running carbon

[Sundiego]

How do I run carbon in my tank. I want to clear it up a bit. I have a sump, skimmer, and filter sock. Do I just put the bag of carbon in the filter sock? How much do I need for a 100g tank?

Thx Mark

 

[Aquarist007]

buy a phosban reactor and put the charcoal in there instead of the phosban.
The advantage is that the way has to pass through the carbon rather then finding a quick way around it--thus the carbon is more effective in reducing dissolved organic compounds.
I change the charcoal in the phosban reactor every three weeks on my 110gal.

 

[Sundiego]

What is the purpose of a phosban reactor?

 

[ZooZ]

its made to hold a phosphate reducing media. But many people use carbon as well because of its design explained by capn_hylinur

 

[Rockhead21564]

I use an old fluval with the media pulled out on tanks with no sump. Now if I have sump to use I'll just place bags of carbon within the baffles so that the water must pass through it. anywhere in the stream is going to work, its just how effectively. I change my carbon every 2 months approx, but I use many lbs of it at a time per tank.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10690945#post10690945 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Rockhead21564
I use an old fluval with the media pulled out on tanks with no sump. Now if I have sump to use I'll just place bags of carbon within the baffles so that the water must pass through it. anywhere in the stream is going to work, its just how effectively. I change my carbon every 2 months approx, but I use many lbs of it at a time per tank.

that works but as far as cost the phosban reactor uses much less carbon and you can change it more often with less cost.

Isn't 2 months a long time to be running carbon--alot of time to be gunked up with DOC's--just asking not being critical--we're all learning new tricks as we help others

 

[tbar]

I put a micron bag with carbon in the internal box of my overflow. Is that okay?

 

[Sk8r]

Or you can put a knotted ladies unused kneehigh nylon with 1/2 cup carbon in it into the downflow area, 50 cents and disposable.

Do remove your carbon after 4-5 days before you forget it's in there: it absorbs stuff from your water, but once it saturates with bad stuff, it starts releasing it all back again.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10691754#post10691754 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sk8r
Or you can put a knotted ladies unused kneehigh nylon with 1/2 cup carbon in it into the downflow area, 50 cents and disposable.

Do remove your carbon after 4-5 days before you forget it's in there: it absorbs stuff from your water, but once it saturates with bad stuff, it starts releasing it all back again.

thanks sk8r--kind of reinforces what I asked above--re leaving the carbon in for up to two months.

the other thing I like about running the carbon in a phosban reactor is that you can tell when things are starting to get gummed up by watching the flow rate out of it. I use 3 or 4 weeks running it or when the flow rate starts reduciing out of the phosban reactor.

 

[snulma1]

I bought one of those home RO canisters from Home depot, and then ran my aqualifter pump from my CPR overflow thru the canister, that I filled with carbon in a filter bag. So far I've had no problems, I am wondering if I have a good enough flow, but it seems to work pretty well so far!