Carbon and Tangs

[Ben A]

Just an interesting experience. I added a carbon reactor to my system about a month ago. About 2 weeks ago I noticed my purple tang starting to develop "Hole in the head." I never really believed that activated carbon causes HitH disease, but I thought I would try taking the carbon reactor off and see what happened. A week later my purple tang was completely healed back up. Now this is obviously not conclusive, but it is interesting.

[Coral Hind]

I'm glad you caught it early! You're lucky it healed because I've never seen them heal back up. There has always been some permanent scars.

[davelin315]

HLLE has been linked anecdotally to carbon for years by many, but like your results, there was nothing scientific in showing a relationship. I think there has only been one scientific study that was done recently (within the past 5 years). Mine would also heal up but it was always in the very early stages, just a few tiny holes and nothing else.

 

Never saw any signs of healing, though, in advanced cases with fish that I adopted.

[lnevo]

What kind of carbon did you use?

[Tracy G]

I have heard of you put a filter sock after your carbon reactor it can stop the issue anyway. I don't use carbon myself (anymore) but I have in the past

[YHSublime]

As a guy who loves his tangs and is considering running carbon, I'd like to see what others have to say?

[lnevo]

Its related to dust or too much tumbling. Rox 0.8 is hard and rinses super easy. Thats why i asked what kind of carbon was used.

[Ben A]

It was generic marineland carbon. I'm not sure if it's the dust or something that is being taken out. I've run chemi-pure in the past without issue. But I never ran them in a reactor so if it is the dust then that might explain why chemi-pure didn't cause any issues

[davelin315]

It's the dust or tiny particles created by tumbling. Filter socks are not always fine enough to remove the dust.

[Chad]

Didn't Hemdal do some research a few years back that linked the carbon dust as a cause? 

 

Ahh, found it:  I don't know if the formal study was ever issued, but here's the abbreviated writeup.

 

http://www.coralmagazine-us.com/content/activated-carbon-hlle-smoking-gun-found

 

(and, hi Dave!)

[Ben A]

I think I am jsut going to go back to running Chemi-Pure... maybe try out the new Chemi-Pure blue.

[Wrench]

I've had this issue in the past with dust causing problems with fish. If the dust finds its way into the fishes gills it will cause big problems. This happens much faster than the development of HITH of HLLE.  Since then I only use pelletized carbon, am sure not to set the flow too high and use it sporadically. 

[gmerek2]

I have always wanted to run carbon but after reading the study articles on HLLE I couldnt get myself to do it. I think no matter what you do you will eventually get some fines get lose. Carbon is very soft and if it moves at all it will rub off into the water.

[Origami]

I have always wanted to run carbon but after reading the study articles on HLLE I couldnt get myself to do it. I think no matter what you do you will eventually get some fines get lose. Carbon is very soft and if it moves at all it will rub off into the water.

You can always run the effluent through a filter sock. I've been running carbon for close to a decade now and my tangs have never shown problems with HLLE.

[gmerek2]

That's great news! I always worried just one microscopic carbon dust would get through a non microscopic filtering sock. I guess it catches enough of it to be safe

 

 

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[Origami]

That's great news! I always worried just one microscopic carbon dust would get through a non microscopic filtering sock. I guess it catches enough of it to be safe

And, in the interest of full disclosure, I've not used a filter sock on my existing system for over 3 years now. I use BRS ROX carbon (which I think is harder) in a reactor and am careful to rinse it clean to start and not to tumble it aggressively where it might abrade. I have four tangs in my system today: A yellow tang (which I've had for going on 10 years now), a sailfin tang, a powder blue, and a scopas. 

[GraffitiSpotCorals]

Another main reason why I just use it in a mesh bag next to a large powerhead in my sump. I also use rox whenever possible.

[Sharkey18]

Here's my story: 

 

I have been running carbon for about 4 months. ROX, NOT tumbling, in a reactor. No problem. 

 

Trying to conserve on equipment I added a second reactor for GFO inline with the carbon reactor. I was hoping that I could tumble the gfo, then turn down the flow with a ball valve and NOT tumble the carbon. Well the laws of physics crushed my dreams because without an overflow valve, limiting the flow OUT of the gfo obviously slows down the flow into the gfo, thus no tumbling. 

 

So I thought, so what if the carbon tumbles a little? It's the harder rox, I should be fine.

 

Wrong.

 

Within a week of me letting the carbon tumble a bit, my scopes tang showed signs of hlle.  No problem for 4 months with no tumbling. 1 week of tumbling and I have signs of hole.  The 4 other tangs are fine, but I immediately stopped the tumbling all together. 

 

Henceforth my carbon will not tumble. 

[lnevo]

I run both inline. I use Rox as well. My Rox is sandwiched between the sponges and plastic mesh. No carbon tumbling. I set the flow so the gfo is "simmering". Works well for me and no HLLE at all, although i just have one blue hippo tang

[Sharkey18]

Thanks Inevo, I am going to try that next. Needed to order more sponges.