How important is running carbon?

[magdelan]

I am currently running a 30g tank with a Tetratec filter. It has to filter compartments of which one I have removed. I replaced it with a p04 remover. The other filter cartridge dosn't have any carbon in it. How important is running carbon to the tank and what effects might I fing from not running it???

 

[Hockeydad]

IMO...Very

IMO...Very

I use it in an sps tank 24/7 without bad results. Helps keep toxins down and promotes healthier growth environment.

 

[GuyCarlton]

Carbon does wonders... keeps water more 'pristine', removes chemicals and impurities, and can clean up medication or any treatments your tank is going through.

I use it 24/7, change it every 2 weeks, and so far so good.

 

[RobsReefs]

carbon and water changes your 2 bestfriends.

 

[Apocallypse]

I use Carbon on my 37 gal. reef tank about once a month to polish the tank ( usually so i can give my skimmer a break and clean it out and rest it for a day or so).

 

[DrBegalke]

i use carbon as well.

 

[rmanecke]

I have a quick anecdote on carbon. Back when I was keeping Oscars... way before I had money for an RO unit, our tap water was toxic... dead fish toxic... maybe from the plumbing in the shack that we were renting back then. Anyway...

I had a cheap tap water filter from NSA, carbon only. Our crappy tap filtered through this was fine for the fish. Whatever toxins were in the water were filitered out with just carbon.

Out of superstition and fear... I still run carbon both on my RO DI unit and... in my reef tank as a little insurance.

 

[George Gouveia]

well...i would say that you should try moving to the next step? why not try Chemi-pure ?

http://www.boydenterprisesonline.com/pages/2/index.htm

I've seen this used to great effects. once i have my reef up it'll be a undispensable part of it.

 

[worlds under]

ask Boomer in the chemistry forum

 

[bilby]

Carbon is a necessity to keep algae out and fish healthy

 

[wds21921]

One big thing you will notice is when you go to change your water. If you use white buckets especially, notice the yellow tinge sometimes? When running carbon or Boyd's Chemi-Pure (which I highly recommend) that coloring is gone or almost totally eliminated.

Of course the follow-up question would be what is it (yellow) and is it bad? Well let's put it this way, it didn't go into the tank that way. That's not exactly a highly scientific explanation but try going without just once for a couple months and you'll see why so many people do use it rather than not.

I don't agree it helps keep algae out as much as it eliminates what could possibly feed the algae. Your still going to have algae with or without it.

 

[kevin25]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8576865#post8576865 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wds21921
One big thing you will notice is when you go to change your water. If you use white buckets especially, notice the yellow tinge sometimes? When running carbon or Boyd's Chemi-Pure (which I highly recommend) that coloring is gone or almost totally eliminated.

Of course the follow-up question would be what is it (yellow) and is it bad? Well let's put it this way, it didn't go into the tank that way. That's not exactly a highly scientific explanation but try going without just once for a couple months and you'll see why so many people do use it rather than not.

I don't agree it helps keep algae out as much as it eliminates what could possibly feed the algae. Your still going to have algae with or without it.

Good answer, I am also a firm believer in carbon