Is carbon bad for plankton?

[Bristle Worm]

Does it pull out just detritus and chemical compounds, or also planktonic freeswimming fauna and flora?

[scubadude]

Does it pull out just detritus and chemical compounds, or also planktonic freeswimming fauna and flora?

I dont think so, I would be more worried about your skimmer pulling the plankton out more so then the carbon. It is a good idea to turn off your skimmer before feeding plankton, I would also pull the carbon out too if your that worried about it, but if it does bind with live plankton then I doubt it would be much.

[Bristle Worm]

I am attempting to setup a filter feeder intensive tank (sponges, tunicates, and such) and therefore will attempt to run skimmerless and use a macroalgae/carbon filter combination instead.

The objective being to export nitrate and phosphate compounds, and to leave planktonic flora and fauna for the consumption of the tank inhabitants.

I believe in theory this strategy is plausible but the reality of it will probably be a different story.

[Ninong]

Does it pull out just detritus and chemical compounds, or also planktonic freeswimming fauna and flora?

Carbon is a chemical means of filtration. It has no effect (as carbon) on either detritus or plankton. However, if you place a mesh bag of carbon in your sump, it might trap any number of different things but this is simply a matter of mechanical trapping. If you place the carbon in a cannister filter, then anything going through the filter could be trapped inside but that has nothing to do with the carbon itself. You would have the same effect with just about anything you placed in the cannister.