Ok now what

[onetrickpony]

Originally posted by onetrickpony
Bonehead move
My tank is doing ok
So I decide to add some activated carbon
I go down to my local pet smart picked up a box
Put it I one of my wife’s old pantyhose stockings to hold it
Then put it in my sump …….
One small detail
I for get to rinse it first
Turns my tank black
I leave it in , my tank looked like a black hole
It is just activated carbon , what harm can it do
The next morning the tank has cleared but it looks like most of my snails are dead or dying
My zoo’s, leather, hammer, torch do not look right
So what do I do?
Is every thing going to die on me?
Do I do a large water chang
The more I do the worse my tank dose
Help
Ken

OK
I did a large water change and right away, my snails started moving again
They were not DEAD
Therefore, what did I do to my tank?
Yes, I know I should have rinsed the carbon first
However, what did the activated carbon do to my tank?
Did I pollute my tank with black water from the carbon dust?
Or did the carbon strip the water of?????
Can I use the carbon now that it is rinsed?
Please educate me too what happened
or do i just give up and sell it all
Thanks
Ken

[xahx]

it should settle, NEVER do a dramatic water change, unless u are sure of what ur doing! maybe should have rinsed the carbon first! yes u can use the carbon after rinsing

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I don't really know exactly what initially shocked the snails. It may have been the carbon particles themselves. I doubt if any other effect on the water chemistry that carbon could cause would do it.

What brand of carbon? How much?

[onetrickpony]

The carbon I used was –Aquarium Pharmaceuticals 397g, 14oz
On the water change, I posted in new to the hobby and the only response I got was do a water change,
It was not only the snails but every thing else in my tank looked really bad
Bristle worms out in the open just laying around
Orange Linkia starfish all curled up in a ball, it is almost dead now moving but very and very slow, and the hermits are moving some are trying to eat the Linkia star
Bubble, hammer, torch all shrunk down to nothing
Zoos going all different ways some looked like the were trying to turn themselves inside out

I put the rinsed carbon in my sump after my water change last night
This morning all the corals are extended or opening up
The Linkia star is well just melting away
When things go good I want to know why
When things go really, bad I really want too know why
I know I should have rinsed to carbon first, but why did the carbon dust
Have such a negative effect on every thing
Ken

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You added all 14 oz at once? To what size system?

know I should have rinsed to carbon first, but why did the carbon dust
Have such a negative effect on every thing

I'd be careful to not necessarily jump to that conclusion.

Did you add or change anything else?

Have you measured ammonia? Sometimes one organism can cause a domino effect where ammonia gets higher and higher as more organisms die.

[onetrickpony]

The setup is a 90g with a the 55 that sits behind the 90 it has some cheato, extra live rock ruble
The 55 drains into the 90
I put the carbon in the wet/dry sump, no bio balls so the water would have to flow through it, and then be pumped into the main tank
I had just tested the water every thing ok ammonia 0.0, nitrite 0.0, nitrate 0.0, PH 8.2
I added the carbon because I am going to get a couple anemones and more fish
I have a 4� yellow tang, 2 clarkias
I just wanted to tune up the tank before I added any thing else
Ken

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Have you tested the ammonia since things went bad?