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  • Carbon Bottles

    Wondering why these are so popular here in Houston. I've got a catalytic carbon block filter made for removing chloramines on my countertop (Pentek Chlorplus-10). It removes 100% of the chloramines (verified using a Hach dip test) but leaves behind .5-1ppm ammonia (API ammonia test kit). Don't the catalytic carbon bottles also leave behind some ammonia? I hear about people using these as the sole filter for their tap water and it's got me scratching my head.

  • #2
    In the old days all we had to do was age the water. Chlorine was all they Put in it. Now it's chlorine chloramines and fluoride among other things. The carbon bottle removes most of the added nastys but not all. Your test is showing ammonia but they don't put ammonia in our water. Why would it show ammonia? Well chloramine shows up as ammonia in your test kit. Carbon bottles are the same as you corbonbox. It won't cure the problem but it does help.
    Last edited by troy tucker; 06-17-2017, 09:08 AM.
    Nothing Kills Evil Like a Sharp Stick...

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    • #3
      Originally posted by troy tucker View Post
      Your test is showing ammonia but they don't put ammonia in our water. Why would it show ammonia?
      I'm not a chemist but my understanding is that chloramines are formed from the combination of ammonia/chlorine. Only catalytic carbon can break the bond which removes the chlorine but leaves the ammonia behind. I think this is why reefers use a DI cartridge to scavenge any of the residual ammonia that gets through the catalytic carbon and RO membrane. When I used catalytic carbon it did remove the chloramines (my test kit showed 0 total & free chlorine). However, even with the catalytic carbon it tests high for ammonia. [QUOTE=troy tucker;771715]

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      • #4
        Ammonium chloride is a chloramine. it is not Ammonia and Chlorine. Chlorine will air rate out of the water in 24 hrs. Chloramines do not. they stay in the water. CC bottle will remove most. RO/DI is the only way to insure the best water but that can start a hole new list of water prob. depending on what you keep. But the easy way to battle chloramine is a carbon bottle and the tanks own biological bacteria.
        Nothing Kills Evil Like a Sharp Stick...

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        • #5
          I use a 1 cubic foot bottle of catalytic carbon and a 1/2 cubic foot bottle of synthetic zeolite and get no ammonia or chlorine. Chloramine is molecularly bonded chlorine and ammonia and it was correctly stated that only catalytic carbon can separate the bond and remove chlorine and the zeolite removes ammonia. Unless you're running a reef tank, RO is completely unnecessary and way too costly. It's cheap to get a zeolite bottle.
          Last edited by caldwelldaniel26; 06-20-2017, 11:33 PM.

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          • #6
            Talk to Dean at Sparkling Clear Industries in Houston, he can hook you up with everything you need.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by caldwelldaniel26 View Post
              I use a 1 cubic foot bottle of catalytic carbon and a 1/2 cubic foot bottle of synthetic zeolite and get no ammonia or chlorine. Chloramine is molecularly bonded chlorine and ammonia and it was correctly stated that only catalytic carbon can separate the bond and remove chlorine and the zeolite removes ammonia. Unless you're running a reef tank, RO is completely unnecessary and way too costly. It's cheap to get a zeolite bottle.
              Thanks! Yes, that is my understanding. Still confused as to how some can use carbon only and have no problems. How many gallons are you able to process with the carbon/synthetic zeolite mix?

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              • #8
                I'm running it at about 2 gallons a minute when I change about 60-80 gallons or so in my 180 once a week and haven't had any ammonia readings. I've had the bottles about a year and still going strong.

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                • #9
                  It really all depends on what concentration of chloramine that your water treatment plant uses. You could always use a catalytic carbon bottle and Prime for the ammonia but that would kinda negate the point of having the carbon bottle in the first place. It will somewhat lower kh and gh but I add calcium and magnesium chloride/sodium chloride mix to match the display tank. Anyway, I'd be glad to show you the setup and all if you're ever down south.

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