

Carbo Plus

I don't know if it will help any of you decide how these things work, but I 
tried one.  You are supposed to let it run in the beginning for a 
continuous period, and since I had an empty 10 gallon, I used that.  My 
water comes from the tap at about 7.5 ph, 5 kh and gh.  After 24 hours of 
the Carbo Plus running at top output in that tank, the water had ph below 
what my test kit could measure and ditto kh.  Can't remember if I measured 
gh at that time.  After that break in period, I tried it in my 20 gallon at 
the lowest setting.

The 20 gallon has pet store gravel in it that I discovered too late buffers 
more than desired.  It has laterite in the gravel and (before and after the 
Carbo Plus) DIY yeast and that way it usually runs 7.2 ph but without 
weekly water changes it heads for 8 ph and beyond.  Even with the weekly 
water changes kh is usually 7 or 8.  Anyway, with the Carbo Plus on low the 
kh was 2 in nothing flat.  I decided you need much harder water and much 
bigger tanks than mine to manage this device and gave up.

If anyone wants one, they can have it for a donation to my dog rescue group 
of shipping cost (or more if you're so inclined).  You'd probably have to 
buy a new one of the blocks it uses because the paperwork with it says that 
once you use the block you shouldn't ever let it get dry, and mine's just 
been sitting back in the box.

Ellen O'Connell
Parker, CO
mailto:oconnel4 at ix_netcom.com