Coralife Pelletised carbon (Stay away from this)

[gaga]

Just would like to share my experience with this ultra sucks carbon purchased from my lfs 1.5 mths back. When i first saw it i was actually quite shock by the price that it only cost $7.00 for 1 kg pack, Really very cheap man i thought compared to the previous Fritz activated carbon that i was using, I am alway skeptical about using cheapo carbon but then again coralife leh i thought shouldn't be that terok right. Furthermore the packaging look quite pro leh, Stating scientifically lab grade carbon no phoshate and no nitrate and all that as per usual sh*t, It doesn't look like it's in the class of those ocean-free carbon.

Anyway my changing water routine is that i will throw in 5 table spoon of carbon in a netting-bag and leave it in the sump for 48 hrs before water changing takes place, after then i will throw it away(i change 10% water a week) . But it seem that after the change of carbon and alway after using carbon in tank all my fishes broke out in ich, even my clown kena, 18 months in this hobby and first time see clown fish got ich. Initially i suspect my new skimmer not broke in yet and the water quality is hence not optimal. But finally realise the culprit when i switch to reefz carbon last week. All fishes are showing signs of recovery except for my hippo and scopas tang, still got traces of white spot but thankfully still eaing like pigs.

I not too sure if this product if leeching out high level of phoshate or nitrate cause i don't have a test kit with me to further verify. But one thing i know it leeching out something not very healthy for the marine enviroment, cause usually when we rinse our carbon before using ,the water is alway black but mine surprisingly it's only a bit black and quite yellowish. Something which i don't experience in all my previous brand.

Anyway does out there uses this carbon and had similar experience???

[Tanzy]

I would certainly be wary about calling it ultra sucks carbon just because your fish were ill coincidentally when the carbon was used.

I really don't see a link but it might be good to know that all activated carbon will release phosphate into the water to a certain extent.

[yazid]

I have to agree with Tanzy that I don't see a link between the carbon and your fish getting ich.

I have use cheapo grade Carbon including Coralife. No effects on fish and corals.

All carbon leech phospate but the cheapo ones usually leeches the most.

I usually remove after 2 weeks of used. The expensive ones are often the best though, especially if you are fighting to lower your phospate.

IME, usually fish get sick is due to stress (during water change, sudden water parameter change pH, temperature, harass by other fish etc). When they are stress, their immune system is low and will easily get sick.

The fish will usually recover after a while unless their environment are not conducive.

[Eric]

Just would like to share my experience with this ultra sucks carbon purchased from my lfs 1.5 mths back. When i first saw it i was actually quite shock by the price that it only cost $7.00 for 1 kg pack, Really very cheap man i thought compared to the previous Fritz activated carbon that i was using, I am alway skeptical about using cheapo carbon but then again coralife leh i thought shouldn't be that terok right. Furthermore the packaging look quite pro leh, Stating scientifically lab grade carbon no phoshate and no nitrate and all that as per usual sh*t, It doesn't look like it's in the class of those ocean-free carbon.

Anyway my changing water routine is that i will throw in 5 table spoon of carbon in a netting-bag and leave it in the sump for 48 hrs before water changing takes place, after then i will throw it away(i change 10% water a week) . But it seem that after the change of carbon and alway after using carbon in tank all my fishes broke out in ich, even my clown kena, 18 months in this hobby and first time see clown fish got ich. Initially i suspect my new skimmer not broke in yet and the water quality is hence not optimal. But finally realise the culprit when i switch to reefz carbon last week. All fishes are showing signs of recovery except for my hippo and scopas tang, still got traces of white spot but thankfully still eaing like pigs.

I not too sure if this product if leeching out high level of phoshate or nitrate cause i don't have a test kit with me to further verify. But one thing i know it leeching out something not very healthy for the marine enviroment, cause usually when we rinse our carbon before using ,the water is alway black but mine surprisingly it's only a bit black and quite yellowish. Something which i don't experience in all my previous brand.

Anyway does out there uses this carbon and had similar experience???

Could it be you stir up some detrius or sand during water change thus causing ich on the fishes?

Eric

[typrobin]

possible too, my fren's fishes all gone when he stirred the sand bed....

[bwilly]

possible too, my fren's fishes all gone when he stirred the sand bed....

they suck in all the pollutant..

imagine throw u in a room full of sh*t..

see u can tahan how long..

[gaga]

Ya la maybe all a conincidence, but then really funny le. i don't stir my sand neither have i did any rescaping of my LR recently, only when i use this carbon then tank got outbreak. Sad to say this is my first outbreak of ich in 2004 previouly never had any ich problem except for my hippo tang when i first bought it last year. Lasted only 3 days though. But whatever i threw the whole pack of thr carbon away liao.

[woonming]

GAC dont cause ich as ich is always present in your tank and would surface when your livestock are stress.

All GAC would leech PO4 to some extend even a few brands claims on it label that itis a super carbon and PO4 free.

A simple PO4 test would be able to show your the reading of PO4.

[ben]

GAC dont cause ich as ich is always present in your tank and would surface when your livestock are stress.

All GAC would leech PO4 to some extend even a few brands claims on it label that itis a super carbon and PO4 free.

A simple PO4 test would be able to show your the reading of PO4.

what if we quarantine our fishes 1st and placed some fish with ich in together? This is to outbreak the ich on them and have them produce the resistant against ich. These fishes are then quarantined for 1 month with copper.

Will all the ich die? Or the LR in the main tank will have ich too? If the main tank have ich, there is no point having quarantine tank.

Pls advise.

[woonming]

Ben i could only advise on. quarantine tank is needed should you wish to try out medication that contain copper. As "copper" is known to even stay on your tank silicon surface.

Ich comes and goes when livestock are stress due to many reasons.