Why would anyone use Activated Carbon?

[desx2501]

I've read today something about the activated carbon absorbing iodine really fast. I know Wikipedia ain't the absolute truth, but I tend to think that this statement is true :

Activated carbon does adsorb iodine very well and in fact the iodine number, mg/g, (ASTM D28 Standard Method test) is used as an indication of total surface area. source​

So with this in mind, any comment on the topic title? ;-)

 

[andrewsky]

well if you have corals, they sometime send out chemicals that can kill other corals, chemical warfare basically. if you have readings of iron i think people use it. also if you have an anemone, if they die they could let out toxins. basically just to get toxins out of the tank. people also use it to help filter out phosphates, i think don't quote me on it, but im pretty positive about most of this stuff.

 

[disc1]

Iodine is not the most important of things in your reef. Plus, it is also present as iodide and iodate, neither of which will have a huge attraction to carbon IIRC.

 

[desx2501]

Oh, that all make sense of course. I think that for me, for the moment, it's not that useful since my water doesn't have the undesired elements you both listed, and I think it's even causing problems to my cleaner shrimp :

It got black dots on it's shell, I read it could be caused by a lack of Iodine, I added some, it molted, then got new black dots a week after, molted again, and I just thought about how it all started one week after I installed an activated carbon canister I had laying around (with some new rinsed carbon, don't worry.)

Thanks to your input guys, I now know when I'll need that canister in the future and what kind of "problems" it can help alleviate!

 

[OregonReefer]

It does help clarify water quite well.

One mistake I've seen a lot of people make is too much flow. Carbon works best with a longer contact time. Too much flow (enough to make the carbon move at all) will also cause the carbon to powder down and create ultra fine particles that get released into the DT... not a good thing

 

[SushiGirl]

Your Wiki quote says adsorb, not absorb...

 

[Putawaywet]

Oh, that all make sense of course. I think that for me, for the moment, it's not that useful since my water doesn't have the undesired elements you both listed, and I think it's even causing problems to my cleaner shrimp :

It got black dots on it's shell, I read it could be caused by a lack of Iodine, I added some, it molted, then got new black dots a week after, molted again, and I just thought about how it all started one week after I installed an activated carbon canister I had laying around

desx:

Google "Marine black spot disease in ornamental shrimp"

Here is a small explanation from Dr. Ron Shimek on the issue. - Brett

----------

“Such spots are not uncommonly found on some of the Lysmata shrimps. They are the external manifestation of a pathogen. It is likely that this pathogen will kill the shrimp, but it will take some time; generally, the shrimps survive for a few months with the disease.

There is no cure or treatment; and the cause is unknown. Similar patches have been found on some temperate shrimps and crabs, and have been attributed to some sort of internal fungus infection. However, so many questions remain unanswered that it is unclear whether or not these spots are due to the same cause, or if the cause is indeed fungal in origin.” - Ron Shimek (http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic70528-11-1.aspx)

 

[antimatter]

I have seen that it does clarify water, how does it do that?

 

[desx2501]

@Putawaywet : Why did you kill my illusions that he was going to survive?!? Nah, seriously I'm glad to know what it is now, but let's hope this one somehow survives :-(

@SushiGirl : Oh... Now the rest of the sentence makes more sense! ("[...] an indication of total surface area [...]") I should learn how to stop being dylsecix! ;-)

 

[mackaveli]

before i ran carbon on my 125 i could see a yellow haze when i looked down the length of the tank now the water is very clear and clean. i run both carbon and gfo in seperate 2 little fishes reactors

 

[IslandCrow]

This is probably a better question for the Chemistry forum. Iodine has many variants, and that along with many other things I'm sure I'm not smart enough to think of could make the Wikipedia statement perfectly true, but still not a factor.

 

[Putawaywet]

@Putawaywet : Why did you kill my illusions that he was going to survive?!? Nah, seriously I'm glad to know what it is now, but let's hope this one somehow survives :-(

@SushiGirl : Oh... Now the rest of the sentence makes more sense! ("[...] an indication of total surface area [...]") I should learn how to stop being dylsecix! ;-)

If it's any consolation I had a shrimp last nearly 6 months. So just try and make the best of the time you two have left. Set some time aside to talk, maybe take in a movie together. If nothing else let just him know you're there for him....

 

[OregonReefer]

I have seen that it does clarify water, how does it do that?

It absorbs toxins and fine particles (through porosity and acts as a natural attractant that many chemicals will bond or cling to) that can't be seen with the naked eye.... unless you're looking at them through a hundred gallons of water and then the only reason you see them is because there are millions of them

 

[jimmy_beaner]

It absorbs toxins and fine particles (through porosity and acts as a natural attractant that many chemicals will bond or cling to) that can't be seen with the naked eye.... unless you're looking at them through a hundred gallons of water and then the only reason you see them is because there are millions of them

adsorb is not the same as absorb.
ad·sorb/adˈzôrb/
Verb: (of a solid) Hold (molecules of a gas or liquid or solute) as a thin film on the outside surface or on internal surfaces within the material

ab·sorb/əbˈzôrb/Verb
1. Take in or soak up (energy, or a liquid or other substance) by chemical or physical action, typically gradually.
2. Take in and assimilate (information, ideas, or experience).

Merriam-Webster. It isn't just you that's done it, it's been done multiple times in this thread. Activated carbon adsorbs compounds.

 

[OregonReefer]

Kind of nit-picky about something that basically means the same thing in the end as far as the average user is concerned...

The guy I quoted wanted a basic understanding of how it worked. Now, I could have typed "adsorbed" and his brain would have seen "absorbed" and the point would have gotten across anyway... Or he would have noticed the d and wasted his time looking up the word

but whatever, you are correct... reminds me of my 3rd grade English teacher.

It sucks the bad **** out of your tank

 

[doctorgori]

used to be carbon was blamed on all kinds of stuff, esp in discus, tangs or whatever...
"they" said it caused "lateral line" disease, irritated gills, blah blah blah....

I can't confirm nor deny any of it...i can say that in a house full of smoke aerosols, cleaners, toxins and bad cooking, I personally will probably use carbon ....
...can't swear or confirm it removes any of the aformentioned nasties, but cheap as it is why take chances?

 

[tmz]

Granulated activated carbon provides a fine matrix of pores and channels and a tremdous amount of surface area ( 1gram has abut as much as a football field). It adsorbs mostly organic materials that are hydrophobic( not attracted to water) fortunately the yellowing agents in reef tanks are hydrophobic. It may also remove allelopathic compounds (chemical warfare toxins released by corals and some algaes). Organics often contain nitrogen and phosphorous which if not captured break down and add to PO4 and NO3. The organic carbon in organics if allowed to accumulate will harm corals.

I've used it for over 8 yrs.

Running water through it in a reactor is most effective at exposing all of the surface area.. Contact time is incosequential as any thing not adsorbed on the first pass will get a second and third chance. The adsorbtion reaction is relatively weak with some organics so passing them close to the activated surfaces is useful. Passive use works but there is more chance of clogging, exposing less surface area and the water just flowing around it instead of through it.

The dust can be a problem but thorough rinsing and using a hard bituminous carbon or rox8 can fix this.



It is often rated with an iodine number but will not typically deplete iodine in a reef tank.Plenty of iodine/iodide/iodate.

 

[Curious George]

If it's any consolation I had a shrimp last nearly 6 months. So just try and make the best of the time you two have left. Set some time aside to talk, maybe take in a movie together. If nothing else let just him know you're there for him....

:lol::spin2::lol::spin1: