Carbon - Yes or No?

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by sphelps

Has a tank ever crashed from not using carbon? No
Has a tank ever crashed from using carbon? Yes

Not sure we can factor defective products into this. Tanks have crashed from defective salt, we're not going to call salt optional

[Reefer Rob]

Some people have beautiful tanks and don't do water changes. No way I have the guts to try this... I'll keep running carbon.

But keep the desert island analogies coming just the same.

[Seriak]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Not sure we can factor defective products into this. Tanks have crashed from defective salt, we're not going to call salt optional

Has a tank ever crashed from not using salt: Yes
Has a tank ever crashed from using salt: Yes

Lol! A little different.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Seriak

Has a tank ever crashed from not using salt: Yes
Has a tank ever crashed from using salt: Yes

Lol! A little different.

Well, we don't know if a tank ever crashed form not using carbon. Maybe yes. Then it's exactly the same story.

I think for the purposes of this discussion, we're talking about quality products without contaminants

[Seriak]

Well my two cents is I use Carbon and will continue to do so!!

[FishyFishy!]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Well, we don't know if a tank ever crashed form not using carbon. Maybe yes. Then it's exactly the same story.

I think for the purposes of this discussion, we're talking about quality products without contaminants

LOL, yeah lets not throw a curveball into this home run of a discussion ok????



PS.. I use carbon and GFO on all of my tanks... always have, always will.

[Aquattro]

I personally have run carbon 24/7 for 12 years, wouldn't think of not using it.

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Not sure we can factor defective products into this. Tanks have crashed from defective salt, we're not going to call salt optional

Of course you can, it's a risk involved in using it so one has to determine if the risk is worth the benefit. You can't say a tank has crashed from not using carbon, plan and simple. You can argue the use of carbon MAY prevent a crash but the lack off is certainly not a cause.

Salt is not optional and neither is water or the container everything is held in, those risks are unavoidable.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by sphelps

Of course you can, it's a risk involved in using it so one has to determine if the risk is worth the benefit. .

Everything can present a risk, but I think it's so small and random, that we can't discuss the use of a product, as a requirement for tanks, based on that small risk.
The discussion is about using good carbon vs not using good carbon. Now with that identified, we can carry on.

[FishyFishy!]

I personally have noticed water quality issues (as far as clarity is concerned) when not running carbon. I have had no bad experiences with running it. So on that alone, I will always run it for that reason.

I think that if it is regularily changed out, and used in a reactor, the benefits are obvious.

I think a lot of issues come about when people run the same carbon all the time in media bags which just collect detritus, and cause spikes nitrates or phosphates. Changing it out regularily, and using it in a reactor has benefits that I enjoy having in my tanks.

Is it nessessary? No. Does it have visible benefits? Yes.