Carbon media for toxic warfare/water clarity but do not want to strip PO4.

[OU812Reefing]

Hi all, I have a beloved toadstool in my tank with SPS and LPS coral. I also have some Zoas. I like the idea of running some carbon simply as a preventative if/when coral warfare happens (perhaps after fragging).

However, reading about the most popular carbon - ROX 0.8 - it seems like this is meant for a media reactor, and is also used to control phosphates. My phosphates stay between 0.04-0.08 so I do not want carbon that will strip them out.

Chemi-pure Blue also seems to remove PO4.

Has anyone tried Polyp Lab's version?

I would be using this in a media slot with fairly low flow.

Any other recommendations?

Chemi pure original crystal clear and odor free

 

[Salty_Northerner]

It won’t bind all of it, but it may bind some. Bacteria on the GAC may also happily munch on polymers partly attached to the GAC.

So in other words you think it be fine to use GAC? I really don't want to upset the balance of the actif and what it does. A few reasons I want to use GAC is because the slight Haze using the Bio-Actif salt but I just got home and the water is looking way clearer then Saturday evening. So I guess the bacteria is doing its thing so now I'm not worried about the clarity.. now I like to use it to keep the smell down/wife says she smells it but I'm gone a few days a week and don't smell a thing. I think it's her THINKING she smells it lol.

 

[Salty_Northerner]

Chemi pure original crystal clear and odor free

I used Boyd's chemi pure Elite before and the system didn't look happy one bit. I pulled it out and tried again a few months later and again the animals didn't like it. So in the trash it went and that's all it took for me to never buy it again.

 

[Salty_Northerner]

@Lebowski_ sorry I hopped your thread and didn't mean to hijack a portion of it. I figured it be a good quick thread to get an answer.

Btw FWIW Seachem Matrix carbon worked fantastic when I had the Evo going. It was small round carbon beads that had lots of tiny pores to it. But I was also on the polyplab site a few weeks ago and seen they sold GAC and thought I'd also give it a try.. you can be my guinea pig lol.. I'm more curious on the size.

That garbage WB sent with my system looks like a solid carbon rod that had broken pieces to fill the bags. The outer surface was smooth as glass so I didn't even waste my time with it. In the trash it went except the nize zipper bag which will be great value for flow through it

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

So in other words you think it be fine to use GAC? I really don't want to upset the balance of the actif and what it does. A few reasons I want to use GAC is because the slight Haze using the Bio-Actif salt but I just got home and the water is looking way clearer then Saturday evening. So I guess the bacteria is doing its thing so now I'm not worried about the clarity.. now I like to use it to keep the smell down/wife says she smells it but I'm gone a few days a week and don't smell a thing. I think it's her THINKING she smells it lol.

I don’t know the interaction between the TM polymer and the GAC, but I’m certain the tank will be fine if some or all does bind since most reef tanks get no such polymer additions and are fine without it.

 

[Salty_Northerner]

I don’t know the interaction between the TM polymer and the GAC, but I’m certain the tank will be fine if some or all does bind since most reef tanks get no such polymer additions and are fine without it.

I understand what your saying, I just don't want to mess up the purpose of using this salt mix. Water is clearing up alot. I guess the bacteria is populating and doing its thing. I've reached out to Lou and waiting for a reply. I'm sure your right but this is new to me and so far I'm impressed with the results. Readings are more stable but then again it's only been a week. One more WC and it should be as close to 100% TM water.

 

[GARRIGA]

It makes me kinda sad when I see Marineland calling this a magnum when I used to employ the old H.O.T magnums back in the day for all sorts of useful things including GAC.

Not uncommon for manufacturers to feed off iconic names such as Ford calling an EV Mustang.

 

[Salty_Northerner]

I don’t know the interaction between the TM polymer and the GAC, but I’m certain the tank will be fine if some or all does bind since most reef tanks get no such polymer additions and are fine without it.

Got an answer and it's fine to use GAC with TM Bio-Actif. As you said

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Got an answer and it's fine to use GAC with TM Bio-Actif. As you said

That's from Tropic Marin?

I wonder if they even measured it. lol

 

[Salty_Northerner]

That's from Tropic Marin?

I wonder if they even measured it. lol

Yes got the answer from Hans himself.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Which, I presume, means they did not measure it. It would not be trivial to do so in a reef tank, but might be doable in sterile artificial seawater.

 

[Miami Reef]

Which, I presume, means they did not measure it. It would not be trivial to do so in a reef tank, but might be doable in sterile artificial seawater.

Measure what? How much polymers get adsorbed by activated carbon? Is there even a way to test a polymer like that?

 

[Salty_Northerner]

Been adding plus NP and tested today.
Nitrate 0.0
Phosphate .055

Some softies not happy. I even spot fed reefroids yesterday. And can't believe I'm bottomed out on nitrates.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Measure what? How much polymers get adsorbed by activated carbon? Is there even a way to test a polymer like that?

Yes.

Depending on the polymer, one can potentially use UV absorbance. We use that at work for polymeric peptide drugs that we want to track concentration in binding sorts of experiments, but for which we do not want to spend the time to develop complex analytical methods (like HPLC-MS). But absorbance would be interfered with by other UV absorbing materials in reef tank water, which is why I suggested doign it in new artificial seawater. If this experiment works, it would take only a few hours and cost almost nothing (assuming one has a UV spectrometer).

Total organic carbon in the water could also be used.