Tang Safe Activated Carbon or Alternative?

DrJones

New member
When I've used the Marineland activated carbon in the past, it's always resulted in fin loss on my tangs. My Hippos would lose their tail fin and my yellows would lose dorsal and anal fins.

It took me a while and multiple tanks to discover the cause, but once I removed carbon from the systems, the fins would return over several months.

I'm curious if higher quality carbon or moving from chips to pellets would eliminate fin loss.

Alternatively, is there another media which would improve water clarity.

I do 10% water changes and would prefer not to move to larger water changes, if that can be avoided.
 
Run the carbon in a reactor, mostly empty (should be at least 2/3 empty), LIGHTLY tumbling, and direct the outlet to a filter sock. That should ensure no fines make it into your system.
 
Run the carbon in a reactor, mostly empty (should be at least 2/3 empty), LIGHTLY tumbling, and direct the outlet to a filter sock. That should ensure no fines make it into your system.

Highly disagree. Carbon should never tumble. Carbon can be compacted and still allow water to flow through it.

You can try Rox carbon from BRS which has significantly less dust.
 
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I've always run carbon passively(mesh bag) in a high flow area with a protein skimmer to help remove carbon particulates. Never had an issue with my tangs.


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Purigen is a carbon replacement and works far better than carbon and also promotes redox.
Renewable with bleach, which saves you money!

https://www.seachem.com/purigen.php

Highest organic removal capacity
Possesses enhanced capacity owing to its vast surface area; both spherical and macroreticular
Helps control ammonia/nitrite/nitrate
Color changes as it exhausts; easily regenerated with bleach

Purigen® is a premium synthetic adsorbent that is unlike any other filtration product. It is not a mixture of ion exchangers or adsorbents, but a unique macro-porous synthetic polymer that removes soluble and insoluble impurities from water at a rate and capacity that exceeds all other competing products by over 500%. Purigen® controls ammonia, nitrites and nitrates by removing nitrogenous organic waste that would otherwise release these harmful compounds. Purigen's impact on trace elements is minimal. It significantly raises redox. It polishes water to unparalleled clarity. Purigen® darkens progressively as it exhausts, and is easily renewed by treating with bleach. Purigen® is designed for both marine and freshwater use.

Purigen® removes soluble and insoluble impurities from water at a rate and capacity that exceeds all other competing products by over 500%.

Purigen® is the highest capacity organic filtration resin on the market. No other products can compare to its ability to clear haziness and polish water to unparalleled clarity. Unlike other products on the market which are simple ion-exchange resins, Purigen® is specifically designed to be an organic scavenging resin. When ion-exchange resins are filled to capacity by metals and other contaminants, Purigen® has barely begun to reach its potential. Purigen® generally ignores simple elemental compounds, having an extreme affinity for nitrogenous organics. The primary source of nitrogenous compounds in an aquarium is waste. Fish, corals, even plants produce nitrogenous waste. Purigen® removes that waste faster and more completely than anything else on the market.

Purigen's® possesses enhanced capacity owing to its vast surface area. All other resins on the market are purely spherical extruded beads. These beads remain smooth even under a microscope. Purigen® is both spherical and macroreticular. It has microscopic pores that increase its usable surface area to many times that of a purely spherical resin.

Purigen® can also be regenerated. As it adsorbs waste products, Purigen® will change color from a pale blonde to a dark brown, almost black. Once it is exhausted, it can be regenerated with a solution of bleach and water. The bleach will literally "œburn off" the organics that have been removed from the tank. Watch out for products that claim to be regenerable with a brine solution. That is the regeneration procedure for ion-exchange purposes. A brine solution will not remove organics. While such resins have a limited capacity for organic adsorption, a brine regeneration process only replaces removed ionic compounds. It does not destroy large organic molecules that were removed, which is the primary function of organic adsorption resins.
 

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I've used Marineland carbon for the past 20 plus years. I rinse it in distilled or RO water, and place it wherever I need it. Never had a problem with multiple tangs, discus, etc. whether fresh or salt. I used it in the 100 tanks I serviced when I was in business. I've never even heard of such a problem - until now.
 
Thanks to all for the replies. I may try heavily rinsed BRS carbon compacted in my reactor. I hadn’t heard of purigen before. I’ll investigate further before making a final choice.
 
I have used BRS rox carbon in a BRS reactor lightly tumbling for a long time. Rinsed with ro/di u til it ran clear and have never had any issues with my purple or blue hippo tang. Not with a yellow when I had one of them.
 
I've used Marineland carbon for the past 20 plus years. I rinse it in distilled or RO water, and place it wherever I need it. Never had a problem with multiple tangs, discus, etc. whether fresh or salt. I used it in the 100 tanks I serviced when I was in business. I've never even heard of such a problem - until now.

I too use MarineLand GAC. As others have mentioned, I rinse off in RODI water to get rid of the dust (there is a quite a bit). I use a mesh bag and use it passively where the overflow is right after the mechanical filter. My skimmer then is next in line, so I doubt much if any of the carbon dust makes it into the DT.

BTW, I use a very small amount (like 1-2gram per gallon) and change it out weekly. IMO, better to use a small amount and change it out frequently, than to use more and let it sit for months. Supposedly after just a few weeks, it can actually have adverse effects by leeching out what it had absorbed. I read some review of someone saying "I change it out when I my tank smells bad, so I know then that is not working". Why wait until then when the stuff literally "dirt-cheap"?

My yellow tang looks great after doing this regimen for nearly 2 years.
 
One time I had a bag of carbon sitting in my sump. It got pulled into the suction side of a pump. My fish came down with HLLE a few days later. So, I do believe HLLE can be caused by carbon dust.
 
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