Charcoal Nightmare !!!

Bellaru · 09/14/2013, 08:13 AM

I put some charcoal in a filter sock and put it in my sump next to the in coming water. Now I have a sump and display tank full of it and everything covered in charcoal powder. I rinsed it well and everything. Any advice on removing it? Is this going to be a big problem? Arggggggg.......

acabgd · 09/14/2013, 08:27 AM

Well, either you haven't rinsed well enough or your filter sock is too coarse. Still, should be easy to vacuum most of it.

jerpa · 09/14/2013, 10:21 AM

I assume you mean carbon? If it is grinding due to flow that could cause the issue, otherwise it wasn't rinsed well enough. Some carbon can take quite awhile to rinse. If you actually used charcoal remove it. Either way I'd do water changes to help clear the water. I don't know that any mechanical filters, short of a diatom, that will clear something that small.

Bellaru · 09/14/2013, 11:22 AM

Yes carbon. Just spent three hours super cleaning sump and tank. F%#* carbon. I usually don't use it but had some coral war fare. Rinsed well but now that you say grinding that makes since. What a mess, black coating on everything. Sand was black on top and couldn't even see white. Gonna take a long time to let it fully cycle out.

Drae · 09/14/2013, 12:05 PM

You cant put carbon in a filter sock without a filter bag. I did the same thing when I was a newb. My skimmer was pulling out carbon for a couple of days and I had to take apart all my pumps and powerheads because they were covered in black dust. No effect on the coral though.

Humu Humu · 09/14/2013, 08:19 PM

You really have to rinse the carbon a lot, and it should be in a slow flow area. It will still crumble if it's in a turbulent area.

Bellaru · 09/15/2013, 08:03 AM

Got the majority cleaned up. Lesson learned, thanks for the help. One good thing that came out of it was I found a great new quick use mechanical cleaner. I used an old canister filter filled with filter pad on the in coming side of the sump for 24 hours and the water couldn't be cleaner. I might hook this up every once in a while and stir up the tank for a quick clean.

OCCOFNY · 09/16/2013, 06:05 AM

try using the canister with the filter pad next time. You can adjust the flow so it's not agitating the carbon too much and the filter pad should keep the fines out of your tank.

Siebo · 09/16/2013, 06:27 AM

You can't put carbon directly in the sock, it will grid up to dust as you found out.. Next time put it in a bag and roll the bag tight so the carbon can't move. Tie a string around it so it does not move. It will be a tight little roll of carbon. Then place it in the sock and you will be fine.

09/14/2013, 08:13 AM	#1
Bellaru Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: South Carolina Posts: 53	Charcoal Nightmare !!! I put some charcoal in a filter sock and put it in my sump next to the in coming water. Now I have a sump and display tank full of it and everything covered in charcoal powder. I rinsed it well and everything. Any advice on removing it? Is this going to be a big problem? Arggggggg....... __________________ 55gl with 20gl sump/fuge 9 months old 2 Ocellaris Clownfish, 1 Neon Dotty Back, 2 Cleaner Shrimp, lawn mower blenny Fox face, Snails , Hermits and tons of pods, corals

09/14/2013, 10:21 AM	#3
jerpa Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 2,174	I assume you mean carbon? If it is grinding due to flow that could cause the issue, otherwise it wasn't rinsed well enough. Some carbon can take quite awhile to rinse. If you actually used charcoal remove it. Either way I'd do water changes to help clear the water. I don't know that any mechanical filters, short of a diatom, that will clear something that small. __________________ Jer Current Tank Info: 40b basement sump, 40b refugium, 30g frag

09/14/2013, 11:22 AM	#4
Bellaru Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: South Carolina Posts: 53	Yes carbon. Just spent three hours super cleaning sump and tank. F%#* carbon. I usually don't use it but had some coral war fare. Rinsed well but now that you say grinding that makes since. What a mess, black coating on everything. Sand was black on top and couldn't even see white. Gonna take a long time to let it fully cycle out. __________________ 55gl with 20gl sump/fuge 9 months old 2 Ocellaris Clownfish, 1 Neon Dotty Back, 2 Cleaner Shrimp, lawn mower blenny Fox face, Snails , Hermits and tons of pods, corals

09/15/2013, 08:03 AM	#7
Bellaru Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: South Carolina Posts: 53	Got the majority cleaned up. Lesson learned, thanks for the help. One good thing that came out of it was I found a great new quick use mechanical cleaner. I used an old canister filter filled with filter pad on the in coming side of the sump for 24 hours and the water couldn't be cleaner. I might hook this up every once in a while and stir up the tank for a quick clean. __________________ 55gl with 20gl sump/fuge 9 months old 2 Ocellaris Clownfish, 1 Neon Dotty Back, 2 Cleaner Shrimp, lawn mower blenny Fox face, Snails , Hermits and tons of pods, corals

09/14/2013, 08:27 AM	#2
acabgd Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Belgrade Posts: 1,086	Well, either you haven't rinsed well enough or your filter sock is too coarse. Still, should be easy to vacuum most of it.

09/14/2013, 12:05 PM	#5
Drae RAIDER NATION! Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: City of sin... Posts: 3,476	You cant put carbon in a filter sock without a filter bag. I did the same thing when I was a newb. My skimmer was pulling out carbon for a couple of days and I had to take apart all my pumps and powerheads because they were covered in black dust. No effect on the coral though.

09/14/2013, 08:19 PM	#6
Humu Humu lost in the pelagic zone Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Chicago Posts: 207	You really have to rinse the carbon a lot, and it should be in a slow flow area. It will still crumble if it's in a turbulent area.

09/16/2013, 06:05 AM	#8
OCCOFNY Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Newburgh, NY Posts: 59	try using the canister with the filter pad next time. You can adjust the flow so it's not agitating the carbon too much and the filter pad should keep the fines out of your tank.

09/16/2013, 06:27 AM	#9
Siebo Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Chicago Posts: 79	You can't put carbon directly in the sock, it will grid up to dust as you found out.. Next time put it in a bag and roll the bag tight so the carbon can't move. Tie a string around it so it does not move. It will be a tight little roll of carbon. Then place it in the sock and you will be fine.