Black Diamond Carbon

[audia628]

I filled a bag with 16 oz of carbon.
How long does that last and can I just rinse it the water change water to recycle?

Thx

[Gerard the fish]

Carbon usually last a couple of months but it really depends on your water quality or lack thereof

- g

[DgenR8]

I run carbon only when I see a need (yellowing water, fragging soft corals, evidence of chemical warefare) and remove it no more than 5 days after adding it.
I believe that it absorbs as much as it can within that time, and if left in the system, will leach stuff back out.

[Gerard the fish]

I run carbon only when I see a need (yellowing water, fragging soft corals, evidence of chemical warefare) and remove it no more than 5 days after adding it.

This is true, but if you wash the carbon properly you will not have the leeching of black stuff back into your system.

Having said that I agree that carbon should only be used as needed.

- g

[Philip Parrott]

I'm sure that DgenR8 washes the carbon well before using it (no black powder), I think he means once it's full of impurities it'll no longer work and basically do nothing. Then it'll just become biological.

I, too, don't use it unless it's needed. It's too expensive, doesn't last that long and doesn't do that much for my aquarium. I use Purigen and it works well with my water and you can regenerate it. Of course, I still have carbon for the hospital tank and for other times.

[DgenR8]

That's correct, it must be rinsed well to remove the black dust, you don't want to add that to your tank.
The nature of carbon, is to act like a sponge. It will absorb certain nasties. Once it has absorbed it's fill, it will actually release some of what it has colleted back into the water.