carbon prefrence?????
- Thread starter nkelr
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Jhildebrand
Well-Known Member
+1. Very good carbon, but works best in a reactor. It's very fine and it'll go right through a normal mesh bag. They also sell fine ones meant for it. Other than that, any quality carbon will do. The cheap stuff has impurities that you may not want leaching into your tank.
With BRS, if you use a reactor use one they sell - or one like that. I tried using their carbon in a Phosban reactor and it's so fine it just goes right through the foam discs (at least for a little while).
kesslerkid01
Active Member
Do you have to rinse it that well? or is it just that fine?
nkelr
Active Member
just thought id ask because i was thinking about getting some black diamond last night in just pets. i know jeremy mentioned rox to me when i met him and i was considering that too, but i dont like paying shipping. maybe next brs group buy i can get in on.
Cheap carbon has potential to leach phosphates and may not absorb a large amount of dissolved organics. A very strong carbon like ROX can actually strip organics too thoroughly (just like overskimming) and this can prevent your corals from getting the nutrients they need. Your best bet is to give a few brands a try and find what works best for you. Watch po4 levels closely if using a cheap carbon and watch for bleaching or coral stress when using a very aggressive carbon like ROX. I like to use a small amount of ROX (so it doesn't strip too much) and change it every two weeks. IMO this is a better option than using a larger amount and changing it less frequently. Using the large amount and changing it less frequently may create aggressive nutrient removal when the carbon is changed but leave it declining in effectiveness over the remaining weeks. This causes an up and down fluctuation in available nutrients that are essential to corals and that is detrimental IMO. Keep in mind that stability (on various levels) is a HUGE factor in maintaining a healthy tank. Don't make your corals expend energy adapting to changing conditions and varoius metabolic adjustments. Let them use that energy to grow!
Jeremy
Jeremy
