Activated carbon.

[oldbloke]

If you are doing frequent water changes, is carbon still required as a filter media?

Cheers.

 

[MarkyP]

It's not required unless you are trying to remove a medication or other harmful chemicals that are in the water. I never use carbon I prefer to water change.

 

[Zeus.]

Plus the active carbon will remove any ferts you add to your tank too

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[oldbloke]

Plus the active carbon will remove any ferts you add to your tank too

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Now that I didn't know!

 

[ian_m]

Plus the active carbon will remove any ferts you add to your tank too

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Not sure on that. Carbon usually removes large organic molecules so will certainly have no effect on the inorganic macro ferts. Might have slight effect on the chelated compounds in the micro, but these are quite small organic molecules so probably no effect.

If you wish to polish your water then Purigen is the way to go. Pop a bag of it in your filter and next day crystal clear water. Done. Purigen does not effect EI ferts. I use it instead of carbon. Also can be regenerated by soaking in bleach. Only down side is it not cheap, but worth every penny in my opinion.

 

[Progen]

Plus the active carbon will remove any ferts you add to your tank too

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Not true anymore. They go after organics. No doubt, those greedy sappers will capture a bit of your ferts but if you fertilize regularly, whether it's PPS or EI, there's nothing to worry about. I'm also pretty sure that you can find a LOT of people who have tanks full of lush growth who do NOT fertilize and have activated carbon too.

 

[oldbloke]

Many thanks, all.

 

[Zeus.]

Had a quick google and

Carbon Filtration: What It Does, What It Doesn't Yes it is an article on the net so its not like a fact. but its does say - It is the best known treatment for organic chemicals, VOCs, pesticides, herbicides, and chlorine and its by-products.

It is well know for removing chlorine ( small molecule)

so chlorine dissociation is water is

Cl2 + H2O ⇌ HOCl + H+ + Cl−

and I bet its the Cl− that the carbon is mopping up, so if my assumption is correct and it is mopping up CL- then its mopping up any negative ions in solution too, like ferts.

Do we have any chemists in here? As I would like to know the anwser too. Been quite some time since I did my 'A' level Chemistry

 

[Zeus.]

Thought about it a bit more then went over to Barr report.

Active carbon in substrate and
Active Carbon YES or NO??

The Former link T.Barr says 'It acts as a "sticky" for nutrients' from that I take it read that the Carbon mops up the nutrients. Obviously is isnt much off an issue when used as a substrate as the roots off the plants roots can get it by active transport (or what ever its called). However if used as a filter media the Nutrients will be locked up in the carbon. My take would be is that AS has a lose affinity and mops up the nutrients but also releases them freely when the WC gets depleted a bit. where as AC mops them up with a much higher affinity so the plants cant get them.

The latter link 'detlef' gives a great answer to which T.Barr later approves.

 

[AquaMagma]

Hi,after first 1 month,it doesn't need to add again,mission completes.but if there is a new suspecious plant about heavy metal or pestisides,it works in another filtration system.after first mission, i preffer ceramic rings or small lava stones instead of carbon for beneficial bacterial colonies...

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[Progen]

Well, way I look at it, carbon will always be helpful as long as fishes are eating and releasing waste into the water and plants are growing and dying.