Activated carbon affirmed as causative agent for HLLE disease

Activated carbon affirmed as causative agent for HLLE disease — Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine

 

makes you wonder how many people will stop using Carbon now. I wonder what the % is of it too. For example if it's less than 1-5% (throwing numbers out there) will the negative effect out way the positive therefore people will continue to run carbon.

 

Unfortunately it's a journal I do not have access to. However, from the AA article "It is still unclear why HLLE does not develop in some aquarists' systems with GAC usage. More research is needed to understand all the criteria involved"

Based on this AA article and the abstract, it sounds like it's basically a re-run of the previous, so, it's unclear what if anything it adds, to our knowledge base. The one thing I noticed from the abstract is that they used extruded coconut shell activated carbon, not lignite, but otherwise it sounds similar. It will be interesting though to hear the details and hopefully read the actual article.

Effects of Full-Stream Carbon Filtration on the Development of Head and Lateral Line Erosion Syndrome (HLLES) in Ocean Surgeon

Stamper et al.

Abstract

Head and lateral line erosion syndrome (HLLES) is a common but very poorly understood disease of marine aquarium fish. One suspected etiology is the use of granulated activated carbon (GAC) to filter the water. Seventy-two ocean surgeons Acanthurus bahianus were distributed among three carbon-negative control systems and three GAC-treated systems such that each tank contained approximately the same total body mass. Each replicate system was made up of two 250-L circular tanks with a common filtration system (6 fish per tank, 12 fish per replicate system). The GAC-treated tanks were exposed to full-stream, extruded coconut shell activated carbon, which produced a mean total organic carbon content of 0.4 mg/L. The results of this study indicate that extruded coconut shell activated carbon filtering at full-stream rates can cause HLLES-type lesions in ocean surgeons. The HLLES developed exponentially over 15 d, beginning in the chin region. This was followed by pitting in the cheek region, which expanded until erosions coalesced. Once the carbon was discontinued, the processes reversed in a mean time of 49 d. As the lesions healed, they reverted from the coalesced to the pitted stage and then darkened before returning to normal.

 

Good article! Thank for the post!

 

...and this is why I drink (and dose) vodka.

[[puts on flame-suit]]

 

I'm all for vodka, but it doesn't do much if anything to remove organic toxins. Actually, the bacteria it drives can produce a lot of toxins. So, GAC would seem to be even more appropriate in that situation.

 

Well, I don't know what the researchers are doing wrong, but I've been using activated carbon in SW tanks for 37 years and have never had a fish contract HLLES.

Just sayin'...