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Re: Take the Carbon Challenge



David Aiken wrote:

> I also haven't seen anything written specifically on this. I do not that
> reef aquarists have expressed similar concerns in relation to carbon and
> reef tanks. Julian Sprung's recommendation is to throw a bag of carbon
> loose in the sump, or even at the back of the tank itself, where water is
> not going to be forced through it as it would if it were placed in a
> filter. His experience is that, used this way, it will remove the humic
> compounds which cause yellowing of water without impacting on nutrients.

I don't think trace removal is main concern for using GAC sparingly and
not forcing water through it.  The main reason is by doing so, the GAC
effectively becomes a media for mineralization and nitrifying filtration,
a bad thing in reef aquariums.

For plant tanks, placing the carbon in the filter is probably not
a problem.  But if the main reason for using GAC is to reduce colouring
and odor, and if placing the GAC outside the filter works, then placing
it outside makes maintaince easier.

Louis Lin