HR Activated Carbon is made from selected grades of bituminous coal, ensuring constant quality is maintained. HR carbon is recommended for the removal of organics and other toxic substances that gradually build up in salt and freshwater aquaria.

HR Carbon will not add phosphates to your system. The amount of carbon required depends on the biological load in your aquarium, however, as a guide, use approximately half the packet per 50 gallons (225 litres) and change every 3 to 4 weeks, or sooner if water appears to yellow slightly.

Important. Before use thoroughly rinse carbon in a fine fish net to wash out any dust and place rinsed carbon between two layers of nylon filter floss and use in canister type power filter or alternatively it can be used in a fine nylon bag and placed in gentle water flow.

Aquamedic Turboflotor Multi SL.  £255 incl VAT. (See review right) Click on the image for a more comprehensive look at Aqua Medic Products.

The following article was written by Mark Howarth for Marine World Publications Ltd and is copyright.
(c) December/January 2003/4 Issue 15 Page 40.

This month I have been given the pleasure of reviewing the Aqua-- Medic Turboflotor Multi SL Protein Skimmer. This skimmer is a modified version of the Turbofloter 1000 and uses a larger pump, is more efficient and the skimmer itself has been modified internally.

Method

I have now set up a 4ft x 2ft x 2ft reef tank with sump. The tank was tilled with 60kg - cured live rock and matured water added. The tank was then left for 1 week without light to avoid an excessive algae bloom. The lights were turned on gradually the next two weeks until the full lighting period was achieved. A mixture of hard and soft corals were then gradually added along with 4 black clown fish and a small Pyjama tang. The tang will become too large for this aquarium and will be transferred to my other reef tank. After initial stocking , the skimmer was added to the sump. The skimmer comes with easy to use instructions and only minimum assembly was required. The new pump supplied is an Ocean Runner Venture pump type ph2500 complete with Aqua-Medic needle wheel impellor, breaking up the air into small bubbles to make the skimmer more efficient. The skimmer took approximately 20 minutes to install and when started did not need any adjustments to the flow control valve. The tank water filled to the bottom of the collection cup and foam to approximately the _ way up. Although they state that a running in period of 24hrs should be required to produce the first foam in the collection cup, due to the reaction between the new acrylic and the aquarium water, I noted that the foam was produced after 1 hr. The skimmer was removing protein from the first day. Because of the build-up of brown proteinatious material to the inside of the collection cup making the skimmer less effective the cup is cleaned daily. The skimmer is producing consistent foam and a dark brown/green skimate and requires very little maintenance at the present time.

Conclusion

This really is a quality piece of equipment at a very reasonable price. The overall build quality is excellent and the acrylic used is very durable -- having dropped the unit more than once! The skimmer has to be applauded for the ease of installation, ease of cleaning and. most of all, the consistent foam and skimate produced over the test period — although this can be erratic due to the water chemistry and amount of waste produced by the aquarium.

The Deltec AP703 Filtration System

£1360 including VAT

Aquamedic Turboflotor 5000 Twin

Deltec MC500 Protein Skimmer £169 ideal for Juwel Aquariums

Deltec MCE 600 External Skimmer £219:90