Do you use Activated Carbon?

[Generalx5]

Do you use activated carbon in your setup? State the size of your tank and water change volume in % and frequency.



1x14G biocube, change 50% water every two weeks, corals only.
1x10G joe tank with 50% water from the biocube every two weeks, GSPuffer, clarki, mower blenny, yellowtail damsel, and nemo's father.

 

[melosu58]

I have a 125 gallon reef. I voted "kind of". I dont run it alot but in cases of polishing the water or getting rid of something in the water I will run some. Probably 2 or 3 times a year. Here is a good article on GAC.

Aquarium Frontiers On-Line: July 1997: Product Review

 

[thincat]

I, like Mike, voted sometimes. I use carbon everyother water change and I do a PWC once everyother week or twice a month.

 

[partypalooza5]

I too voted "kind of" simply because there's nothing in my tank LOL! But I plan to keep it in there just because.

 

[Innovator]

25%-50% water changes bi-weekly or monthly, using aggressive/active carbon filtration use, and changing carbon monthly.

 

[JPKeenan]

let mine go for a few months before changing it out... so kind of

 

[thincat]

Carbon is saturated after ~5-7 days of use, more so if you feed heavy. after that IMO, it just leaches back into the tank and is basicly a gravel filter collecting nitrates.

 

[Generalx5]

I found a product that removes organic waste, but Im not too sure how effective it is...

This product can be reactivated endlessly and if it works well, it could replace expensive activated carbon alltogether.

Heres a link to what I bought yesterday as a trial product for my 10 gallon tank.

Seachem. Purigen

http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Purigen.html

I will test for its effectiveness and see how that compares to Activated Carbon.

If it works as good or better, I will stick with this choice as it does not need to be replaced. It claims that for 1 litre of this product, it will be good for 1000gallons of filtration.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Purigen is good, but should be treated like carbon in that it should be changed out regularly. I have several of the 100ml bags that I rotate out every 3-4 weeks and recharge. It can't be reactivated endlessly, but will last for many many recharges. You'll know it's done when it doesn't change back to white after recharge, or when it turns brown really quick during use.

For me, I don't really see a difference between it and carbon, but I like the convenience of just swapping bags out and regenerating.

 

[Sadielynn]

I use carbon
I have a 10 gallon tank and do a 50% H20 change weekly
I try to change the carbon weekly but sometimes let it go for 2-4 weeks
I also used chemipure as well but ran out and never got any more

 

[roka64]

Purigen is great stuff!

 

[InfernoST]

I'm using chemi-pure elite for the 1st time and am finding it to be doing a great job. I do want to look into purigen.

 

[Boulder]

Purigen is great stuff!

Do you use Purigen along with GAC or just by itself. Kinda seems they offer different benefits is why I ask.

 

[Sadielynn]

when I used chemipure I ran them together

 

[baldyguy]

I vote yes!!!!!!!!!!!!! I use JBL Ultra Carbon each box cleans up to 400L....... I use it every 4-6 weeks depending on when I want to 'polish' the water off. My whole system is 1500ltrs and I use 3 boxes, place the bags in the sump and 3-4 days later remove and throw in the bin leaving the water crystal clear. I am not sure what else it removes but to honest I don't care either................my system is healthy I don't do water changes, I top off approx 25-30ltrs of RO water a week........I find the sump with trickle tower, Caluerpa Bed, LR Rubble, Skimmer, UV, Calcium Reactor etc etc keep water params in optimum place.............the only ting carbon does is clear up the water clarity IMO.

 

[thincat]

With the light load on your tank, you may be getting away with no water changes, but that would be a big mistake for the rest of us. These are small closed systems and most will quickly reach toxic levels without PWC's.

 

[baldyguy]

what do you conider a light load? Display is a 8ftx2ftx2ft sump 6ftx2ftx2ft.........

 

[thincat]

A 239g DT w/a180 sump!

 

[baldyguy]

Maybe i am getting confused here ............... are you refering to the fact that I have alot of water so things are diluted further............if so this is what i was advised, 1 more water better stability, 2 in 6 months I won't need to upgrade due to fish growth coral placement etc..... all is going well and as above I am finding it almost runs itself........

 

[thincat]

That is actuality what I mean. Dilution is the best answer to pollution. I only dream of having a tank and sump as large as yours.