Carbon vs Protein skimmer

[wallysworld]

Does carbon do anything more than a good protein skimmer does?

Thanks,
Walter

 

[Killerdrgn]

Carbon takes out chemicals and toxins. Skimmer takes out poop. They do 2 seperate things.

 

[masterswimmer]

Apples and oranges.

Skimmer removes dissolved organic compounds, the proteins that accumulate and are produced in our reefs.

Carbon removes yellowing compounds and toxins that are produced by some of the toxic combatants on the reef. Carbon will polish your water so the fish look like they are floating in air.

Those are a couple of examples and over simplifying things terribly.

swimmer

 

[wallysworld]

Thanks for the reply!

The reason I ask is because while using a ohosban/carbon mix I noticed my protien skimmer producing a lot less green tea strange??

 

[masterswimmer]

As your water gets cleaned up by the carbon, phosban and skimmer, there will be less organics and toxins in the water to remove. You'll see peaks and valleys with regards to production of skimmate.

As for mixing the carbon and phosban, I hope you don't mean that you mix them in the same reactor. They both require different flow and also need replacing at different times. Efficiency of both or one is always being compromised.

Russ

 

[wallysworld]

Russ,

Thats good to know because yes I was using both together. The came that way. I forget the brand but it was expensive. I am now looking at getting a BRS GFO reactor single for my 125 but I am waiting to hear back from them on how big of a tank it can handle? Right now I have a Aquavia which I think is too small for the 125 however it worked great on my 29 nano (used a minijet pump instead of theirs).
Plus hearing what you just said tells me I should put the carbon in my fluval 404 instead. Correct me if I am wrong but carbon needs high flow rate correct?

Thanks again!

 

[alrha]

could be Seachem's SeaGel which is a mix of their MatrixCarbon and PhosGuard.

http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/SeaGel.html

 

[wallysworld]

It was something like puru...

 

[greggnyce]

Ithink the brs reactor should be fine on a 125. You just have to put the right amount of media in it.

 

[ari5736]

I've read that the objective and result of both is the removal doc.

Purigen?