Activated Carbon - how long does it last?

JT101

JT101

Member
About 2 weeks ago I had the misfortune of buying an already unseemingly ill open brain coral that suffered a "death by disintegration" over the course of some days, and it seemed to have affected my healthy one to the point that it was almost as shrunken and tiny as the day I bought it. I unceremoniously tossed the dying brain (which was 60% exposed skeleton at the time) and did three 50% water changes with NSW from the local beach, AND then after all that added 1 cup of activated carbon ("AC") in the back chamber of my AquaPod 24. Well, my "good" brain coral (as well as all my other corals, fish and inverts) looks even better than ever. I will, of course, never know if any single variable I altered here was the sole factor in "recovering" my good brain coral or if it was all of them together, but I must admit that I also like the fact that my water seems so "clear" since I put the AC in.

Now here's my questions:

1. How often does AC need to be changed?

2. Am I yanking out precious elements, minerals and such as well as dissolved organics and colorations?

3. Is AC something I should really only be using prophylactically or is it OK to use it full time from now on?

Thanks for any help!

John
 
sasquatch

sasquatch

Brunt of all Jokes~
PREMIUM
answers will be varied for sure on this, it does trap detritus just like any other filter material, I like to use a minimal amount for 4 to 5 day and throw it out, some say you can scrunch it,wash and reuse. I suspect it does more good than harm considering the chemical emissions of some inhabitants so running it 5 out of 7 days cant be too bad/
 
JT101

JT101

Member
OK, thanks, so maybe just rinsing it out in clean salt water or RO/DI water every week, and putting it back in the mesh bag is OK?
 
BigAl07

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
I use mine for a week or two at the most and toss it out. I've left some in by mistake for a month or slightly longer and there is a visible difference in the actual AC itself and I'd rather err on the side of caution just to be safe. I personally run it in a filter bag usually for one week out of four. On the flip side, I ALWAYS have a bag ready to drop in when I see something wrong or suspect something wrong.

I think you did a GOOD thing by acting quickly with your tank with the AC and WC's.

Good luck and keep us posted buddy.
 
CATALYST

CATALYST

Well-Known Member
I use about 3-4 tablespoons in the pod and change it every two weeks. I rinse it once a week. I have it in the hang on fuge in the flow of water.
 
BoomerD

BoomerD

Well-Known Member
I've always run carbon for one week in an aggressive manor (Magnum 350 or 250 HOT) then throw the carbon away and take the canister down, clean it and get it ready for the next use.
It really doesn't take long to plug up the microscopic pores in activated carbon, rendering it useless for any filtration except to become a biological filter, AKA nitrate factory. Rinsing it doesn't do much except perhaps to remove the larger bits of stuff that get trapped there, the tiny pores that do all the work remain clogged. The adsorption that is what carbon does best, only lasts for a few days at most...

Here are a couple of good articles on activated carbon:
http://web.archive.org/web/20010211...om/fish2/aqfm/1998/may/features/1/default.asp

http://web.archive.org/web/20000918...m/fish2/aqfm/1998/june/features/1/default.asp
 
Boomer

Boomer

Reef Sanctuary's Mr. Wizard
#1 ROX from twopartsolution, very pricey but is the best. Or Acid washed Hard Wood GAC if you can find it.

#2 TLF Hydrocarbon (Lignite) or twopartsolution Lignite or Warner Marine ReefPure Lignite. It is hard to tell which one of these is better. One would have to run a extensive test or see a full data sheet. However, they are more than likely the same carbon.

#3 thefitlerguys Bitum carbon

#4 SeaChem Labs Matix Bitum

#5 Black Diamond and a few others that are about the same thing or are the same thing.

Aquatic Marine Technologies.

That says nothing which one exactly ?
 
CATALYST

CATALYST

Well-Known Member
The label says premium virgin activated carbon. Nice and vague.
Boomer said:
#1 ROX from twopartsolution, very pricey but is the best. Or Acid washed Hard Wood GAC if you can find it.

#2 TLF Hydrocarbon (Lignite) or twopartsolution Lignite or Warner Marine ReefPure Lignite. It is hard to tell which one of these is better. One would have to run a extensive test or see a full data sheet. However, they are more than likely the same carbon.

#3 thefitlerguys Bitum carbon

#4 SeaChem Labs Matix Bitum

#5 Black Diamond and a few others that are about the same thing or are the same thing.

Aquatic Marine Technologies.

That says nothing which one exactly ?
Click to expand...
 
Boomer

Boomer

Reef Sanctuary's Mr. Wizard
That is like saying I bought a car rust free. So, it is a 53 Chevy or a 2008 Ferrari :D
 
Paul B

Paul B

Well-Known Member
Hello Boomer, How many Boomers are there anyway?
I will let you guys do this carbon thing. I just wanted to say Hi
 
BoomerD

BoomerD

Well-Known Member
Only 2 of us that I'm aware of...my evil twin...the guy who actually knows stuff...and me. ;)

Any info you have to add to any thread is always welcome, especially from another OFR...
 
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