New Phosban Reactor

[Thunderkat]

Just added a new phosban reactor (with phosban of course) to my tank last night in my battle against hair algae. I liked it so much I ordered another one for activated carbon.

That brought up a question though. How much activated carbon should you use in a tank and how often should you change it? Is there a handy rule for this? I think I use too much and change it too frequently (one filter bag full every two weeks).

I don't have any leather corals by the way, just zoos, shrooms, meat, and gsp. Fish are 2 perculas, one cleaner wrasse, one algae blenny, and one sail fin tang. Upgrading my tank to a 75 gallon with 55 gallon sump/fuge very soon.

[brewercm]

I use about 2 cups in pantyhose into a low flow area of my sump and change out about every month. I have no leathers either but do have zoos and shrooms.

Not a scientific method but it seems to have worked so far. Oh yeah this is a 100 gal tank with about an additional 50 gal in sumps.

[pilot_bell777]

I filled my phos ban reactor full of carbon (It holds about half a jug) and will change it when I do my water changes.

[greatwit]

I know Salifert makes a test kit for Carbon to see if it needs to be changed. I'm not sure how acurate it is though.

[bprewit]

I started using Seachem matrix carbon in my phosban reactor. Its the round pellet carbon and dosent pack or clump and water seems to pass through it better than others atleast IMO. It also lets me up the flow through the carbon just a bit without all of it being shoved to the top of the reactor.

[GaryP]

I know Salifert makes a test kit for Carbon to see if it needs to be changed. I'm not sure how acurate it is though.
I think you are referring to the Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) test kit. I talked to Richard at CB Pets about it. He said he had tested it and found that it wasn't a very easy test to use. Maybe he will jump in here and give us his impressions of it first hand.