What carbon do you use & why

[Lakeside518]

What carbon works best for you?

I have always used Black diamond or Black magic. I have had problems with it being fine in size and working its way into my water column or into the impeller assb.

So I will be switching to Kent's Reef carbon.

[xian]

I use Biochem-zorb. Its actually a mix of in exchange resins and research grade carbon. Good stuff to have on hand in an emergency

[Sk8r]

My lfs stocks Kent, and other Kent products. They're high quality and it's convenient. I don't run carbon but once in a blue moon, notably when I was having a caulerpa bloom, and trimming that back...occasionally when I've been stirring up stuff. I put it in a kneehigh stocking and hang it in the sump---not a very advanced system, but cheap.

[monti-mike]

i run carbon pellets in 2 pouches, 2 cups in each and swap them ever other couple months......run the carbon 24/7 here, like the real clean non yellow water..... for me at leat......this on a sysyem of 450++ gallons of water when i had to small tanks i ran 3/4 cup in 2 bags all the time too, just seemen to work for me.............order it in bulk Cheap and good carbon from a place called Custom Aquatic......

mike

[jdieck]

Seachem matrix, one of the lowest phosphate leaching together with the Two Little Fishied Hydrocarbon (Both missing from the poll ) Also because of the shape flow goes thru niformly and it is one of the easiest to rinse. Because you need to pay for what you get unfortunately it is pricey.
I buy it in 20 liter bucket at about $10.00 / ltr.

[Toyota Guy]

chemi-pure....... change it out every other month

[michaelg]

For standard carbon, I have been using Black Diamond. Low amount of dust, and I can usually find it on sale at one of the mail order places.

[sbertomen]

I use Kents because of availability from lfs.

I try to change every week.

[Lakeside518]

I'm mostly looking for a high quality research grade carbon that is larger/ coarser in size then black diamond. I find the carbon getting into my Magnum 350 that i run 24/7 for carbon.

I have thought about putting Chemi-pure in my sump, but it would be costly if replaced once a month or even every other month. I also looked at Biochem-zorb same cost factor as Chemi-pure.

Thanks for your opinions

[jdieck]

Originally posted by Lakeside518
I'm mostly looking for a high quality research grade carbon that is larger/ coarser in size then black diamond. I find the carbon getting into my Magnum 350 that i run 24/7 for carbon.

I have thought about putting Chemi-pure in my sump, but it would be costly if replaced once a month or even every other month. I also looked at Biochem-zorb same cost factor as Chemi-pure.

Thanks for your opinions

I use chemi-pure and it lasts a lot longer than carbon and after saturation it can be regenerated so basically I do not buy any but every 6 months or so.

[reefD]

i use chemi pure filter media. it is expensive but i swear by the stuff! you wont see an immediate diufference but for stabalizing your water quality in the long run its the trick. i have even gone 2months and 12 days (i log everything i do to my tank) without doing a water change in my reef and thats with feeding heavy. i dose live phyto/ cyclopeeze/ and zoomax. nothing ever showed a sign of stress! that was with me using chemi pure. at that time i changed it twice. both times i used a full unit. the stuff says it last 6 months under normal conditions but I as i know most of us feed and dose alot. it only scavenges for ammonia and nitrate . it wont absorb other stuff that we want in the water column. it also stabalized ph.

[jdieck]

Originally posted by jdieck
I use chemi-pure and it lasts a lot longer than carbon and after saturation it can be regenerated so basically I do not buy any but every 6 months or so.

Correction Purigen not Chemi-pure in my case.

[appellativo]

tagging along. I am tackling a hair algae problem from all sides (more frequent/larger water changes, less feeding, larger cleanup crew etc) but want to know if Purigen will benefit and also looking to find out if anyone uses a phosphate adsorber with good results.

[michaelg]

Kris- why don't you put the carbon in a media bag or 2? Would solve the problem. I just have my bags is a real high flow area of the sump.

[Lakeside518]

I have always had the mentality that it has to be in a place with efficient contact. There's no place in my sump right now to really put it in the flow. Unless hanging it over the side of the sump counts and i highly doubt it. Prolly not the most efficent.

I like to use the canister filter for manly chemical filtration and alittle extra mechanical. Also provides some extra flow in the display, nothing over powering.

My next sump i will put carbon in a media bad and slide it into a baffle.

[jdieck]

Originally posted by Lakeside518
I have always had the mentality that it has to be in a place with efficient contact. There's no place in my sump right now to really put it in the flow. Unless hanging it over the side of the sump counts and i highly doubt it. Prolly not the most efficent.

I like to use the canister filter for manly chemical filtration and alittle extra mechanical. Also provides some extra flow in the display, nothing over powering.

My next sump i will put carbon in a media bad and slide it into a baffle.

If you have good flow in the sup, hanging it on the side will also work. What you really try to avoid is just having the bag sitting on an stagnant area and per sure your sump is not stagnant.

[appellativo]

Knowing that water takes the path of least resistance, would putting the carbon in a sock in a hang on filter or sump be enough flow to get the water THROUGH the carbon? Wouldnt it just kind of flow AROUND it and not really come in contact with the carbon for long enough to do any good? I hate being a pessimist. Maybe its just being a 'realist.'

[Lakeside518]

I would have to agree with appellativo

[jdieck]

Originally posted by appellativo
Knowing that water takes the path of least resistance, would putting the carbon in a sock in a hang on filter or sump be enough flow to get the water THROUGH the carbon? Wouldnt it just kind of flow AROUND it and not really come in contact with the carbon for long enough to do any good? I hate being a pessimist. Maybe its just being a 'realist.'

Difference in resistance only creates a difference in flow but will not prevent some flow passing trough the side of higher resistance.

The flow trough the bag is only indirectly created by the flow in the sump but not by the flow itself. When the bag hangs in the flow there is higher pressure on the side of the bag facing the incoming flow. On the opposite side of the water a zone of low pressure is generated by the small water swirls, this difference in pressure is what makes water flow trough the media bag.

[TA]

I like to hang the bag of carbon/media in my sump between baffles rather than setting it on the bottom.

[appellativo]

maybe if I could create some sort of little plastic cage for the filter bag that could flatten it to extend to both sides of the flow-through container (in this case, a hob filter) that would help....you guys might like all this putzing around with the tank and plumbing but I hate it. Although I'd rather mess with the tank than do the dishes or laundry.....