Carbon

[DonW]

Will carbon strip out trace elements (mag, ca ....)???

Don

 

[fishgills]

Hi, i've been using carbon since day one, my tank has been up for over eight years, with all the chemical warfare going on in the tank it can't hurt, my cal stays at 450 my dkh stays at 12 and my mag is fine, here's a shot of my tank.------------My Lagoon

 

[DonW]

Thanks your tank looks great. I'm adding a carbon wall to my sump. All water flows through the wall. It contains about a quart of carbon.


Don

 

[Elmo18]

Hi Don. Some people use it differently. I use it for about 10 days out of the month. This isn't always an exact number because sometimes I forget and leave it in there.

It helps clear up that 'yellowy' color and clears the water. It does take up trace elements, but with water changes, you will be fine.

I may experiment by just leaving it in there 24/7, but i haven't yet.

- Ilham

 

[aquariumdebacle]

Carbon must be changed frequently. after a couple weeks the bacteria coats the surfaces and the effective use of it is reduced to a biological filter. The good it does probably outweighs any negative aspects. Water changes can replenish any missing elements. Be careful about adding addatives. The carbon will take most of them out and it probably is not a good idea to overdose to compensate.

 

[jks1]

also important to check a small amount of your carbon to ensure it doesnt leach phosphates. You can test it in a cup. Some lesser quality brands are more trouble than they are worth.

 

[kevinpo]

I run carbon about 10 days a month (when I don't run ozone). I haven't tested for trace elements but I've been using it that way since '95 and everything seems to be doing well. I perform water changes once a month.

HTH,
Kevin

 

[The R/C Man]

Here is some info I found on the subject. The full artical is located here...... http://www.hallman.org/filter/gac.html

Trace elements.
Some marine aquarists worry that activated carbon depletes the aquarium of “trace elements”. While carbon has the potential to sorb certain metals considered trace elements in seawater, several factors must be considered. Activated carbon has a much greater affinity for organic compounds than metals. Foam fractioners (protein skimmers) and ozone “remove” substantial quantities of trace elements as does the metabolism of all the specimens in the aquarium. The benefits of activated carbon filtration, protein skimmers, and ozone far outweigh the possibility of trace element removal. There are many trace element additives available that replenish the “Essential elements” removed by algae, fish, and invertebrates as well as the filtration equipment necessary to maintain these specimens in captivity.

 

[DonW]

Thanks Greg thats exactly what I was looking for.

Don