Carbon

[hunk]

Hi Guys

I would like some advise for carbon, my tank is already in the 7th month and nirite level is still at 0.1 ppm. Will the adding of carbon helps to reduced the nititrites? I have not added carbon of any kind till now. Are thgey really essential for a healthy tank?

I heard that carbon will remove some of the useful mineral in the water, is that true?

Lastly, I have a protein skimmer but I do not know whether the skimmer is sufficient for my 5 gallon tank. Are there anyway to measure it or any guide lines ion that? Thanks for any advise.

[TKOS]

Don't know about your nitrite problem but I have never run carbon and only keep it in case I have to use it to get rid of medications.

[mogurnda]

It won't remove nitrite. Otherwise, there is a lot of debate about carbon. I use it to keep the toxins secreted by my leather corals under control, and have never seen evidence that it causes problems. Some experts recommend it, some don't.

I am a bit surprised that you have measurable NO2 after 7 months. Are you sure the test kit is good?

My rather non-scientific way of determining skimmer size is to take the manufacturer's recommendation and divide by 2.