best media to run on a reef tank?

[sutton6989]

im gettin 2 phosban reactors for my new setup and im wondering what i should run in them.. i was thinking one with GFO and one with GAC.. i dk if running purigen will help at all with the carbon or anything like that. thanks for the input

 

[livewire]

If it helps I only run the purigen. And swear by it.

 

[JohnK]

Depends on what you are trying to fix/address.

If you are having phoshpate / nusiance algae problems, then GFO. If you are looking to increase water clarity or remove toxins of some sort, carbon. Either or both may or may not be a regular part of your husbandry routine, it depends on the particular system.

 

[labnjab]

We run GFO all the time and carbon for a week every few months

 

[jayinh]

GFO and carbon here

 

[Turbosnail]

Carbon 24/7

 

[Renato]

GFO/Carbon 24/7 I change them every twoo weeks...

 

[inverted]

GFO and Carbon 24x7. Try to change the carbon weekly and GFO biweekly.

 

[stingythingy45]

So,what do you think about the study that carbon causes HLLE?
I think that study came up years ago,but was brought up recently on RC.

http://www.coralmagazine-us.com/content/activated-carbon-hlle-smoking-gun-found

 

[Royalty]

So,what do you think about the study that carbon causes HLLE?
I think that study came up years ago,but was brought up recently on RC.

http://www.coralmagazine-us.com/content/activated-carbon-hlle-smoking-gun-found

I read the same artical and was going to post it up to see what everyone thought of this? Seeing how I was going to set up my TLF reactors with GFO/Carbon now I'm second guessing.

 

[Conlius]

The idea is that you don't want the carbon to tumble. Tumbling the carbon can result in pushing small amounts of carbon dust into your tank. To get around this I run my carbon in a phosban reactor but push the water backwards through it. Basically I use the outlet as an inlet and the inlet as the outlet. This way, all forces point down and the carbon is basically stuck to the floor of the reactor.

 

[pallobi]

So,what do you think about the study that carbon causes HLLE?
I think that study came up years ago,but was brought up recently on RC.

http://www.coralmagazine-us.com/content/activated-carbon-hlle-smoking-gun-found

I have used GAC for the full 6 years I have been in the salt keeping hobby... i have never seen anything like this happen... I have however, taken in fish, such as my purple tang that i have had since March, and have healed him completely of one hell of a case of HLLE... I have jus gotten my 2nd purple tang, who is in the same boat as my other when i first got him, and he is already showing improvement...

there is NO WAY, i would ever NOT use GAC, unless I saw something detrimental happening with my own eyes, and was able to rule it as the GAC itself causing it...

as for the OP's original question, i run GAC 24/7... I replace it every couple weeks, and run it in 2 consecutive BRS reactors, about 1 cup in each, and well rinsed upon replacing...

I do not run GFO, as I have no need to... if i had some phosphates or algae issues, i totally would use GFO without hesitation... its jus since i dont, i save my money where i can...

 

[sutton6989]

good article.. ill have to second guess running carbon as well

 

[don in mass]

HELLO in my new tank setup i will be running these threw my deltech 600 skimmer and a small amount of carbon 2 weeks out of the month .hth don
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4177
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4190
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.c...mbid=4346&thumbpage=1&list=4345,4346&breeds=1

 

[Andy V]

There is no reason to second guess running carbon. If you read the article carefully, it's only certain types of carbon...generally the cheap crap. Furthermore, the article says that not rinsing adequately and tumbling the carbon too hard is what can cause HLLE. Buying a good carbon and running it correctly will not harm your fish. The vast majority of people in this hobby use carbon at some point or another, with a huge percentage running it 24/7, like I do. I have never had a fish with any diseases of ANY type in five years. And I don't run a UV sterilizer or anything like that.

 

[pallobi]

There is no reason to second guess running carbon.

exactly... especially if you dont use the "cheap crap"...

the idea behind all this, and peoples thought not to use a proven method becuz of one silly article, out of the hundreds of good ones advocating the use of carbon, is nonsense...

 

[stingythingy45]

JMO,but I would never just simply dismiss a study.
But there also could be lots of other factors leading to the HLLE.
Most folks believed at first it was stray voltage that caused it,so grounding probes were used.
Then the idea of water quality and nutrition.So who knows,just thought it was worth a post here.

 

[Jocko]

Hey what about this idea that carbon's effectiveness drops sharply once it is wet and that after 24 hours it's already done the vast majority of what it's going to do? I forget where I read that, but it was recommending periodically just running carbon for 24 hours and then tossing it.

 

[inverted]

As to the HLLE stuff, my feeling is if your fish develop HLLE then you may want to stop or cut back.

The study though was very limited though and I don't see any reason it would be generalizable to typical reef settings.

For example:
-They ran huge amounts of unrinsed carbon. We tend to run smaller amounts of well rinsed carbon.
-They weren't able to explain the causal pathway, they hypothesized that it was fines, but couldn't find any on histological examination.
-It's suspected that protein skimming will remove fines, but they didn't run a skimmer.
-They didn't show that any possible alternative is better and does not lead to HLLE; toxins are a real problem, they need to be removed somehow.
-They didn't look at interactions between nutrition, GAC, and HLLE. Others have found HLLE is reversible via diet.

I think under certain circumstances GAC probably is associated with HLLE, but until these circumstances are more clearly identified, it's still anyone's guess what they are. At least in my opinion, the best thing you can do is monitor and remove GAC if HLLE occurs. I have too much invested to take a chance with toxins though...

 

[inverted]

Hey what about this idea that carbon's effectiveness drops sharply once it is wet and that after 24 hours it's already done the vast majority of what it's going to do? I forget where I read that, but it was recommending periodically just running carbon for 24 hours and then tossing it.

Where are you getting 24hrs? Typically I've heard from the experts, statements along the lines that it can last a week or so, and up to a month, or so if rinsed weekly. i think the efficiency may start to decline sooner though, but I didn't think it was the "vast majority".