Need for activated carbon in filter?

[skybleu]

Am having a small 30cm cube tank that running for abt 2months..filter is a Fluval hang-on filter with the stock filter mediums of sponge, activated carbon and some white ceramic looking chips..i'm dosing ferts 2 times a week, just wondering if there is a need to have the actuvated carbon in the filter medium as i heard it will absorb n remove the ferts plus others. Listening to all advise pls. Thanks.

[Urban Aquaria]

The activated carbon does help to adsorb impurities and contaminants in the tank water, but in the process it also removes some of the fertilizers and nutrients too (though the amount removed depends on how much carbon is used).

Note that carbon usually only works for around 2 weeks, after that it's adsorption properties are maxed out, so you'll have to regularly change to new batches of carbon to continue getting the effects.

[skybleu]

Thanks bro UA, as what u mentioned since the carbon will in time reach the ends of its useful life, would it be advisable to use another filter medium i.e. ceramic rings if the use of carbon is not really needed? Would like to know if its a must to have carbon in filter setups.. thanks!!

[Empiricism]

Thanks bro UA, as what u mentioned since the carbon will in time reach the ends of its useful life, would it be advisable to use another filter medium i.e. ceramic rings if the use of carbon is not really needed? Would like to know if its a must to have carbon in filter setups.. thanks!!

Carbon is not needed. As a matter of fact, most people will avoid using carbon altogether because it absorbs nutrients off the water. For freshwater aquariums, mechanical and biological filtration are more important. Ceramic rings are definitely useful because they allow beneficial bacteria to be housed in them.

[Urban Aquaria]

Yeah, carbon is usually only used in planted tanks during startup to help remove tannins from new soil or wood, or after the tank is medicated to help remove the remaining chemicals... otherwise its better to use the filter space to hold more bio-media for beneficial bacteria to colonize instead.

An alternative to carbon are products like Seachem Purigen, they are designed to mainly adsorb excess organic waste compounds, but have minimal effect on fertilizer nutrients, so its a more targeted approach to chemical filtration. It also lasts longer than carbon and can be "recharged" and re-used many times.

Here is some info on it: http://www.seachem.com/Products/prod...s/Purigen.html

[Empiricism]

Yeah, carbon is usually only used in planted tanks during startup to help remove tannins from new soil or wood, or after the tank is medicated to help remove the remaining chemicals... otherwise its better to use the filter space to hold more bio-media for beneficial bacteria to colonize instead.

An alternative to carbon are products like Seachem Purigen, they are designed to mainly adsorb excess organic waste compounds, but have minimal effect on fertilizer nutrients, so its a more targeted approach to chemical filtration. It also lasts longer than carbon and can be "recharged" and re-used many times.

Here is some info on it: http://www.seachem.com/Products/prod...s/Purigen.html

Since you mentioned that activated carbon can remove tannin from water, does using it help to make my water PH value neutral? My PH value is at 6.2 now and there's a piece of driftwood in my tank.

[Urban Aquaria]

Since you mentioned that activated carbon can remove tannin from water, does using it help to make my water PH value neutral? My PH value is at 6.2 now and there's a piece of driftwood in my tank.

I guess it depends on the level of tannins in your tank... if your tank water is dark like the color of lipton tea, and if you use enough carbon to remove those high levels of tannins, then their pH effect would also be reversed.

But if your tank water is relatively clear or just slightly yellow, then the tannins are probably very little anyways and their pH lowering effect is minimal, hence less change in the overall pH even if they are removed.