carbon

[tnguy86]

how long do u keep the carbon in. i used to keep the carbon in at all times, but now that i have a new filter, i dont have room for carbon. now i just hang the carbon in the tank when i feel i need it.

[Macbeth417]

This is really a personal choice that should be based on your chemicals you need to extract from the water. By this I mean do you keep lps that release a good deal of chemicals or do you have any macro algae, such as most cualurpa, that will release chemicals that can discolor your water? You may not use it at all depending on what you house. I think carbon is very helpful especially for absorbing some of the reactive chemicals released when adding a new coral to a tank. This is something you will have to read up on as I feel it is really personal choice.
If you are interested in a little taste of what our charges can release into water read this: Myth # 8: The statement, "but my water Reef Keeping Magazine: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-12/eb/index.htm

Sorry that I did not give you a definant answer, but I hope I pointed you in a more informed direction.

-Erik

It Is Defeintly A Personal Choice. Its What Ever Works For You.

:wink: Trial And Error :wink:

[Big Jim]

Hanging a bag of carbon in the tank doesn't really do much. You need to have water pass/push through the bag. Having it in a filter will do this.

[tnguy86]

it's right in front of a powerhead, but i only plan on having it hangin on there for another day.

[Macbeth417]

If you already have a powerhead in there then it is very easy to purchase a Powerhead prefilter chamber and place carbon inside of that inorder to force water through the media.

I know Hagen/AquaClear makes these and Im sure you can get them for Maxijets as well.

-Erik

[tnguy86]

but all i have is a twenty.....no room for much else... but thanks for the suggestion.

[dlopes]

I there,

I use carbon just 5 days in a month and I place him in the sump, as someone said, to make sure that water really went through the media.

Carbon cannot be use always because it will became saturated and will release all the waste back to the water in a couple of month - be aware of that!!!

Sometimes we also use Chemi Pure...

[tnguy86]

yeah, i inherited like seven chemi-pures and have slowly used them. what is the orange stuff in the bag. i figure it's some type of resin..

[jman785]

Not sure what the orange pieces are. I sell Chemi-Pure in my store, it works well...so does Phos-Zorb...it can help with control of algae :) It is true, that carbon, can re-release all of its contaminates, back into the water column...thus why its usually changed once a month, if continuous use is required. Hope this helps.