Red Sea Activated Carbon 500 ml Reef Spec

REEF-SPEC™ CARBON - 500ml - Red Sea

Highly activated charcoal for marine and reef aquariums

Red Sea REEF-SPEC™ carbon is the ultimate choice for marine and reef aquariums due to its unique technical characteristics.

The granule size of Red Sea REEF-SPEC™ Carbon and its micro/macro porous structure ensure a very high total adsorption capacity and rapid extraction of specific organic pollutants found in reef aquariums.

REEF-SPEC™ carbon has an extremely low phosphate release and minimal ash content without affecting the pH of aquarium water.

The Red Sea REEF-SPEC™ carbon needs to be replaced less frequently than non-reef-specific or lower quality carbons and offers an efficient and cost-effective solution for providing the best water quality in marine and reef aquariums.

Main features:

- Rapid elimination of organic pollutants
- High total adsorption capacity
- Ultra-low phosphate production
- Ultra-low ash content
- Suitable for sea and freshwater
- Filter bag included (250g, 500g, 1000g)

REEF-SPEC™ Carbon is available in containers of 250g / 9 oz, 500g / 18 oz, and 1000g / 35 oz.

The role of activated charcoal in the reef aquarium

Why do we need to use charcoal in a reef aquarium?

There are organic pollutants that can only be removed from reef aquarium water by activated carbon.

The reef aquarium is a closed artificial ecosystem where living creatures continuously produce organic waste composed of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, organic acids, and phenols.

If allowed to decompose, organic matter will fuel the activity of many undesirable microorganisms in the aquarium, increasing the total oxygen demand (BOD, COD), which will result in a reduction of the redox potential, as well as excessive CO2 production from bacterial respiration, thereby lowering the pH. Additionally, there will be an increase in nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, encouraging the growth of harmful bacteria and potentially harmful algae. The accumulation of organic matter also has a significant effect on light penetration, especially in the blue and near-UV spectrum that stimulates the growth of corals.

The removal of organic matter from the water is therefore crucial for the success of the aquarium. The use of powerful protein skimming, fine mechanical filtration, and healthy biological filtration (nitrification and denitrification) will treat large organic particles and the end products of organic decomposition processes. However, there are many small organic particles that can only be treated by very fine mechanical microfiltration using activated carbon.

How does activated charcoal filter water?

Scientifically speaking, carbon removes organic matter from water through a physical process called adsorption. In a reef aquarium, the submicroscopic pores of activated carbon are the final step in the mechanical filtration process, adsorbing organic molecules that are too small to be eliminated even by the best mechanical filters or physically removed from the water through protein skimming.

Absorption can be considered as the adhesion of a molecule to a surface by attractive forces. This occurs in the submicroscopic pores of carbon because the attractive forces between organic molecules and the internal surfaces of carbon are much greater than the attractive forces that keep them dissolved in solution. This will continue until the entire surface inside the carbon is exhausted and it becomes saturated with organic matter.

What is activated charcoal?

Activated carbon is an extremely porous material with a sponge-like structure but with a very large internal surface area relative to its physical size. It is produced from numerous organic materials with a high carbon content, such as coconut shells, nut shells, lignite, bituminous coal, or anthracite. The carbon-based material is "activated" through physical modification and thermal decomposition in a furnace, under controlled atmosphere and temperature conditions. The activation process greatly increases the specific surface area per unit volume of a fine network of submicroscopic pores, which gives activated carbon its ability to act as a filtering material. The specific source of the carbon and the specific activation process determine the physical characteristics of the final product.

What makes a specific type of charcoal ideal for use in reef aquariums?

There are a number of internationally recognized tests to evaluate and compare activated carbon. However, the most important parameters for selecting carbon for reef aquariums are the iodine number and the methylene blue number. These two parameters measure the carbon's capacity to adsorb all organic waste in a reef aquarium that is not removed by mechanical filtration and protein skimming. The higher the number, the more organic matter will be removed from the aquarium per gram of activated carbon used. These two figures are roughly equally important and should always be considered together when evaluating test data.

Some manufacturers cite a number of molasses, but the molecules in the molasses size range are typically removed by protein skimming, and therefore, this number is not relevant when assessing the suitability of activated carbon for reef aquariums.

In the past, charcoals have been known to leach phosphate into the water, which is undesirable for a reef aquarium. Consequently, the lowest levels of phosphate released are considered better. In reality, as long as the phosphate released is below a basic threshold level, any difference below this level is not measurable in reef aquariums and is therefore not relevant.

The cleanliness or dustiness of the product is also taken into account and is measured as the ash level. The lower the level, the better, because higher levels indicate that a greater amount of particles will be released into the water and a smaller actual mass of carbon will remain to perform the filtration. Ash levels are often indicated by manufacturers, but they are easier to visualize by observing the turbidity when adding the carbon to the water.

In addition to these important indicators, the overall effectiveness of activated charcoal will be affected by its physical parameters such as product density, TSA, pore volume, and mesh size .

Activated carbon produced from lignite and anthracite is not recommended for reef aquariums due to an excessive amount of fine powder released into the water (which can lead to lateral line necrosis "HLLE disease" in some fish). Coconut or bituminous coal are the preferred sources.

Tips for use in a reef aquarium

The absorption activity of carbon-based media relies on good carbon/water contact, and thus a moderately active water flow will increase efficiency. A strong water flow will reduce the contact time and hinder the process of organic molecules adhering to the carbon. A strong water flow can also cause the granules to grind against each other, releasing carbon into the water.

For the best results:

- Remove the fines by rinsing the charcoal under tap water.
- Due to the air trapped in the pores, the charcoal floats, and it is therefore recommended to soak the carbon in RO water until all the air is released.
- Place the charcoal in an area with an active flow of 1000-1500 lph (250-400 gph) per 50 grams of carbon.
- Replace the carbon every 1.5 to 2 months. Note: When the carbon becomes saturated with organic matter, it may start to absorb certain trace elements from the seawater.

User Guide:

- Elimination of organic matter and yellow tint:The recommended dose of REEF SPEC Red Sea carbon is approximately 50 grams (100 ml) for 200 liters (50 gallons) over a period of 1 to 2 months for a moderately stocked reef aquarium.

- Post-medication treatment:The recommended dose of REEF SPEC Carbon from Red Sea to adsorb medication residues is approximately 100 grams (200 ml) per 200 liters (50 gallons) for a period of one week.

- Post-treatment with ozone:The recommended dose of REEF SPEC carbon from Red Sea to eliminate residual ozone is 50 grams per 50 mg/h of ozone injection. The carbon should be placed at the outlet of the ozone reactor/protein skimmer. The carbon should be replaced once it has reached approximately 50% of its original volume.

Technical terms

- Iodine index: standard test performed to estimate the absorption capacity of small molecules, in the range of 10 Å to 15 Å. The recommended levels for reef aquariums are above 850 mg/g, but the higher the number, the better.

- Number of methylene blue:A standard test conducted to estimate the absorption capacity of medium-sized molecules in the range of 15 Å to 40 Å. The recommended levels for reef aquariums are above 250 mg/g, but the higher the number, the better.

- Number of molasses:Non-standard tests were conducted to estimate the absorption capacity of large molecules greater than 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 activated carbon. This is typically dust that will be released from the carbon into the water. The fewer the ashes, the better.

- Phosphate release:A measurement of the quantity of residual orthophosphates PO4 that can be released from the charcoal into the aquarium. The less phosphate there is, the better, and for reef aquariums, it should be less than 10 mg/kg. The highest quality charcoals will be less than 2 mg/kg.

- Product density:Density of carbon at maximum packing efficiency, indicated in g/ml.

- TSA - Total Surface Area:The amount of pore surface area available for adsorption for a given mass of carbon, measured using techniques such as BET nitrogen adsorption; reported in units of m²/g. The recommended levels are above 800 m²/g.

- Pore volume:Quantity of macro, meso, and micro pores. The ratio between the TSA and the pore volume estimates the active surface area in m²/ml.

- Mesh size:Measurement of the particle size range of the granular product. The recommended mesh size for water treatment is 8 x 30 mesh (0.6 x 2.4 mm).