Activated Carbon: What is the REAL deal?

[edaskalos]

I have been doing some reading here and on other forums and just had a couple of questions and wanted to see if I can get some definitive ansers.

1. How long does carbon stay "active" acting as a sponge for water (some) impurities?

2. Does its effectiveness die off gradually or is it either active or non-active?

3. Is it better to keep it in all of the time or only when neccesary?

4. Do YOU use carbon all of the time or do YOU use it as needed? Why, why not?

 

[FroggyFox]

We've had a ton of conversations and polls about this topic...did you do a search first?
My answers are not based on any scientific research or readings...this is my personal feeling after reading through all this stuff.
1. VERY active for a few weeks and then after that its effects are negligible for a few months.

2. Dies off gradually.

3. Up to the user, I'd say only when necessary.

4. I only use it as necessary...no point in wasting money on something I don't need.

 

[wayne]

1 Depends on how impure the water is
2 gradually as it fills up
3 Depends
4 Continually. Filtration and skimming won't keep yellowing out of your water - not an issue in fresh, can be in salt.

 

[seastaar88]

i share froggy's answers. i only use it if the water becomes cloudy (maybe once every 6 months...).

 

[f8fan]

I only use carbon to remove medication. Otherwise I stick to plain floss/polyester batting & BioWheels for mechaincal & biological filtration.

 

[FisheyLisa]

1. I have heard after 2 months, you shold change it. It leeches what it removed back to the water.
2. I don't know.
3. When necessary.
4. I have one in now, only because it came with a new filter/tank and I put it in part for the heck of it, and part because I didn't want any new problems in the new tank. My water went clear to cloudy to clear, it wasn't a miracle worker. I typically adapt fluval sponges to whisper filters.

 

[revfred]

I'm with f8fan. I only use it to remove medication. You can't beat good old filter floss/wool for filter media. Cheap and can be changed often.

As to how long activated carbon lasts ... I've heard everything from "a few days" to 6 months. I suspect it depends on how dirty your tank is...but it will eventually begin leaching stuff back into the tank. I also found that my plants did much better without the carbon. As I mentioned, I keep it around and use new carbon to remove medications. I've had a quart of the stuff for over a year now.

 

[accordztech]

can i use it to remove the tannis from my driftwood?

 

[discus4everGrl]

It will remove yellowing from the water caused by driftwood. It is good for removing dyes and medications. However, if you have a planted tank it will also remove ferts that you add manually. That may be why revfred noticed his plants did better without it.

I don't think carbon will hurt anything really, I just think it's a waste of money to use it all the time. However, it can remove some beneficial things in the aquarium like ferts for plants and vitamins if you guys give your fish those.