Carbon filter; Is it essential??

[rayjay1234]

How essential is a carbon filter in my power filter. I have an Aquaclear with a carbon insert.

Recently my tank got a minor case of ich and I had to treat the tank by first removing the filter. Then the medication said for preventative, treat once a week. Wouldnt I have to remove the filter everytime I introduce the medication because by nature, the filter would clean the medication from the water?

Also I want to start adding Flourish Excel by Seachem to my tank (I dont have CO2 injection). Would the carbon remove this from the water?

Has anyone had experience (good results) without a carbon filter?

 

[sumthin fishy]

Carbon has little effact on a tank as a whole. It becomes inactive after a short time, a week at longest. While it is great at removing medications, there are better ways to treat ich. Adding 2 tsp of regular table salt per gallon, and raising temp to 82-84*f will combat ich same as most meds. Continue for at least 4 weeks after the last signs of ich are gone. There is no need to continualy treat your tank(a great way for the med company to steal your money ) I am not sure about ferts, but really, you dont need carbon at all, so go ahead, nix the carbon (meds will be cleared out by water changes) and fertilize all you want.

On a side note, if you removed all your filter media, you are in trouble. thats where all your bacteria live, and they likely have died off. you will have to start your cycle all over

 

[RISK2123]

on a well maintained tank you dont ever need carbon, so taking it out for a week or two is fine. if you have live plants it helps out even more. i ran a heavily planted tank for about a month with no filter at, just a small airstone. i had 5 ottos in there and they were/are in great shape.

 

[plah831]

no carbon is not necessary. If you do frequent water changes (at least 50% a week), then there is no need for it. Many advanced aquarists find no need for carbon except to remove meds at the end of a treatment schedule.

As you said, the carbon will remove meds, so take it out completely during your treatment. Also, if you have live plants, the carbon can remove some of the fertilizers you need (like iron, other metals).

For your HOB Aquaclear, you can eliminate carbon by buying straight mechanical filter media (I use a piece of felt that you cut out to fit) lots of others use filter floss. Mechanical filter media removes particles and large pieces of debris. Then I use biological filter media like a Bio Sponge. Other people use Bio Stars in a bag, or even Bio Blocks fit to their filter. Check out this page under Biological and Mechanical media.

 

[mostlycichlids]

I also posted a similar question which led to a carbon discussion although I was told carbon should be used here is the thread http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83367 It sounds like there is some different opinions on this subject.

 

[plah831]

yup, like Bob Bishop (one of our mods) uses carbon in his tanks. He's one of the few who do, but he doesn't have live plants. Like sumthin fishy said, the carbon becomes saturated and ineffective after a short period of time, so leaving it in won't hurt. It doesn't leach materials back into your tank, as the urban legend goes. It simply becomes another surface for your beneficial bacteria to live on.

 

[mostlycichlids]

as for filters and media you should know what is best for your set up and really personal prefrence.

 

[plah831]

absolutely. I was just suggesting mechanical and biological because those are the only two you really need. Chemical filter media are things like carbon and other stuff that absorbs phosphates and ammonia (resin stuff). You need the biological to give your nitrifying bacteria a good place to live. The constant flow of fresh water through the filter is the best place for them because the bacteria require oxygen. In conjunction with that, you need a mechanical filter media first to strain out large particles which would otherwise clog up your bio media and suffocate the bacteria.

As for which specific ones you choose, those are up to you

 

[rayjay1234]

thanks so much guys. I'll take all this into consideration!

I have ordered Peat plates by Hagen and was wondering how to avoid the yellow colour that I'm told they will produce in the water. Is this where Carbon can come in handy?

The plates are meant to be placed under the gravel. I was thinking that if I replaced the carbon bag with a bit of peat as well this would work well to soften water/acidify/add nutrients. But just how "yellow" are we talking here in the tank water??