Carbon in a reactor

[cfsindorf]

For those that run carbon 24/7 what carbon do you use and how often do you change it? Lets not get into why run it or not runt it for 24/7. As we all know some do and some don't.

Thanks

Craig

[Crusinjimbo]

I use 30mg GFO and 30mg GAC, both BRS generic, and change it weekly now. PO4 has read 0 on Hanna for 7 weeks and I continue to reduce the volume of both in a BRS reactor. My 50# of pukani finally has run out of phosphate, or I hope so anyway!

[downbeach]

I use a single BRS reactor with 1 1/4 cups of ROX 0.8 GAC. in a 180 gal. tank. I'm using an MJ400 for flow, and I replace it once a month.

[yogoshio]

I use chemi-pure after kent carbon's bad carbon (contaminated with copper) batch made me leery of contaminated carbon.

[bertoni]

After a month or so, the carbon likely is covered with bacteria, and it's not doing anything particularly useful, so I changed it about that often. More frequently might be appropriate for a tank with a lot of corals emitting toxins.

[Andrew D]

I have about 12 bags of chemi-pure in a DIY reactor, and every 2 weeks I remove the bottom 2 while adding 2 fresh ones up top. This way I have some relatively fresh carbon "in play" at any time and I don't shock my system by replacing it all at once. I should be using a lot more carbon than I do (150G DT with 200+G's on top of that in sump, fuge and frag tank), and probably replacing it more frequently, but the stuff ain't cheap. I'm thinking of stopping carbon and see what happens, or going with some cheaper stuff.

[bertoni]

Personally, I'd try some of the BRS bulk carbon. It's cheaper than the ChemiPure, and the ROX 0.8 likely is a better carbon.

[Steve175]

I use Premium Aquatic bulk carbon and replace it monthly (~ 2lbs in a large reactor)