Charcoal In Filters

[Hally]

Hi I'm starting to notice people not putting charcoal in their filter ... I've been in this great hobby for a long time & charcoal was kind of like a secret weapon :p for removing various odours & other baddies from out aquarium, we only took it out if adding chemicals ... can anyone help me out here with any new info about charcoal, that is if there is any :D ... To use charcoal or not to use charcoal ... for or against please reply .... Thanks in advance

[acefred]

I always run carbon and find that it polishes water and also keeps odors down (if there are any), there is some talk that it will leach toxins back into a tank after time but I can't see it if it is taken care of.

[Hally]

Thanks acefred I'm with you mate, I think its still a good thing to have in the cannister filter :D

[Karnaaj]

The problem with carbon is that once you put it in the filter its lifespan can be measured in days. Like 3 or 4. The stuff is too expensive to replace that often. People with planted tanks (like me) can't use it because it takes out some things the plants need. Other than removing meds after treatment, it really has no use. Stores will tell you different because carbon is a big money maker for them.
I think the overall consensus is don't bother with it, especially in a canister filter. They aren't designed to be opened up every couple of days.

[Watcher74]

Charcoal removes impurites from the water. This may be medication or other things that create an unpleasant smell.

The thing is, with a good maintenance routine, there won't be an unpleasant smell.

If there is then something is being done wrong.

If you use charcoal to "mask" what you are doing wrong then you are simply ignoring what is wrong, instead of fixing it.

The only time I run charcoal is when I may need to remove medications from a tank.

Other than that, it is IMO the tool of a sloppy fish keeper.

[Hally]

Wow does it really have a lifespan that short a time, less than a week ... Now I dont know what to do :confused: I always thought it removed a portion of Ammonia/Nitrites/Nitrates ... So I suppose its still good to remove medication.

[reiverix]

I would ditch the carbon. Ammonia and nitrites will be used by your filter bacteria. Nitrates can be controlled with water changes or plants. There's so much stuff out there that companies sell as 'must haves'. IMHO Carbon is one of them unless you really do need to get something chemical out of the water.

[Karnaaj]

Its in the removing of those things that causes it to stop working so fast. In a properly cycled tank bacteria take care of the ammonia and the nitrites and water changes (or plants if you have them) help take care of the nitrates. Like watcher said if your tank smells you're doing something wrong.

Dang it. Somebody beat me to it! :)

[johnnyxxl]

I left the carbon in my filter cartridge just to get the added surface area in the filter to allow a home for bacteria. I have not changed the cartridge since I bought the filter (6) months give or take. I used to use the carbon but thats the old way people did things and it has not helped or hindered my tank in either way I actually found my tanks chem readings were more stable without changing the filter media, and I have kept that up since
I would ditch changing carbon especially if you have plants which are easy to care for I just add a bit of fertilizer due to water chagnes mroe than anything. I love the plants and they seem to love me.

[gsk177]

For the unplanted tank, I personally do not see any HARMFULL effects of using carbon other than $$. From everything Ive read, carbon is exhausted within a week and will either start leeching the absorbed contaminates back into the water supply or simply stop absorbing any more of them. But I personally do not see what harm this can cause. After it it exhausted, it simply becomes just like anything else that the water comes into contact with; a breeding ground for bacteria.

On the topic of not changing media cartridges:

Again, I personally do not see any harm in not changing them. Most cartridges consist of a foam layer and a layer of carbon. Again, once the carbon is exhausted it too becomes like the foam layer and starts collecting bacteria and larger debris. While this cartridge needs to be cleaned periodically, I see no reason to actually CHANGE it out completely, and would personally not recommend it as it could cause a bioload spike and send the tank back into a cycle. Unless, of course, there are two cartridges in the filter. In this case, one could alternate cartridge changing every other month or so. The only time I would be concerned is if the "replacable" cartridge actually started to deteriorate and started falling apart.

When I had a HOB cartridge type filter (mine was an Emperor) I quickly learned that changing them was unnecessary and expensive.

Personally I only use carbon when I need to clear up my water. I use it when I move a tank, add a new piece of driftwood that may be leaching, or after I redecorate and stir alot of gravel up and get all the nasties stirred up.

[TKOS]

The carbons, as mentioned, will be exhausted probably within a week, depending onthe amount used. It can be used as a source of biomedia but eventually all the little hoes that make it have some much surface area get filled with dead bacteria and then it is no better or worse than using aquarium gravel. It won't hurt to use the carbon, but if you are truely using it to keep the tank clean then buy freshstuff every week. And only plants or water changes will deal with nitrates. The only bacteria that eats nitrates is anerobic.

Ever wonder why the brita filters switched from a little sticker to tell you when to change the filter to a runnign switch that measure pass through?

[Hally]

I want to thank everyone for educating me ;) I've just come back to this great hobby after a ten year absence due to my 6x2x2 tank crash, the stand collapsed nearly killing my wife & I :( Understandably this disheartened me very much, I lost everything fish, tank, Eheims, the lot!!! It took almost 2 weeks working from sun up, to bed time to clean our home up ... I was destroyed after this & I was never returning until my family (bless them all) all clubbed together on my 46th birthday (August-04) & brought me a 6'Lx2'Wx27"H with everything ... I'm so happy now, but you can see how my old school views on carbon has suffered due to my 10 year absence ..... I can see the new ways now thanks very much all & I am taking my carbon out & using it only when needed ... I used to boil carbon in a saucepan for 20mins in water to recharge it, an old trick I learned!

[TKOS]

Just to be clear, boiling carbon doesn't recharge it. You need to superheat in an inert air atmosphere. You don't have anything close to that in most homes.

[Hally]

Thanks for clearing up an old wives tale I heard years ago... it was thought by boiling it released all stored gases & chemicals, which restored or recharged the carbon back to new ... Oh Well, another one bites the dust :laugh: LFS told me that years ago ... I fully agree with who said LFS's will tell us a few things are "Must Have" items ...