[GaryZ]

I decided to try running some carbon after a small scale fiasco about a month back. Last time, I didn't rinse it for long enough and ended up getting some dust go through my 300 micron sock into the tank. It wasn't too bad, so I decided to give it another go.

This time, I rinsed the carbon (Black Diamond) for about 3X as long and used a 100 micron sock. My tank is a cloud of carbon. What am I supposed to do? Leave it be and let it work its way out. I'm having a hard time sitting idle and waiting for a carbon mushroom cloud to dissipate.

[Reefland]

I'm surpised you still had that much dust after rinsing so much. I don;t think there is a lot you can do other than running some filter floss and heavy skimming.

[GaryZ]

I would think that a 100 micron sock would trap dust better than filter floss. No?

[Reefland]

It surely wouldn't do any worse. Do you have your drain water running through the bag?

[GaryZ]

Ya, my water flows down from the tank into a fuge. From there, it drains down into a sump. This is where the sock is.

[Poseidon]

WOW! I haven't had much trouble with carbon, but I buy the AquaClear pre bagged stuff! THe worst as far as dust I have come across is the "Bio Chem Zorb" that stuff almost seems like it has to be rinsed for a WEEK!

Try the Hagen stuff, I buy it for the "500" and it works like a charm!

[Meric]

Black Diamond Carbon fragments easily. I used it before and had a problem when I put it in a real high flow area. The carbon would break up releasing more dust into the sump, never went into the tank. But the sump was coated in Carbon dust. Once I removed it from a high flow area it stopped busting up. It was getting about 800 - 900GPH falling from 3" onto it. I moved it to where 600GPH flow through it, instead of falling on it.

[GaryZ]

Originally Posted by Meric

Black Diamond Carbon fragments easily. I used it before and had a problem when I put it in a real high flow area. The carbon would break up releasing more dust into the sump, never went into the tank. But the sump was coated in Carbon dust. Once I removed it from a high flow area it stopped busting up. It was getting about 800 - 900GPH falling from 3" onto it. I moved it to where 600GPH flow through it, instead of falling on it.

Thats exactly what my situation was. I took off the sock, removed all the carbon, rinsed the sock real well, replaced the carbon and I was set. So far it doesn't seem to be busting up any more. But, I did put a gob of filter floss over the top of the carbon in the sock. I'm sure thats helping alot.