Re: [GSAS-Member] Carbon?

[Shamus Young <machismo@eskimo.com>]

Hello Phil:

I think some of the reasons have been touched on by other members, but
here's my take:

1) at best, it's not needed on a dialy basis. I think Macker said "if the
tank is properly planted", but that's not a prerequisite to dropping
carbon. It's more like "if you stay on top of water changes."  I had a
plant-free tank (thanks to a severum) for 10 years with no carbon.
Lauren's point about the medications is correct, though I don't tend to
medicate a whole tank.  I usually just cull the infected fish or use a
hospital tank.

Carbon is useful in spot applications-- removing meds, if you get an
anerobic spot in the substrate or UGF and are giving a thorough cleaning,
and I always run carbon for a week on tank start-up, in case there's crap
in the substrate, decorations, whatever.

2) If you have plants, carbon works against you. a good rule of thumb is
that activated carbon adsorbs organic molecules well and doesn't tend to
adsorb ions. Though there are exceptions-- e.g., carbon is supposed to
adsorb chlorine.  Carbon won't mess with your hardness.  I'm pretty sure
it won't alter the NPK levels.  But if you're putting something like
Flourish in the tank, then all those biotin and vitamins you're paying out
the pooper for are being sucked up by the carbon. Same with something like
blackwater extract, or if you're using peat.

---

So I've got the carbon cannister for my Magnum HOT filter.  Generally, the
HOT does daily mechanical duty on the 40gal, but if I need chemical
filtration on a tank, I'll just borrow the HOT for a week or so.  Since I
want plants in the eclipse, I'll run the HOT with carbon for a week after
I set up the tank, stop carbon, then add my plants, the sponge filter
that's been soaking in my old tank, and first fish.

Shamus


On Fri, 17 Oct 2008, Phil Lacefield Jr. wrote:

> >>I don't
> want to get a new cartridge because I don't want to use carbon.
>
> Just curious, as it looks like you're not the only one: why not use carbon?
> Is there a certain reason why you don't want it in your tank?
>
> Phil
>
>
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