Carbon and saltwater

[aquanaut]

Hi all


Are there any negative effects of using carbon in my tank/filter? Does it filter out any trace elements. Any affect on fish? Thanks..

 

[Phyl]

The things that I've heard are that Carbon is not selective on what it filters out, that it will become a nitrate trap if not changed "frequently enough" and that some brands leach PO4 back into the water as a wonderful little surprise for you!

That being said I guess I should go move that carbon out of my sump. I think it's been there for a week now...

 

[Jonathan G.]

lol i just took my pads out of my penguin and put some leftover poly fiber i had in

 

[phishead]

The actual filter pads in the penguins contain so little carbon and last so long, I have a hard time believing that they cause any problems. The filter floss will cause a problem with nitrates first. You should be rinsing them at least weekly.

Carbon does remove trace elements, but of course it removes most chemicals. the good and the bad, so I use it 1 week per month. I use a media bag and let the water flowing out of the overflow flow through it.