Do You Run Carbon 24/7 or Never?

[The_Skrimp]

I use carbon 24/7 but I don’t have a reactor so it’s just passive filtration in a mesh bag next to the return pump for some flow. I swap it out every two weeks.

 

[Biglew11]

Okay. I'll chime in with 24/7. I use BRS ROX 0.8 GAG 24/7 through a reactor. I have for the past 4 years and have never encountered HLLE even with my 3 tangs. I rinse it well before introducing it to the sump and change it out about once a month even though I know it loses a lot of it's effectiveness fairly quickly. I definitely can't say that this is the way to go, but it has worked for me up to this point. No reason to change now.

same here 24/7 changed out usually once a month sometimes I'll let slide 2 months. in a reactor with sponges so it doesn't tumble. i wonder if that could be the correlation people see with hlle

 

[jpbeen]

Votes are pretty split in the poll still. Anyone who does run carbon 24/7 want to chime in?

I run it 24/7 in a media reactor. Gin clear water and helps protect against unwanted contaminants.

 

[Saltyreef]

I used to run it in a micron bag inside my filter socks but never really noticed it work for smell or water clarity. (Only in my biocube media basket)
Just set up a carbon reactor last night (non tumbling with foam discs)
And will be running it 24/7 since my wife and I share a home office that houses the tank.

She likes to burn candles when im not home

 

[smacbride]

I run it 24/7, in my back chamber after the Skimmer. I use Fluval carbon, been running it for 10+ years. I change it out once per month.

 

[j.falk]

Hmm...no water changes, no skimmer, and NO CARBON and this tank has been running just fine for over 20 years...interesting.

 

[Saltyreef]

Hmm...no water changes, no skimmer, and NO CARBON and this tank has been running just fine for over 20 years...interesting.

More than 1 way to catch a unicorn....


The old owner of tropical fish international on saratoga ave here in san jose told me that no water changes is a best kept secret.
Her water was yellow in the main display though and it was the worst smelling shop in the bay area......

 

[j.falk]

More than 1 way to catch a unicorn....


The old owner of tropical fish international on saratoga ave here in san jose told me that no water changes is a best kept secret.
Her water was yellow in the main display though and it was the worst smelling shop in the bay area......

I do regular water changes and my tank does not stink. If it did I wouldn't have a fish tank in my office.

Now the cat's litter box down in the basement is another story...that makes the entire first floor reek even with me changing it out every 3 days.

 

[Saltyreef]

I do regular water changes and my tank does not stink. If it did I wouldn't have a fish tank in my office.

Now the cat's litter box down in the basement is another story...that makes the entire first floor reek even with me changing it out every 3 days.

Lol.
Yea im not the best at water change frequency...or husbandry in general.
My wifes nose is much better than mine.
Maybe Dr. Joshis wife doesnt burn candles and he uses a cow butt glove when goes into the tank

Those two reasons are why I run carbon 24/7 now.
Plus I live out in the salad bowl fields and pesticides are in the dust that blows into my home.

Sounds like you need to wrap that litterbox in carbon impregnated filter material and make your cat a little door flap

 

[robosworld]

I started out using a duel reactor(carbon,gfo) and wasn't having issues..I decided to get cute and try an algae scrubber.. absolutely hated it..my corals looked like they suffered and tank did not look as clean..I guess I'm saying if it ain't broke don't fix it...I took the scrubber off and went back to the carbon/gfo..and tank and corals looks good ..

 

[Nhjmc]

I run red sea reef spec carbon in my red sea max 130 (24/7) guess never thought not to since instructions said to run/use it.

 

[Reef.]

We all use carbon don’t we? Out RODI systems use carbon, so would adding a small bag in the sump be such an issue? Or are we saying it’s only the dust that is the issue?

 

[Biglew11]

imo it's starting to sound more like it's the dust in the cheap junk that's the problem. high quality carbons have very little dust and few if any reported issues.

 

[JSully_94]

I’m seeing a lot of posts mention or highlight the need for “good quality carbon”? What does that mean?

I personally use chemi-pure elite. Is this considered a “good quality carbon”?

At the end of the day, isn’t the carbon we use in our aquariums just activated charcoal from a carbonaceous source?

Also, you have to remember carbon is present in nearly every biological compound that makes up life on earth. How can it be so terrible that we should avoid using it in our aquarium?

What carbon is bound to is what one should be wary of, not the element itself.

 

[HuduVudu]

Carbon is evil and strips your tank of things that it needs.

I have crystal clear water by simply stirring my sand to clouldiness and then letting it settle.
I don't understand the use of this method when there is a less invasive method that works far better with less downsides.

 

[Reef.]

Carbon is evil and strips your tank of things that it needs.

I have crystal clear water by simply stirring my sand to clouldiness and then letting it settle.
I don't understand the use of this method when there is a less invasive method that works far better with less downsides.

carbon maybe bad or good but it does make the water crystal, stirring the sand does not achieve that, stirring the sand has a lot of benefits though.

 

[Paleozoic_reefer]

Hmm...no water changes, no skimmer, and NO CARBON and this tank has been running just fine for over 20 years...interesting.

Classic video! I don't know how many times I watched this when I first started out. I think the top 4 quotes from that video, that truly encompass what good reef keeping is, are:

1) "Go slow"
2) "Bio-diversity has to develop"
3) "When you understand the system you can do these things." [ no water changes, no skimmer, no carbon]
4)'Don't fight the system...be happy with the corals that live in the system and thrive in the system"

 

[j.falk]

I’m seeing a lot of posts mention or highlight the need for “good quality carbon”? What does that mean?

When I worked at the LFS years ago we used two different types of carbon. The pelleted kind which was supposed to be a good quality carbon and then a chalky, dusty, chunky carbon that came in bulk in a big red bag. That stuff sucked. It took forever to rinse the dusty particles out of it and I swear it didn't really do much for filtering the water and had to be changed out quite frequently.

In my mind, if it's pellets it's probably good stuff...if it's dusty chunks, it's probably not good quality.

 

[Dom]

Only as needed.

 

[SMSREEF]

Votes are pretty split in the poll still. Anyone who does run carbon 24/7 want to chime in?

I used it 24/7 in my nano for years without issues. It helped keep the fishy smell at bay, and water sparkling clear.
I used high grade ROX carbon in a bag, inside the filter sock so any carbon particles didn’t get into the tank.
Now, in my new tank, I only use it as needed to remove meds, toxins, etc.
If my tank had leather coral or plays I would use it 24/7.