Using Carbon in Reefs

Can someone school me on what the deal is with using Carbon in a reef?

Is it bad? Does it remove or add phosphates?

Basically, what are the Pros and Cons?

TIA

~Mort

I think running it occasionally is a good idea. Like once a month, for 3 days.
After that, pull it back out because it will lose the ability to absorb anything
else and the bag of carbon can even become yet another source of nitrates as
things build up.

Marc


Mort wrote:

Can someone school me on what the deal is with using Carbon in a reef?

Is it bad? Does it remove or add phosphates?

Basically, what are the Pros and Cons?

TIA

~Mort

--
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Business Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com
Marine Hobbyist: http://www.melevsreef.com

I think running it occasionally is a good idea. Like once a month, for 3
days.
After that, pull it back out because it will lose the ability to absorb
anything
else

Couldnt agree more, and also if left in too long it could possibly become a
biological filter without anarobic bacteria.


Rod Buehler
www.asplashoflife.com

In a study I once read it showed that after 8 or 12 hours carbon was pretty
much exhausted (in the high 90's %) and had very little effect from that
point on.

HTH
LT

"Mort" wrote in message
om...
Can someone school me on what the deal is with using Carbon in a reef?

Is it bad? Does it remove or add phosphates?

Basically, what are the Pros and Cons?

TIA

~Mort

Couldnt agree more, and also if left in too long it could possibly become a
biological filter without anarobic bacteria.

while not the answer your looking for

carbon is an excelent growing medium for both types of bacteria

the outside will do nitrification

the inside will do denitrification.

assuming it stays clean, stays in the water long enough, .......

yank it anyways though!

--
Richard Reynolds

carbon is an excelent growing medium for both types of bacteria

the outside will do nitrification

the inside will do denitrification.


We all agree to yank it out..But, unless the carbon is used passively (just
in a bag tossed in the sump, which isnt nearly as efective forcing the water to
pass through the carbon) how will the "inside" grow anareobic bacteria to
preform denitrification with oxygen rich water passing over/thriugh it all of
the time?
Rod Buehler
www.asplashoflife.com

"Rod" wrote in message
...

We all agree to yank it out..But, unless the carbon is used passively
(just
in a bag tossed in the sump, which isnt nearly as efective forcing the
water to
pass through the carbon) how will the "inside" grow anareobic bacteria to
preform denitrification with oxygen rich water passing over/thriugh it
all of
the time?
Rod Buehler
www.asplashoflife.com

It should be aeronabic bacteria. Anareobic should be in DSB where no oxygen.

CapFusion,...

It should be aeronabic bacteria. Anareobic should be in DSB where no oxygen.


Exactly, but when passing oxygen rich water through carbon, how will anaerobic
bacteria colonize? how will denitrifacation occur?
Rod Buehler
www.asplashoflife.com

"Rod" wrote in message
...
It should be aeronabic bacteria. Anareobic should be in DSB where no
oxygen.


Exactly, but when passing oxygen rich water through carbon, how will
anaerobic
bacteria colonize? how will denitrifacation occur?

Which bacteria you refering to, aero or ana?
Aeronabic - it need rich oxygen to breakdown nitrite and produce nitrate.
It colonize on or in spaces of the carbon. Any coarse area where water and
oxygen pass the media where it trap debris.

Anarobic - need low oxygen to breakdown nitrate to nitrogen gas.
It colonize in spaces of very dense area of your fine sand where water and
oxygen circultion is low.

CapFusion,...

actually if you are using up to the recomended max flow for the volume of CC the insides
of each piece of carbon will house anoxic zones and break down nitrates, carbon by design
is full of very small channels each can make up surface area for first aerobic bacteria
(nitrification) then anaerobic (denitrification) its documented more in FW but it still
works in SW, its not popular specifically because of other issues.

Aeronabic - it need rich oxygen to breakdown nitrite and produce nitrate.
It colonize on or in spaces of the carbon. Any coarse area where water and
oxygen pass the media where it trap debris.

they just need oxygen, they do best in higher oxygen levels but to say "oxygen rich" would
seem to me that you need more oxygen than in any dead flow area in your tank. which is not
true.

Anarobic - need low oxygen to breakdown nitrate to nitrogen gas.
It colonize in spaces of very dense area of your fine sand where water and
oxygen circultion is low.

itll colinize in any area where oxygen is removed from the water before the water reaches
it, live rock and even certain filter material will do the same thing. along with a long
coil of tubing (see coil denitrator)

--
Richard Reynolds