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What do pepole mean by activated coarbon in there thank what is it can someone tell me please
cheers

I use Carbon for about a week every 1 to 2 months.

Never noticed any effect on plant health.

I use it to clear out the tannins that slowly build up yellowing the water (I want to see the plant colors not tea). To reset the tank chemically every once in a while (it does take out a lot of stuff, I would never drink my tap water so who knows what the heck is in it). To give a bit of sparkle.

I run for a week as it begin to fade in usefulness and as i said it's mainly to reset the water.

Until fairly recently I used it constantly. Stopped to get more mechanical and biological filtration media in the canister.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

I use activated carbon regularly but I'm not very good at getting around to changing it. I've noticed no difference in the plants between using it and not. The potassium deficiency still shows up anyway. Plant growth is still good using carbon.

Keith,

Oh god no, not in my tank. I'd have to be a really busy hairdresser to have all those chemicals in my tank. As Cory_Di said, that was just a reply to her question.

Falstaf,

I would like to personally thank you for using activated carbon. I was beginning to feel like a freak.

I also run activated carbon in all my tanks, never had a problem with it and i like the christaline water you get when you run it, it does need weekley replaceing though.

I've used it for several years now, it just makes me feel tht my tanks are cleaner, i know itmight not be the case it's just a personal choice and compultion.

As you all know, all my tanks are planted and i've never seen a reaction on the plants because of it. and in smaller tanks, which are my main task now, it DOES help keeping them clean longer.

- Keith, I think Untitled was sharing what he found through research, not in his tank . I was looking for what kinds of things activated carbon can pull out in a post just before his and he responded with what he knew.

untitled
I am not chemically minded at all.

There has been a similar discussion re Carbon in some plant mixes. The main argument is it does not last and where does all the baddies go to once it is in the carbon
With plant mixes it can be regually flushed out

The problem in Aquariums it stays in the carbon and when the carbon has reached it capacity it just cannot filter out any more.
What type of chemical bomb have you got in your tank. As I stated I know nothing about chemistry but with all those chemicals together you certainly must have a deadly cocktail.

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
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Here's what I found about what activated carbon actually absorbs:

High absorption:
Arsenic, bleach, chloramine, chlorine, chromium, colors, dyes, gold, insecticide, odors, monochloramine, tin.

Good to moderate:
Acetic acid, cobalt, detergent, hydrogen sulfide, mercury, ozone, pottasium, silver, soap, solvents, vinegar.

Fair:
Copper, Iron (non-chelated), lead, nickel, titanium, vanadium.

Low to none:
Alklanity, ammonia, barium, carbon dioxide, hardness, copper (this is also under fair?), manganese, nitrates, selenium, molybdenum, zinc.

Tropica's Mastergrow contains the following ingredients:
Potassium, Magnesium, Sulfur, Boron, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum and Zinc.

So, we're basically losing the iron, the copper and the manganese.

However, I just read that using activated carbon can increase phosphates levels in the tank, so it's another reason not to use it. As the only one around here who actually uses it, I think I'll take it out for a while and see if I notice any difference.

Here's a link to what it looks like. Often times it is contained within filter media that you buy - the black stuff.

Maybe someone can explain the difference between activated carbon and older versions of it.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3599&Ntt=black%20diamond&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&N=2004&Nty=1

[hr width='40%']
Incidentally, I've become a believer in not using it in my planted tanks. I see the leaves showing signs of deficiency and if my filter is running at 170 gph, it won't take long for it to filter out certain nutrients.

I'd like to know specifically what nutrients we are sure that it does take out.

Last edited by Cory_Di at 14-Mar-2005 16:23

Simple question for those who keep planted tanks. Please explain your answer.

If you use activated carbon only to pull out meds or for short term, occassional use, please use option 2 (note the word "regularly".

No.
As a general rule, I do not use carbon in any of my planted tanks.
As far as medications are concerned, I have not had any occasion to use any since the time I first grew a strong interest in aquatic plants. That's been about 3 years.
Frankly, I have to agree with Dr. Ines Scheurmann, where she notes that a well-planted tank seems to provide balance, resulting in substantially reduced stress and absence of disease.

-Wayne

never have..one less thing to worry about

I never us it all and have not used it for over 30years.

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

I guess that I'm one of the few who does run activated carbon in a planted tank (with CO2 and fertilisers).

Why do I run it? It does have some advantages after all. From removing the tannins from my water (I don't like them) to removing the occasional chemicals I might add to the water. I use R/O water, so I don't really need it to remove chemicals from found in tap water. As to NowhereMan's remark, I do change the carbon regularly.

As for the nutrients it removes from the water, my solution is to fertilise on a daily basis rather than on a weekly basis. That way I know that my plants have them available all the time and not only for a few days after fertilisers.

i have both actually. as nowhere man said, eventually the carbon is inactive, so if you don't change your filter media that often, it won't matter. in my 50g i use *no* carbon whatsoever, but in the 10g the replacement cartridges come pre-filled with carbon so i have no choice there.

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"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

Voted for Don't

But, if there is a reason I won't hesitate to use it, I always have some on hand.

^_^


[hr width='40%'] "Ah, yes," said the toad. "You've got Nac Mac Feegles!"

You'll get a lot of answers about how activated carbon removes nutrients that plants need from the water etc., which is completely legit.

But another main reason, for me at least, is that it's just not active long enough to make a huge difference. I dont know how long exactly it will last, but after a short while it's just another surface for bacteria to grow on. So outside of removing meds, I don't really see the point.

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