EN RED SEA SALTS REEF CARE PRODUCTS AQUARIUM SYSTEMS HARDWARE SUPPORT REEF-SPEC Carbon Highly activated Carbon for marine and reef aquariums Red Sea REEF-SPEC™ Carbon is the ultimate choice for marine & reef aquariums due to its unique technical characteristics. REEF-SPEC Carbon is available in 100g /3.5 oz, 250g /9 oz, 500g /18 oz, and 1000g /35 oz containers. Read more Home / REEF-SPEC Carbon Manual MSDS FAQ Reviews Main features Rapid removal of organic pollutants High total adsorption capacity Ultra-Low phosphate output Ultra-Low ash content Suitable for Marine & Freshwater Filter Bag included (100g, 250g, 500g, 1000g) Independent reviews REEF-SPEC Carbon specifications The role of activated Carbon in the reef aquarium Why do we need to use Carbon in a reef aquarium? There are organic pollutants that can only be removed from reef aquarium water by active Carbon. The reef aquarium is a closed artificial ecosystem where living creatures continually produce organic waste consisting of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, organic acids and phenols. If allowed to decompose the organics will fuel the activity of many unwanted microorganisms in the aquarium, increasing the total oxygen demand (BOD, COD) which will cause a reduction in Redox potential, as well as causing excessive production of CO2 by bacterial respiration, which will reduce pH. Read more Usage tips The adsorption activity of the Carbon media relies on a good Carbon/water contact, and therefore moderately active water flow will increase the efficiency. Strong water flow will reduce the contact time and interfere with the adhesion process of the organic molecules to the Carbon. Strong water flow may also cause the granules to grind against each other, releasing Carbon material to water. For best results: Remove any fines, by rinsing Carbon under tap water. Due to air trapped in the pores Carbon will float, and therefore it is recommended to soak the Carbon in RO water until all of the air has been released. Place the Carbon in a location with an active flow of 1000-1500 lph (250-400 gph) per 50 gr carbon. Replace Carbon every 1.5 – 2 months. Note: When Carbon becomes saturated with organics, it may start adsorbing some of the trace elements from the seawater. Usage guide Organic load & yellow tint removal: The recommended dosage of Red Sea’s REEF-SPEC Carbon is approximately 50 gr (100 ml) per 200 L (50 gallons) for a period of 1-2 months for a moderately stocked reef aquarium. Post-medication treatment: The recommended dosage of Red Sea’s REEF-SPEC Carbon to adsorb medication residuals is approximately 100 gr (200 ml) per 200 L (50 gallons) for a period of a week. Ozone post-treatment: The recommended dosage of Red Sea’s REEF-SPEC Carbon to remove residual ozone is 50 gr per 50mg/hr of ozone injection. The carbon should be placed at the ozone reactor/ protein skimmer outlet. Carbon should be replaced once it has reached approximately 50% of its original volume. Cleanliness rating Technical terms Iodine Number: Standard testing done to estimate the adsorption capacity of small molecules, in the range of 10 Å to 15 Å. Recommended levels for reef aquariums are above 850 mg/g but the higher the number the better. Methylene Blue Number: Standard testing done to estimate the adsorption capacity of medium size molecules in the range of 15 Å to 40 Å. Recommended levels for reef aquariums are above 250 mg/g but the higher the number the better. Molasses Number: Non-standard testing done to estimate the adsorption capacity of large molecules above 40 Å. There is no recommended level for reef aquariums these molecules are removed by protein skimming. Ash Level: A measure of the non-Carbon content of the activated Carbon. This is normally a dust that will be released from the Carbon to the water. The less Ash the better. Leachable phosphate: A measure of the amount of residual orthophosphates PO4 that may leach from the Carbon to the aquarium. The less phosphate the better and for reef aquariums should be below 10 mg/kg. Highest quality Carbons will be below 2 mg/kg. Product Density: Density of the Carbon at maximum packing efficiency, reported in g/ml. TSA – Total Surface Area: Amount of pore surface available for adsorption for a given mass of Carbon, measured using techniques such as BET nitrogen adsorption; reported in units of m²/g. Recommended levels are above 800 m²/g. Pore volume: The amount of macro, meso and micro pores. The ratio between TSA to pore volume estimate the active surface area in m2/ml. Mesh Size: Measure of particle size range of the granular product. Recommended mesh size for water treatment is 8 x 30 mesh (0.6 x 2.4 mm). Independent reviews Facebook group reviews (1 of 5) "“Where did my water go?” That’s what I asked after using REEF-SPEC Carbon for the 1st time." Dan Zada, REEFER XL 425 I love how it cleaned my water and made all the corals stand out. Cleaner water meant light can get better penetration to the darker parts of the aquarium and my corals are thriving. I feel it even helped with the algae as I clean the front glass less. It costs less and lasts longer than what I used to use so it’s a win-win. Discuss in our Facebook group Load more Facebook reviews Want to know more? 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