How do you run carbon in sump?

[AliKat]

I have a sump, and I'm trying to figure out a way to run carbon. Any ideas? I don't have any sort of canister filter or such. Can I just submerse it in one of the chambers, or does it have to have water running over it?

Or do I need to buy something?

[xenon]

phosban reactor with maxijet400 or you can place it in a media bag and zip tie the bag to your skimmer output.

[westhaven reef]

I bought a reactor and it does a great job.

[barjam]

I bought a 10 dollar whisper filter from PetCo and put a mesh bag filled with carbon in that.

[bogg]

I just run mine passively, mesh bag and toss it in the sump.

[ihopss]

[FishTruck]

be careful with carbon not to "fluidize" it. It will grind to powder and coat your tank with black dust. In other words, you don't want to see the carbon tumbling around if you use a reactor.

Personal experience.

R

[mitremark]

ihopss,

how does that work?

[trmiv]

I just have a mesh bag in the sump. I should probably stick it in a filter or something, but I haven't got around to it. I used to run it in phosban reactor, but it was too much of a pain in the butt to change it, so I would run it too long. At least with the bag it's easy to change, so I change it frequently.

[xenon]

Originally posted by FishTruck
be careful with carbon not to "fluidize" it. It will grind to powder and coat your tank with black dust. In other words, you don't want to see the carbon tumbling around if you use a reactor.

Personal experience.

R

Very interesting that you say this.

I had mine tied to my skimmer output and I kept getting black dust everywhere! I would even skim black sludge so I stopped using it all together.

Would I have this same problem in a phosban reactor?

[photobret]

I am trying the phosban metod right now and have filled a phosban reactor half full and used the included sponge to hold the carbon in place so it does not move.

[rbursek]

Are you rinsing it first?

[ransomed4ever]

Originally posted by ihopss

I like this idea. Do you just fill the pipe with whatever media and that's it?

[TracyZeuner]

I use a TLF Phosban reactor and fill with 200 grams of carbon. I use a ball valve to control the flow and have never had a problem with "dust"

[ihopss]

The cupler comes off (nothing is glued)and you put your media in,I have a filter pad in the bottom so the carbon dose not blow out,it cost less than 7$+PH.

[FroggyFeet]

Yeah its just a DIY reactor........nice design by the way!

[DarG]

Mine is exactly like ihopss. Short length of 1.5" PVC (or 2") and endcaps that have 1/2" female threaded ports in the center. Glue the bottom cap on. Get a couple of 90 degree 1/2" threaded barbs. Top cap just slides on and off. I sandwhich some carbon in between some filter floss inside the tube, stick it in the sump and use a small powerhead to run water through it. I usually use it once or twice a month a day or two before my water change. Works great and was easy and cheap to build and to use.

You can use a mesh bag and drop it in the sump but using some type of reactor or the little canister that I built forces water though the carbon which is more efficient.

I do use a TLF Phosban reactor for continuous use of GFO.
You can also use those for carbon but you have to be careful of tumbling the carbon too much and pulverizing is (you also do with GFO). With the little PVC "reactor" the carbon usually stays sandwiched between the filter floss so it doesnt tumble.

[Jefe12234]

I use a Duetto DJ-100 internal filter as described in this article.

http://web.archive.org/web/200402040...ct/default.asp

It works perfectly, you just need to cut off and use the top portion of the included carbon cartridge in order to prevent the mesh bag from clogging the pump intake.