# Carbon Block filter



## MacFan (Jul 30, 2006)

I am wondering if it's worth rebuilding our reverse osmosis system and continuing to have to replenish the natural minerals in water for the tanks or whether a large scale carbon filter system would be sufficient. I saw such a system at a store in Houston that Could turn a valve and fill all tanks at once. It went through what looked Like a scuba or welding tank full of carbon and then through an on demand water heater and to the tanks. Each tank had an overflow drain so he Could do water changes easily in that manner. I wasn't able to find filters that large online, what do I search for? And if I go that route, is it enough to deal with the periodic boost of chlorine fed into the water system? 

Michael


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## Tugg (Jul 28, 2013)

Are you talking about a beast like this:
http://www.cleanwaterstore.com/CF002660.html

Seems overkill for the home setup. I've been thinking of going with a series of 10 or 20" prefilters and active carbon and catalytic carbon. I'm just nervious, like you, that I won't know if I'm getting it all. Id hate to not condition with Safe and then posion my tank.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

I have been using the scuba looking filter for 10 years now. ADG uses a larger one. Someone from the club tried to use a smaller setup (2 water drop filters from Home Depot) and found that useful

but with the tap water constantly changing I still add dechlorinator. And because the tap water changes all the time I think that a big Carbon filter is a must.


Sent from my RM-893_nam_att_206 using Tapatalk


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## MacFan (Jul 30, 2006)

Overkill is relative... my previous setup was a customized Reverse osmosis system with 3 100gpd elements, boost pump and dual permeate pumps that filled a 160 gallon water tank with auto shutoff. A pressure activated well pump drew from that tank so when I opened the valve on any of the water lines for the tanks, it would kick on and provide water. Once the water in the tank dropped, the RO system would activate and refill. I maintained containers of Calcium Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate and Baking soda which I dosed into the tanks with each water change. 

A new RO system of that scale is about $900 and I need a place to store a giant water tank and pump. So that's why I'm considering alternatives. I don't have the nearly 1,000 gallons of tanks I once had, but will still have 400-500. 

A modern RO membrane can be damaged by chlorine, so there is a carbon filter inline before it, but I would still prefer something big and long lasting over something like that. I tried a series of 3 ice maker inline filter elements for a continuous water change system on a discus fry tank years ago and lost a significant number of them overnight. Apparently those don't remove all the Chlorine.


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## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

If you've got the space, money, and inclination to use a filter like that I'd say go for it. Personally, I would prefer to set up a bunch of smaller filters, like 20 inch sediment/resin chambers for home water softener systems, in series. The total volume may be the same, but the separate chambers would allow for more customization of filtration options.


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## MacFan (Jul 30, 2006)

Which? RO or carbon only?


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## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

If you go with the multiple smaller chambers you could use only carbon; carbon and a mechanical filter; carbon, mechanical, and ion exchange resins; etc. Hell, you could even throw a CO2 line on the pump and get your water carbonated from the start.

That's not to say a single large carbon block filter is a bad idea; it's definitely a good idea if that's the route you prefer to go.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

If this is going to be a custom pre-treatment water change system read posts 294 and 297 in the following thread. I have the feeling that quite a bit of the sudden issues we have on our tanks maybe due to the varying composition of the tap water. Activated Carbon takes care of a long list of substances but still - see if you will like H2O2 or some of the practices this guy is talking about:

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/algae/89126-organics-analysis-30.html


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## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

A small ozone generator plugged into the line will work as well, with less manual hassle, as using H2O2 to prep water. In fact, many municipal water treatment facilities already inject ozone as part of their treatment. For my money, I'd stick to a multi-stage physical/chemical filter system to pull out the majority of crap before it goes in the water; especially during the summer there in TX.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

Phil, since you know everything can you tell me what exactly is this and how it works. Yes, it looks like a scam but what is it that it bubbles? My guess is some kind of free radicals emulating hey or H2O2, ozone perhaps.




http://www.twinstarnano.com/iqvbbs/bbs/board.php?bo_table=en_user&wr_id=15&page=3


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## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

HAHAHAH I know everything? I sincerely wish I did. 

Your guess is as good as mine as to what Twinstars actually are. Right now I'm tending to think they're like you said, some sort of tank-safe hydrolytic device that creates low levels of oxidative species to oxidize delicate algae. Then again, it may just be a really fancy ultrasonic oxygenation system/bubbler that makes super fine bubbles and mist instead of the big ones we get from pumps.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/twinstar-what-is-it.28335/page-25


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