It seems like alot of people on here don't use any carbon at all, and those that do cycle it every so often so there not using it at all times. I thought that chemical filtration was necesary for a clean healthy tank, so my questions are how many of you use it or don't use it, if you use it, is it all the time or only sometimes, and what is the reasoning behind not using it at all, and if you have large baskets in your canister what else do you up in them to fill up the space that the carbon would be in?
Carbon or No Carbon?
- Thread starter jaymasta
- Start date
one needs to recognize that there are many types of carbon sold for aquarium use but VERY FEW of these are actually capable of adsorption in water. only HIGH QUALITY ACTIVATED GRANULAR carbon which has been degassed in an oxygen oven at temperatures close to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit is functional --- anything else is worthless. i can recommend Marineland activated granular carbon in this regard though there may be others. degassing enlarges the apparent surface area of each carbon granule, thus greatly increasing the adsorptive capacity.
look for activated carbon which is phosphate free. a great many carbon grades are washed with phosphoric acid in an effort to support the adsorption sites since this is cheaper than degassing. this phosphate will leach into your aquarium water and can reult in a major algae problem.
deep beds of Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) are always more effective than shallow ones of equal area. also, for a given amount of GAC the smaller the granules, the greater the adsorptive capacity. generally, there needs to be 4 to 10 grams of GAC for every gallon of water depending on stocking density. such carbon beds typically last only a month at best and more typically 2-3 weeks since most hobbyists tanks are overstocked.
if your filter uses prepackaged cartridges containing carbon, realize that these cartridges typically contain poor quality carbon and if quality carbon is used, only 20 percent or less of the recommended amounts of GAC is present. you can slit open the cartridge and fill them with more GAC but many pad filter types simply will not hold that much. thus, the carbon in the vast majority of filter pads on the market simply are not functioning.
you can accomplish the same thing that carbon does by simply doing regular partial water changes weekly.
look for activated carbon which is phosphate free. a great many carbon grades are washed with phosphoric acid in an effort to support the adsorption sites since this is cheaper than degassing. this phosphate will leach into your aquarium water and can reult in a major algae problem.
deep beds of Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) are always more effective than shallow ones of equal area. also, for a given amount of GAC the smaller the granules, the greater the adsorptive capacity. generally, there needs to be 4 to 10 grams of GAC for every gallon of water depending on stocking density. such carbon beds typically last only a month at best and more typically 2-3 weeks since most hobbyists tanks are overstocked.
if your filter uses prepackaged cartridges containing carbon, realize that these cartridges typically contain poor quality carbon and if quality carbon is used, only 20 percent or less of the recommended amounts of GAC is present. you can slit open the cartridge and fill them with more GAC but many pad filter types simply will not hold that much. thus, the carbon in the vast majority of filter pads on the market simply are not functioning.
you can accomplish the same thing that carbon does by simply doing regular partial water changes weekly.
I have plants in my tanks so I don't use carbon regularly, because it apparantly removes some of the nutrients in the water that my plants need.
I do however use it on occasion when I need to get driftwood tannins out of the water, or to clear away any funky algae smell in the tank. I usually only have to run carbon in the filter in this case for 24 hours or so to remedy the problem, then I take it out.
I do however use it on occasion when I need to get driftwood tannins out of the water, or to clear away any funky algae smell in the tank. I usually only have to run carbon in the filter in this case for 24 hours or so to remedy the problem, then I take it out.
according to 'that site', he says
that's hardly a qualifying reference and in my opinion, he doesn't know what he's talking about.
What would you keep?
What would you guys prefer to have in a xp3 canister filter.
This filter is a 3 part filter it has 3 filter media baskets.
the first basket has filter foam.
the second has bio-stars
the third has a charcoal bag
Do you guys think it would be better to replace the charcoal bag in the third basket with bio-stars?
That way my filter would only have one part filter foam and 2 parts bio-stars.
Thanks
What would you guys prefer to have in a xp3 canister filter.
This filter is a 3 part filter it has 3 filter media baskets.
the first basket has filter foam.
the second has bio-stars
the third has a charcoal bag
Do you guys think it would be better to replace the charcoal bag in the third basket with bio-stars?
That way my filter would only have one part filter foam and 2 parts bio-stars.
Thanks
Just use cotton batting for every chamber. I use it in some of my tanks, and well, obviously it's an adequete bio filter as my fish aren't dead. Chemical filtration is completely unnessisary.sirgardens said:
I also don't use carbon as it'd interfer with the nuitrient levels for my plants, and, from all I've read, the filter carbon available is "active" for such a short affective time that it's really not worth the effort or money.
The extra space in my canister allows for more bio-material to support a nice healthy bacterial population and a nice thick pad of polyster fiberfill to polish the water. I muck about with the plants frequently, and the same plants keep me from being able to keep the gravel perfectly clean, so everytime we did anything the mulm would get kicked up and the water would be cloudy for a couple days till it settled. The mechanical filtration we had just didn't get the small particles out. Finally decided to try the fiberfill--and within 12 hrs the water was beautifully clear. It'll be a staple in my filter system from here on out.
I got sick of my topfin20 on my 10gal tank leaving tons of floating material so I dumped the crud out of it and stuffed the bag full of the same polyster fiber. Within 12 hours, the water was clear again--and it does an enormously better job of holding the brown algae I stir up everytime I scrape down the glass.
Carbon's only on our shelves as tool to remove medications from the Q-tank.
The extra space in my canister allows for more bio-material to support a nice healthy bacterial population and a nice thick pad of polyster fiberfill to polish the water. I muck about with the plants frequently, and the same plants keep me from being able to keep the gravel perfectly clean, so everytime we did anything the mulm would get kicked up and the water would be cloudy for a couple days till it settled. The mechanical filtration we had just didn't get the small particles out. Finally decided to try the fiberfill--and within 12 hrs the water was beautifully clear. It'll be a staple in my filter system from here on out.
I got sick of my topfin20 on my 10gal tank leaving tons of floating material so I dumped the crud out of it and stuffed the bag full of the same polyster fiber. Within 12 hours, the water was clear again--and it does an enormously better job of holding the brown algae I stir up everytime I scrape down the glass.
Carbon's only on our shelves as tool to remove medications from the Q-tank.