it.
good luck!
MCsaxmaster
New member
To the best of my knowledge activated carbon shouldn't affect those ions, but I'd double check with Randy to be uber-sure.
...I'm fairly certain they don't though.
cj
...I'm fairly certain they don't though.
cj
Whether or not carbon will take out trace elements will largely depend on the form they are in, IMO. Carbon will only "remove" organics; however, a lot of trace elements are dosed as organic chelates. These will be removed by the carbon.
Other ionic minerals (i.e., from pure mineral salts like CaCl2) may fair a little better. They will probably adsorb onto the carbon to some extent (will also adsorb on iron-based phosphate media and maybe rocks too). This is more true for the polyvalent ions (Ca+2, SO4-2, etc.) than the monovalent ions (Na+1, Cl-1).
Other ionic minerals (i.e., from pure mineral salts like CaCl2) may fair a little better. They will probably adsorb onto the carbon to some extent (will also adsorb on iron-based phosphate media and maybe rocks too). This is more true for the polyvalent ions (Ca+2, SO4-2, etc.) than the monovalent ions (Na+1, Cl-1).
Justin74
New member
Seaduck I highly doubt that your 10 gallon tank is going to suck through the calcium to the point where you'll need to dose. With a smaller tank like that youd be better off just being consistant with your water changes then you can rest assured everything that needs to be in there is and at the right levels..
People that need to dose typically have fairly stocked tanks with stony corals and/or calcium dependant macro algaes. Or, are between water changes, or dont do them very often, or, at all.
-Justin
People that need to dose typically have fairly stocked tanks with stony corals and/or calcium dependant macro algaes. Or, are between water changes, or dont do them very often, or, at all.
-Justin
Blockamon, thank you. THat's very useful.
Seaduck, I'd no more run my own tank without tests than I'd drive 1-90 blindfolded at rush hour, but then my buffer demand for my 52 is 2 tsp a day and my calcium demand is creeping above 2 heaping tsp a day. Your 10 gallon, however, is capable of being ok with water changes for a while. If, however, you get corals, be advised they reach a sudden turnaround point when they start growth and get hungry. Yours, at my stage, could get to where it uses a quarter tsp a day of each, but that's still very small, and within the capacity of water changes to supply. Then you go much above that, and zing! suddenly you have mysterious problems in ph. If that ever happens to you start testing your own water asap.
Seaduck, I'd no more run my own tank without tests than I'd drive 1-90 blindfolded at rush hour, but then my buffer demand for my 52 is 2 tsp a day and my calcium demand is creeping above 2 heaping tsp a day. Your 10 gallon, however, is capable of being ok with water changes for a while. If, however, you get corals, be advised they reach a sudden turnaround point when they start growth and get hungry. Yours, at my stage, could get to where it uses a quarter tsp a day of each, but that's still very small, and within the capacity of water changes to supply. Then you go much above that, and zing! suddenly you have mysterious problems in ph. If that ever happens to you start testing your own water asap.
Ok, thanks for the addl'l info. a 25% weekly water change should do it for now. I only have 3 polyp clusters and 1 small frogspawn. I'll keep an eye on calcium and buffer needs as I add more corals. This is so awesome...these things are so beautiful and so complex. I'm counting on this board to help make it as simple as possible....thanks again
boomsticks
New member
I run carbon (Canister Filter) HOT Magnum 24/7 and a Seaclone...hah...what a joke...skimmer and this has been the way for the 24 nano since the start. I have had no problems keeping a small Gonipora, rather large Bubble, FIreside Acro, Dragon's Tail Acro (Green Slimer) and a Porite frag...oh yeah and the huge mat of Green Starbursts. Light is 14K MH 150watt, weekly sometimes twice a week water changes and iron dose (eee
