Carbon to keep more corals???

[Jag586]

I was looking on the internet and found a beautiful 50 gallon reef tank, guy claims no skimmer and no sump just uses live rock and a HOB with carbon in it. I understand that live rock is a great biological filter, my question is, he claims the carbon removes all the impurities and toxins that the corals let off. Which has allowed him to keep more corals and very minute maintenance.

I’m not looking to be lazy or anything just wondering the role carbon plays in a reef tank

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

No Sump, no skimmer is fine nothing wrong with that, HoB filtration in a reef tank is fine too, think about all nano tanks available in market today, there is no skimmer and just builtin tank filtration just for better look than a bulky HoB filters.
Claiming carbon is removing all other toxins is a big FASLE, Carbon DO NOT remove Nitrate nor Phosphate. The purpose of carbon in saltwater is purely for water clarity, without carbon your water will look yellow tint or using carbon to remove medication or prevent/reduce chemical warfare between corals/anemones. However, there are some corals species (soft corals) have ability consuming Nitrate/Phosphate or keep those 2 elements relatively low so he can keep more corals in his tank. In saltwater world stability is the key to success not the carbon material.

 

[Five.five-six]

The problem with GAC for a bio filter is that every time you change your carbon you start your bio file ration over again. Carbon removes anything and everything it can fit in it’s pores until they are full than it does nothing. It will also strip your water of trace elements which is fine if you are doing water changes.

Honestly, on a nano 30 gal or smaller, just forget the skimmer and do 10% weekly water changes. Use carbon or chemipure on occasion. A HOB refugium is nice but not nessacery.