I heard this advice from a guy at LFS. Yes, he is just a guy from a LFS. But
is this true?
I read activated carbon absorbs medication so it is wise to take it out when
you add anti-ich
medication etc.

It's just that it's a pain to remove/ put on carbon in your filter whenever
you drop some
medication in the tank. I did see some pictures in a Japanese aquarist
magazine where
amateur aquarists hang a small bag of carbon over the side of their tanks.
Do this actually work
without water flow (the reason wht we put it in the filter in the first
place)?

I heard this advice from a guy at LFS. Yes, he is just a guy from a LFS. But
is this true?

Yes, but unless you have a lot of carbon in the filter, it probably won't make
a big difference.

I read activated carbon absorbs medication so it is wise to take it out when
you add anti-ich
medication etc.

Yes. Always remove carbon when medicating the tank.

It's just that it's a pain to remove/ put on carbon in your filter whenever
you drop some
medication in the tank

Just leave the carbon out. You don't need it.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

what is carbon used for then?
non-planted tanks with high bioloads? to remove all the amonia from the
tank?

"LeighMo" wrote in message
...
I heard this advice from a guy at LFS. Yes, he is just a guy from a LFS.
But
is this true?

Yes, but unless you have a lot of carbon in the filter, it probably won't
make
a big difference.

I read activated carbon absorbs medication so it is wise to take it out
when
you add anti-ich
medication etc.

Yes. Always remove carbon when medicating the tank.

It's just that it's a pain to remove/ put on carbon in your filter
whenever
you drop some
medication in the tank

Just leave the carbon out. You don't need it.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

what is carbon used for then?
non-planted tanks with high bioloads? to remove all the amonia from the
tank?

No, carbon won't help with ammonia.

Carbon helps with water clarity, and absorbs things like heavy metals. It can
also help if the tank smells bad.

But a well-run tank really doesn't need carbon, planted or not. I use it for
specific, temporary purposes only: removing medication after treatment is over,
clearing the water if you've just put in dark piece of driftwood that's
staining the water, etc.

I haven't used carbon in my filters on a regular basis for years.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

If carbon removes heavy metals, then would it remove some of the trace
elements that we add to the tanks?
Dave.

"LeighMo" wrote in message
...
what is carbon used for then?
non-planted tanks with high bioloads? to remove all the amonia from the
tank?

No, carbon won't help with ammonia.

Carbon helps with water clarity, and absorbs things like heavy metals. It
can
also help if the tank smells bad.

But a well-run tank really doesn't need carbon, planted or not. I use it
for
specific, temporary purposes only: removing medication after treatment is
over,
clearing the water if you've just put in dark piece of driftwood that's
staining the water, etc.

I haven't used carbon in my filters on a regular basis for years.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

If carbon removes heavy metals, then would it remove some of the trace
elements that we add to the tanks?

It could, and that's what people worry about. That's why many people remove
the carbon from their filters. (If you have something like a Whisper, where
the carbon's built into the pad, there's alternative media sold for it, that's
carbonless.)

Practically speaking, though, I suspect you have to have a lot of carbon, and
you have to change it every few days, before it absorbs so much it makes a
difference.



Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

In article ,
tose says...

If carbon removes heavy metals, then would it remove some of the trace
elements that we add to the tanks?

It could, and that's what people worry about. That's why many people remove
the carbon from their filters. (If you have something like a Whisper, where
the carbon's built into the pad, there's alternative media sold for it, that's
carbonless.)

I did an experiment several years ago when I first started with a
planted aquarium. I added a controlled amount of iron fertilizer and
tested for its presence 24 hours later. Without activated carbon, I had
a reading of between 0.1 - 0.3 ppm. With carbon in use, I never
detected any. From this I concluded the carbon removes the chelated
iron (the form present in aquarium fertilizers).

In the 9+ years since I did these tests, I have not used activated
carbon except to remove medications after treatment or to clear the
water. Occasionally, the water takes on a slight yellow cast, and the
carbon removes it quickly. Of course, after the carbon treatment, I add
some extra fertilizer. I use PMDD.

As a Chemical Engineer, I had contacts with companies who make activated
carbon, and they said my findings were consistent with tests they had
done.

The catch, if any, to this is that the carbon's capacity to remove iron
is limited. So, if you leave it in long enough, it will not remove the
iron or anything else. Which is why some people who use it in planted
aquaria say it does not remove the fertilizer.

DS

Christopher wrote:

what is carbon used for then?
non-planted tanks with high bioloads? to remove all the amonia from the
tank?

Carbon is really good for:

1. Removing yellow cast from water. This is caused by driftwood, peat,
or not enough water changes.

2. Removing medications from water.

3. Removing organics from water. This is caused by not enough
water changes.

For the first few months, my driftwood stained the water. Since about the 6
month point, I can't see any coloration in the water any more. Haven't used
carbon for months.

Bottom line: Unless you need to remove medications, change your water more
often!