Let's Talk Aqueon HOBs...and Replacing/Reusing Their Cartridge Media

[Kaosu]

As always, thank you Kaosu...

I've read conflicting arguments about this phenomenon, in which some hobbyists claim anything the carbon takes in and removes from the water -- i.e. bad stuff -- it will definitely eventually leak back in when the exhaustion goes too far...that's why I was asking you guys in here with such conviction; I just feared for the health of my fish.

Thank you for putting my mind at ease about it...

I can only go off of what I have done, and I personally have never had a problem with it.

I could see it maybe causing a problem if you have medicated your tank...and used carbon to remove the medication...maybe?, but I rarely If ever use medications. this would be the only time i would worry and would remove the activated carbon after about 24hours once im sure the medication is out of the water ( ....but you can also remove medications with a few large water changes).

 

[Star_Rider]

anytime you have something that captures toxins there is a possibility that it can release said toxins...of course that usually happens when a particular chain of events happens(not usually in an aquarium)

that said. I think what happens in the case of carbon is, once exhausted it does not trap the toxins which then go back into the tank.. the question is.. what are those toxins and are they harmful...

you can use tap to rinse the filter material as there is generally enough bacteria to quickly repopulate the tank.
like many here, I rinse(I prefer tank water since there is already a ton of it and figure..why tank chances ) and reuse..when the matting gets bad I just cut a new piece from a bonded mat and attach it to the frame

 

[Kaskade10729]

I can only go off of what I have done, and I personally have never had a problem with it.

I understand; either way, I thank you.

I could see it maybe causing a problem if you have medicated your tank...and used carbon to remove the medication...maybe?, but I rarely If ever use medications. this would be the only time i would worry and would remove the activated carbon after about 24hours once im sure the medication is out of the water ( ....but you can also remove medications with a few large water changes).

Indeed -- carbon is often recommended for removing tannins and medications from the water column, and as such medication manufacturers often state on the back of their products that carbon should be removed from the filter media; in this case, the medication would merely be sucked up into the filter with the carbon and become ineffective in the tank itself because it's getting "trapped" by the carbon...

 

[Kaskade10729]

anytime you have something that captures toxins there is a possibility that it can release said toxins...of course that usually happens when a particular chain of events happens(not usually in an aquarium)

Thanks Star -- indeed, I too have read about this phenomenon that suggests the kind of toxcicity required to "leech" stuff back into an aquarium wouldn't be "taking place" in an aquarium and so there's no need to worry about that...but I just wanted to run it past you knowledgeable folks here...

that said. I think what happens in the case of carbon is, once exhausted it does not trap the toxins which then go back into the tank.. the question is.. what are those toxins and are they harmful...

Right -- being that my water quality is generally in excellent condition (smells fresh and pond-like from the utilization of elements like Purigen plus the result of regular large water changes) I have to assume no "toxins" of the deadly kind would be getting trapped and therefore being released back in...I suppose I just wanted to be sure, in a nutshell, that these carbon cartridges can be rinsed off and reused like any other filter media (such as the sponges found in, say, the AquaClear HOBs)...

you can use tap to rinse the filter material as there is generally enough bacteria to quickly repopulate the tank.
like many here, I rinse(I prefer tank water since there is already a ton of it and figure..why tank chances ) and reuse..when the matting gets bad I just cut a new piece from a bonded mat and attach it to the frame

I understand -- I will consider rinsing directly in tap water (my media) but for now I will do as you do, which is dunk/rinse in removed tank water because I don't want to "take a chance." I suppose what you're suggesting here, at the end of the day, is that these "carbon floss" cartridges such as the ones my Aqueon HOB takes CAN be rinsed and rinsed like any other media until the point they look as though they're just not going to hold anything anymore (i.e. falling apart)? Of course, then there would be a need to replace...

 

[Glabe]

Along with the "minimal to no toxins in the water" comments: Let's say you have a cartridge with carbon that becomes inert during the recommended 2 weeks or whatever... how can the 2 weeks of absorbed stuff leach out amplified enough to harm fish? Is there a chemical reaction or something that goes beyond the common knowledge of carbon?

 

[excuzzzeme]

I am of the opinion that the amount of carbon in filter pads such as those are minimal at best. Such being the case, they would be exhausted quite quickly, far sooner than the actual filtration media would need to be cleaned. If that is the case it would seem that the carbon would not be used if there was a risk of leeching toxins etc.into the tank. Being an inert media, I doubt that it would be possible to leech something that wasn't already present.

As far as continuing to use carbon, that is actually best left up to the user to decide if it is needed based upon the content of the water. If you have a particularly high content of copper in your water it would be advisable to continue using it. I am sure there might be other minerals that would be removed as well if needed. You can't say say use/don't use without knowing the water chemistry.

You have to keep in mind that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Emphatic statements are usually based on a particular user experience and often not backed up by hard science. Even then, you will find contradictions in findings at times (i.e. Using salt and benefit or not). FWIW - I do not use carbon unless medicating and even then I most often use repetitive large scale water changes for removal. There are times however, that I will feel more confidant by using carbon, depending on medication used.

 

[Kaskade10729]

I am of the opinion that the amount of carbon in filter pads such as those are minimal at best. Such being the case, they would be exhausted quite quickly, far sooner than the actual filtration media would need to be cleaned. If that is the case it would seem that the carbon would not be used if there was a risk of leeching toxins etc.into the tank. Being an inert media, I doubt that it would be possible to leech something that wasn't already present.

As far as continuing to use carbon, that is actually best left up to the user to decide if it is needed based upon the content of the water. If you have a particularly high content of copper in your water it would be advisable to continue using it. I am sure there might be other minerals that would be removed as well if needed. You can't say say use/don't use without knowing the water chemistry.

You have to keep in mind that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Emphatic statements are usually based on a particular user experience and often not backed up by hard science. Even then, you will find contradictions in findings at times (i.e. Using salt and benefit or not). FWIW - I do not use carbon unless medicating and even then I most often use repetitive large scale water changes for removal. There are times however, that I will feel more confidant by using carbon, depending on medication used.

Good points; thank you.

I understand what you're saying about the carbon being so lightly packed in these cartridge pads that it would become exhausted long before the pad would be "used up" by pulling in gunk...and that because this is the case, there would really be no "problem" per se keeping the "exhausted" carbon in there for extended periods of time...

Unless that's not what you meant -- was that what you were basically trying to get at?