running carbon

[rhino509]

im thinking about running carbon in the system(before the first baffle in sump)to help with micro bubbles.how much do i use? and long do i use the same carbon before changing it?

thx

[bertoni]

That's a good question with no real good answer. I'd run a few cups of carbon and change it every month, but the longevity and filtration of activated carbon seems poorly documented.

[drummereef]

I use 1/2 cup in my 40 gallon if that helps. Black Diamond has worked well for me. ;)

[sjj80]

I usually replace my chemipure after about a month unless I've had any kind of cloudiness ( sand storm, etc.), or other water quality concerns then I change out every two weeks.

[rhino509]

ya i havent been able to find much about it.monthly sounds like a good timeline,i guess i could try that,test halfway to see i f i get any spikes in anything.i test quite often as i am manually adding calcium/alkalinity buffer.

[savethereef]

instead or runnig alot of carbon why dont you just get a foam sponge

[cinematek]

You know... someone once told me that he only runs carbon two weeks out of the month. Is full-time carbon a bad thing for a SW tank?

[jmick]

I run carbon (black diamond) 24/7 in my reef and change about every 2 weeks. I prefer to force flow though it via a canister filter (no other media in it) for best results. If you have lighing in your sump you should consider some type of macro algae such as cheato, which will help eliminate some of your micro bubbles once it gets growing. Although, if you sump is baffled correctly you really shouldn't have an issue with micro bubbles.