phosban & carbon

[jadeguppy]

I want to run phosban and carbon in my reacotr, which I only have 1 of at the moment. I know that phosban is suppose to last months, while carbon only lasts about 1 month. My questions is if I put a smaller amount of phosban in the reactor mixed with carbon, will the phosban still be effective? Since it will be a smaller amount, I will change it monthly with the carbon. I'm not sure if the longevity of the phosban has to do with a rate of absorption or amount that can be absorbed, which is why I ask if this will work.
Thanks chem buffs!

[Myka]

Both the carbon and the PhosBan will be used up in direct relation to how much you put in there. The carbon may be used up quicker than 1 month or slower than 1 month depending how much you use, how big your tank is, and how many impurities exist in the water column. Same with the PhosBan.

The problem with running the carbon and the PhosBan in the same reactor is that they perform best at different flow rates. The PhosBan should have about 150 gph running through it. If used in a PhosBan reactor then the PhosBan media should have about enough flow to just "ripple" the top little bit of the media. Where "the more flow the better" for carbon. Carbon should be packed tightly so that it doesn't move at all when the water moves through it as this will cause carbon dust which will enter your water column and that is no good at all. PhosBan needs more contact time to work, where the carbon doesn't need much contact time at all, so the more flow the better as you get more water to pass through it.

I run about 2 tbsp per 10 gallons of Kent Reef Carbon, which I change about once every 2-3 weeks, and about 1 tbsp per 10 gallons of RowaPhos which I change when I start to get a phosphate reading on my test kit or when I notice green film algae starting on the glass panes. I run my medias in an AquaClear that I have running at 150 gph. I don't have high nutrients, so I don't have a problem running the carbon that slow.

[jadeguppy]

Do you have a like to the aquaclear you are refering to? I'm not picturing it right now. Thanks for the amounts, that helps!

[Myka]