Please help: Will there be any problems/cons if i put carbon into my cannister filter

[Panut]

Hi,

Grateful if anyone can give some advice.


I bought some Seachem Matrix Carbon(High efficiency spherical carbon) to be placed inside a bag which is then placed inside a cannister filter. The uncle told me it can last for 6months before you remove it or it will discharge whatever ammonia/chemicals it has absorbed.

Besides that, i want to know if there are any other cons in using this product. Like would it absorb all my liquid fertilizers that i add? any other bad points?
Hope to get some advice by tonight as tomorrow the filter will start running.

cheers

[Shaihulud]

It will absorb liquid fertilizer, most waterborne solvent and metals, as time goes by it will lose its efficacy at those things, but do note that activated carbon has high porousity even when saturated. There are anecdotal evidence to say that it will release back the stuff it absorbed, but there isn't any real evidence for it. I use carbon for my filter if there is a disaster in the tank, otherwise I don't use it.

[Panut]

thank you Shaihulud. anymore opinions?

[e.chua]

If there is no problem with your tank water, I would not put in the AC especially in cannister filter. Quite troublesome if you want to remove it later.