I've never seen a clear answer to How much Carbon you should use

cwegescheide

YOU have been ignored!
So.... How much should you use and how often should you change it?


I ask because I have about 100gal of total water volume and I use about 2-3cups of carbon and change it about 1x/month. I changed recently to a "Virgin Carbon" supposed to be the best carbon (whatever) I got the stuff from PA..

Funny thing was like the day after maybe two days after I changed the carbon to this new virgin carbon my crayola plana table RTN'd bigtime and is now DOA. Is it possible that there a relationship between these two events? Did I overdose carbon? Can you overdose carbon? What are the signs of carbon overdose?

Thanks,
Chris
 
I alway use 1/2 cup per 50 gals of tank volume. And change it once a month. I have been using carbon for yrs and never had a sps RTN from the use.
If you have not been using it all along and decided to use it, it could have cleared your water too fast and caused the sps to RTN. But not really sure, maybe others will chime in and see if they had this exoerience from using carbon.
 
I agree with the 1/2 cup for 50 gallons changed out monthly. The change was, perhaps, too drastic. I have always found use of carbon quite safe.
 
I can't speak from experiences, but I've heard some "experts" recommend changing smaller amounts out at a time so you don't shock the corals. A bunch of new carbon all at once can apparently pull out some substances too quickly. It can remove yellowing compunds so quickly that the corals get light shock.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7194665#post7194665 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by znut Reefer
I alway use 1/2 cup per 50 gals of tank volume.

That's that same I use. It was based on an article I read years ago that showed that using a larger amount of carbon didn't really do anything for clearing up water yellowing that can occur in tanks.
 
This may sound silly but did you rinse? There was a guy who didn't rinse Denitrate, which is a chemically inert compound and lost a few SPS corals cuz of that.
 
I would like to add that Hydrocarbon works great. I fill up a phosban reactor with the stuff and water is crystal clear.
 
This may sound silly but did you rinse? There was a guy who didn't rinse Denitrate, which is a chemically inert compound and lost a few SPS corals cuz of that.

Well to be honest I don't think I rinsed it as thoroughly as I could have. I don't know... I'm thinking it could have just been a coincidence that coral RTN'd on me..
 
I hadnt been using it in my 7 month old 180 and started about a month ago, I am running it through a phosban reactor and within a week my water is clearer than it has ever been.... no more yellow looking down the long end.
 
Thanks Xenia that "guy" or idiot that did not rinse the Denitrate was me....... I learned my lesson and lost 4 SPS corals. I am so happy now though because that Denitrate is the best stuff I have used so far. Between that and Purigen my nitrates are almost 0.
 
Good to hear that Bill, I never thought you were an idiot though. Guinea pig, maybe, but definitely not idiot. I'm glad your water's great now! :)
 
How are you using the carbon? If you are just setting it in a bag in your sump you should be fine. But if you are running it in a canister filter that forces the water through the carbon then that could have removed items too quickly from the water.
 
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