Do you use carbon?
- Thread starter Cloud-9
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not realy apart from when your treating you have to remove it and if your got a canister filter its realy annoying lol
Are there any advantages?
Carbon is only active for at most a few days. Its useful for removing things like medications but unless you have something specific you want it to do you don't really need it day to day.
I haven't had cause to add it (so far… **wraps desk **)
Carbon is only active for at most a few days. Its useful for removing things like medications but unless you have something specific you want it to do you don't really need it day to day.
I haven't had cause to add it (so far… **wraps desk **)
It is not entirely acurate to state that carbon is at most active for only a few days. How long carbon will stay active in any given aquarium system depends on a variety of factors like the quantity of carbon, efficiency of water flow through the carbon, the level of organics in the aquarium, the type of organics present, etc. Carbon does not last forever, but in some aquariums it may last only a couple of days but in others it may last a few weeks (or more?).
I do not run carbon full time but periodically I will put it in after a water change and remove it at the next water change (7-10 days).
I do not run carbon full time but periodically I will put it in after a water change and remove it at the next water change (7-10 days).
Over at his SkepticalAquarist the WetMan has a good section on carbon. Its under Filtration >> Chemical.
As far as its active lifespan goes, he notes, "Most chemical filter media do have a surprisingly brief effective life. The carbon in your filter does almost all its adsorbing work in the first 48 hours! I was amazed when I first saw the graphs printed with Tim Hovanec's Aquarium Fish articles about activated carbon. The administration and dosage foldout that is currently enclosed with Maracide states 'If an activated carbon filter is over five days old, it may be left in place.' Whether you do leave your filter carbon in place when medicating or not, this goes to show how brief is the effective life of activated carbon."
It does do a lot of fairly extraordinary things and occasional use to clean up the tank is a good specific application. But I still think its best used occasionally and with a target -- it costs too much to be swapping it out twice a week.
So what might you expect it to do? (The WetFeller again: ) "Adsorptive media bind to their vast surfaces a long list of organic pollutants, like phenols (responsible for some 'fishy' odors and discoloration), thiols (sulfurous and stinky), and humic polyphenols like tannins (sometimes desirable, but also responsible for yellowish to brown discoloration of the water). Such large complicated organic molecules are the resistant products that remain when bacteria partially break down organic substances._Other pollutants taken up by adsorptive media are dyes and perfumes, medications, benzene and other volatile chemicals, etc."
(Those are just two clips, not the whole bit -- he's got lots of other good info over at the SkepticalAquarist )
As far as its active lifespan goes, he notes, "Most chemical filter media do have a surprisingly brief effective life. The carbon in your filter does almost all its adsorbing work in the first 48 hours! I was amazed when I first saw the graphs printed with Tim Hovanec's Aquarium Fish articles about activated carbon. The administration and dosage foldout that is currently enclosed with Maracide states 'If an activated carbon filter is over five days old, it may be left in place.' Whether you do leave your filter carbon in place when medicating or not, this goes to show how brief is the effective life of activated carbon."
It does do a lot of fairly extraordinary things and occasional use to clean up the tank is a good specific application. But I still think its best used occasionally and with a target -- it costs too much to be swapping it out twice a week.
So what might you expect it to do? (The WetFeller again: ) "Adsorptive media bind to their vast surfaces a long list of organic pollutants, like phenols (responsible for some 'fishy' odors and discoloration), thiols (sulfurous and stinky), and humic polyphenols like tannins (sometimes desirable, but also responsible for yellowish to brown discoloration of the water). Such large complicated organic molecules are the resistant products that remain when bacteria partially break down organic substances._Other pollutants taken up by adsorptive media are dyes and perfumes, medications, benzene and other volatile chemicals, etc."
(Those are just two clips, not the whole bit -- he's got lots of other good info over at the SkepticalAquarist )
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Carbon
Scott: I went for a long time without using it. But for the past six months or so, I've been using it in my 40 gallon breeder tank. That tank is very lightly stocked and it has no gravel. It also gets a weekly water change. I've only changed the carbon twice in about six months. I'm using a Rennaisance canister for the purpose. I have a feeling the carbon is still active.
carpguy: I "hear" what you're saying. But why would reputable companies like Tetra and Marineland, just to name a few, always include carbon as part of their replacement filter pads? I'm not debating. I'm just wondering if it is better to have carbon or not.
Scott: Where in Georgia are you?
Scott: I went for a long time without using it. But for the past six months or so, I've been using it in my 40 gallon breeder tank. That tank is very lightly stocked and it has no gravel. It also gets a weekly water change. I've only changed the carbon twice in about six months. I'm using a Rennaisance canister for the purpose. I have a feeling the carbon is still active.
carpguy: I "hear" what you're saying. But why would reputable companies like Tetra and Marineland, just to name a few, always include carbon as part of their replacement filter pads? I'm not debating. I'm just wondering if it is better to have carbon or not.
Scott: Where in Georgia are you?
I live in a town called Jefferson, its about halfway between Athens and Gainesville.
If I had to guess I would say those companies include carbon to jack up the price and prey on a popular misconception that you need to change the carbon every month. I did for a long time until I did some reading on it, at Wetman's site and other places on the net. Now I use it like you, I will put some in about every three months, honestly I have never seen it make a difference but it gives me a piece of mind, I guess I do it more for me than the tank.
If I had to guess I would say those companies include carbon to jack up the price and prey on a popular misconception that you need to change the carbon every month. I did for a long time until I did some reading on it, at Wetman's site and other places on the net. Now I use it like you, I will put some in about every three months, honestly I have never seen it make a difference but it gives me a piece of mind, I guess I do it more for me than the tank.
I used to use carbon, changing it anywhere from 2 weeks to 1 month - now that's a lot of $$$ considering the number of years I've been keeping fish. But once I came here, I stopped. I have been carbon-free (trading it for a second sponge) for over a year now. Thanks AC! Hey, I should have been putting my saved money into a jar (like people do when they stop smoking!)