what point to change carbon

[Reeferdude]

The length of time carbon last depends on your individual set up as is the case with most things. Don, isn't your new tank "skimmerless"? If so, that could be the reason your carbon only lasts a couple days...

 

[DonW]

Only for a very short time. And not running carbon yet. I'm sure without the skimmer the carbon will last much less time than it did with the skimmer. Carbon is a media just like a filter sock that traps chemicals. Your tank is full of chemicals. It fills very quick then its done.

Don

 

[csababubbles]

have you guys ever ordered from bulk reef supply? they have regular carbon and the rox0.8 but the ROX is 3 times more expensive, you guys think its 3 times better or even worth it?

 

[DonW]

Rox is great stuff. But I should mention there are a couple ways to run carbon. Fluidized your making full use of the surfaces so it will strip the water and dill fast. In a bag your only using part oft the surface area so it appears to last long but thatas just lack of efficiency. Rox is real small and leaks out of most bags so much better in a reactor. It also will strip your tank quick so don't go overboard at first. The idea with carbon is to clean the tank and keep it clean with constant carbon changes. If you wait the carbon looses its efficiency and you just bouncing back and forth from clean to dirty and back to clean. Carbon works best for the first two days. So change it often and work your way up as time goes on.

Don

 

[csababubbles]

Donw I don't get this. If carbon is no longer stripping the water after only a day or two and you have to just keep switching it, whats the point of using the very expensive rox 0.8 if you gotta be changing out so frequently anyways. and if your constantly changing the carbon every few days, wouldn't the amount of organics and metals and whatever crap it pulls out eventually decrease therefore subsequent carbon changes would not need to be so often because there is less stuff to pull out, no? in other words, its true carbon depletes itself quickly when your tank is "dirty" but once you catch up, so to say, wouldn't the carbon last longer?

 

[DonW]

Donw I don't get this. If carbon is no longer stripping the water after only a day or two and you have to just keep switching it, whats the point of using the very expensive rox 0.8 if you gotta be changing out so frequently anyways. and if your constantly changing the carbon every few days, wouldn't the amount of organics and metals and whatever crap it pulls out eventually decrease therefore subsequent carbon changes would not need to be so often because there is less stuff to pull out, no? in other words, its true carbon depletes itself quickly when your tank is "dirty" but once you catch up, so to say, wouldn't the carbon last longer?

You will never catch up in a reef tank. The corals along with food will constantly be adding chemicals that the carbon removes. You may be able to go a few days longer but thats about it.
I dont think everyone needs to keep a tank that stripped that you should change it every few days but with a reef you dont want it turning biological either. You can run a good amount of carbon for 2 or 3 days then just toss it out. Wait a week or few weeks and do it again. This just depends on how you run it. In a reactor you wouldnt be wasting carbon but in a bag it would be a waste thus why you need to mix the bag often so the carbon actually gets used. Carbon if you choose to use it is ongoing and can get expensive unless you buy in bulk. Its benefit outways the cost. Rox is expensive but works well. You can get the filer guys carbon for less money and it works as well. Cheap carbons hold so little chemicals that they are a waste of money you just have to use twice as much to do the same job.
When I run carbon I do it in a reactor and change it weekly. This works well for me but I dont mind the cost of carbon.


Don

 

[csababubbles]

sooooo in that regard, wouldn't the best time time change the carbon be between water change? if you put in new carbon at the same time as the water change, the water is already clean (relatively). so the tank is the dirtiest halfway between water changes so it would benefit the most then, right? I mean technically its dirtier right before a water change but that would be pointless because you would be changing the water that just got carbon scrubbed.

 

[DonW]

I have issues with corals being out of the water since my tank is so shallow so they slime. Besides Im somewhat lazy and just do it all (WC and carbon) at the same time and get it overwith. But yes your theory sound good.

Don

 

[gotfish]

I use the regular carbon from bulk reef supply as well as one of their reactors. If you don't have a reactor, definitely get either the single or double reactor from them. I have a single cause I don't run GFO, but I'm thinking of buying another one so I'll have one for the carbon and one for GFO. You can run both in the single reactor, but it limits the amount you can run, IMO.

 

[ramesh.kumar304]

Good Question.I use the regular carbon from bulk reef supply as well as one of their reactors.The length of time carbon last depends on your individual set up as is the case with most things.