Active Carbon
- Thread starter cmontgomery
- Start date
It's important to use good quality carbon as there is a substantial quality difference.
It's also important to use the correct type of carbon. See that all of the pelletized corals are shown as the least effective. That's because pelletized carbons are vapor phase carbons intended to be used in air as opposed to under water.
http://www.pets-warehouse.com/carbon.htm
It's also important to use the correct type of carbon. See that all of the pelletized corals are shown as the least effective. That's because pelletized carbons are vapor phase carbons intended to be used in air as opposed to under water.
http://www.pets-warehouse.com/carbon.htm
cracker
Well-Known Member
Man Why I think of using carbon in a Vortex filter? I assume a carbon powder is more efficient than larger grain size so a vortex would be well suited . How does carbon and diatomaceous earth differ in what and how they filter the water? I assume the carbon absorbs and the diatom earth physically traps.
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cracker
Well-Known Member
AFTER My last post I ran across this,
http://home2.pacific.net.ph/~sweetyummy42/carbon.html
http://home2.pacific.net.ph/~sweetyummy42/carbon.html
cracker
Well-Known Member
I figured I could just load a vortex with powdered carbon and run it. But after mention of black water I'm not so sure.How would a person of OFR status load a vortex with carbon? Can you load a vortex with granule run it in a bucket to rinse or does a powdered form( vortex brand) work? Maybe load lightly with diatom earth then powdered carbon?Witfull said:this is one of the challenges that brings one OFR status
Boomer
Reef Sanctuary's Mr. Wizard
Cracker
The safe way is load it first with diatom and then PAC. Loading/charging can be done buy using a bucket and adding the diatom to the inlet, once caked then the PAC. However, this can be tricky also, for as when you shut off the filter to move it to the tank the cake media will often fall off the filter pad. When you go to restart the filter some may go into the tank. To get around this we used a circulation value assembly, such has the one sold by Vortex called a recharge valve. You do as given above (bucket charge caking), then close the valve when caked, the water now just goes around in circles. Move the filter to tank, filter/pump still running and then when in place open the valves.
http://www.diatomfilter.com/products/p-29_recharge_valve.htm
The safe way is load it first with diatom and then PAC. Loading/charging can be done buy using a bucket and adding the diatom to the inlet, once caked then the PAC. However, this can be tricky also, for as when you shut off the filter to move it to the tank the cake media will often fall off the filter pad. When you go to restart the filter some may go into the tank. To get around this we used a circulation value assembly, such has the one sold by Vortex called a recharge valve. You do as given above (bucket charge caking), then close the valve when caked, the water now just goes around in circles. Move the filter to tank, filter/pump still running and then when in place open the valves.
http://www.diatomfilter.com/products/p-29_recharge_valve.htm
cracker
Well-Known Member
Priming and loading the vortex with the diatom earth is a little tricky at 1st. There are several differant ways to do it. IMHO using a vortex to clean a sump is over kill. they are designed to remove VERY small micron size stuff from the water. Better to use a micron sock to remove the sediment that collects in the sump. If i'm not mistaken a micron sock with the smallest weave doesn't even come close to what a vortex can filter.