Carbon VS Corals

sapgranth25

sapgranth25

AC Members
May 25, 2006
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Sheffield uk
Hey there,
I have noticed over the last year that every month when i re-new my carbon that my soft corals mainly leather & star polyps silk hardly open are open & close

Anyway

i double dosed my carbon on Sunday & noticed that the corals hated it star polyps mainly again not even coming out

why is this & dose anybody run a carbon FREE Aquarium because of this what are the +`s & -`s of carbon in a marine set up?

Thanks​
 
I've never bothered using carbon in any of my setups (fresh or salt)... It's never proven to be nessesary or to offer much benifit.
 
I used to run the carbon throw a trickle filter but i`ve just installed a flu val 205 external filter on the tank witch may have something to do with it I'm not sure....
i rinse my carbon with ro water before i put it in my filter & i re-new it with new carbon every month......
Specific Gravity 1.023
Temperature 76°F - 25c
pH 8.1 - 8.4
Ammonia Zero
Nitrite Zero
Nitrate 0.10ppm
I know its bad form but i don`t have a Calcium test kit but i change 10% of my tank each week using REEF CRYSTALS
 
What brand/type of carbon? Perhaps it was acid washed?
 
well funny you say because i`ve always used a cheap brand called super fish says its ok for marine etc but this time WHEN the corals have had the worst effect i used the carbon that was free with my new external filter maybe its a different sort
 
i would only use Black diamond or kent reef carbon for a reef tank. also what does 8.1-8.4 for your ph mean? if it fluxes that much thats not good. also id recommend uping the SG to 1.024 for the corals. as for the carbon id say it might be the brand. the carbon that comes with the fluvals is premium blend so i doubt its that. reef crystals arent enough to maintain proper calcium levels and i would highly recommend using a phosphate test because high phosphates can cause coral retardation and most cheep carbons leach out phosphates.
also id say that 76 is to low most corals need it in the 78-80 range but 83-86 becomes critical for most corals causing rapid death and below 78 causes irregular feeding and closed polyps in some cases.
 
i`ve increased the temperature to 26c & each day i will drain 10ltrs of water out of my tank & add salt to .24 so over the space of 2wks my salt will be up to .24
i new my ph was around 8.1 8.4 but i`ve tested & its 8.3 so not bad i guess
& phos test is on the way same with a calcium 1
 
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