Red Sea’s Reef Spec Carbon is the ultimate choice for marine & reef aquariums due to its unique technical characteristics.
Red Sea’s Reef Spec Carbon’s granule size and its micro/macro porous structure, ensures a very high total adsorption capacity and rapid extraction of the specific organic pollutants that are found in Reef aquariums.
Red Sea’s Reef Spec Carbon has extremely low phosphate leaching and minimal ash content while also not affecting the pH of aquarium water. It needs replacing less frequently than carbons that are not reef-specific or are of a lower quality and represents an effective, cost effective solution for providing the very best water quality in marine & reef aquariums.
Why use carbon in a reef aquarium?
There are organic pollutants that can only be removed from reef aquarium water by active carbon.
The reef aquarium is a closed artificial ecosystem where living creatures continually produce organic waste consisting of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, organic acids and phenols.
If allowed to decompose the organics will fuel the activity of many unwanted microorganisms in the aquarium, increasing the total oxygen demand (BOD, COD) which will cause a reduction in Redox potential, as well as causing excessive production of CO2 by bacterial respiration, which will reduce pH. Furthermore, there will be an increase in nitrogenous and phosphorus compounds, encouraging growth of nuisance bacteria and eventually of nuisance algae. The accumulating organics also has a significant effect on light penetration, especially in the blue and near UV spectrum that stimulates coral growth.
Stripping out the organics from the water is therefore crucial for the success of the aquarium. Using strong protein skimming, fine mechanical filtration and healthy biological filtration (nitrification and de-nitrification) will treat the large organic particles and the end products of the organic decomposition processes. However, there are many small organic particles that can only be treated by very fine mechanical micro-filtration using activated carbon.
Usage guide
Organic load and yellow tint removal:
The recommended dosage of Red Sea’s Reef Spec Carbon is approximately 50 grams (100 ml) per 200 litres (44 gallons) for a period of 1-2 months for a moderately stocked reef aquarium.
Post-medication treatment:
The recommended dosage of Red Sea’s Reef Spec Carbon to adsorb medication residuals is approximately 100 grams (200 ml) per 200 L (44 gallons) for a period of a week.
Ozone post-treatment:
The recommended dosage of Red Sea’s Reef Spec Carbon to remove residual ozone is 50 grams per 50mg/hr of ozone injection. The carbon should be placed at the ozone reactor/ protein skimmer outlet. Carbon should be replaced once it has reached approximately 50% of its original volume
Tips on using Reef Spec Carbon in a reef aquarium
The adsorption activity of the carbon media relies on a good carbon/water contact and therefore moderately active water flow will increase the efficiency. Strong water flow will reduce the contact time and interfere with the adhesion process of the organic molecules to the carbon. Strong water flow may also cause the granules to grind against each other, releasing carbon material to water.
For best results:
Remove any fines, by rinsing carbon under tap water.
Due to air trapped in the pores carbon will float and therefore it is recommended to soak the carbon in RO water until all of the air has been released.
Place the carbon in a location with an active flow of 1000-1500 lph (220-330 gph) per 50 grams (100ml) carbon.
Replace carbon every 1 - 2 months. Note: When carbon becomes saturated with organics, it may start adsorbing some of the trace elements from the seawater.
