can you give me some advantages and disadvantages of active carbon in a fish tank ? was going to add some tomorrow to remove a part of tannins from drift wood and i know about the medications etc..
thanks for your time
2007-06-14 13:11:50 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
thanks ghapy so you would recommend a little amount in a container for 2 - 3 weeks only maybe once every 6 months to help water ? btw i really need it to clear the tannins from my tank from the bog wood, not sure but the pebbles at the bottom are turning spotted green/brown too, already have a leopard pleco but ill get a bristle nose too if i can find one localy
2007-06-14 13:39:47 · update #1
I use activated carbon in better than 1/2 my tanks. It removes trace impurities and some types of waste materials such as proteins and fats. As you mention it also removes tannins, so that's the reason I don't run it on some of my tanks.
It's really a preference item as far as the typical freshwater tank is concerned.
Personally, I have never seen any disadvantages to running it on a freshwater tank.
Oh and Ghapy is right, it needs to be baked at far hotter temperatures to reactivate than you can achieve at home unless you have a kiln. and that really only works to a very limited degree and only once, so it's really not worth the effort to even try.
MM
2007-06-14 13:58:50 · answer #1 · answered by magicman116 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The good part is that it can remove colour, odour, and certain harmful elements from the water.
The bad part is that it needs to be replaced every couple of weeks to really remain effective, and it can't tell the good elments from the bad and end up removing some of both. In the tapwater of most people the bad elements have already been removed through urban filtration and aquarium water conditioner.
To reactivate carbon it needs to baked at 7-800 deg
I haven't used carbon in more then ten years and my tanks are clean and healthy, and disease is something I'm unfamiliar with. The mopani in one tank is pretty bad for tanins. I take care of it with my weekly water changes and learning to like with the yellow tint to the water. I keep the tank for the fish more then the water and don't even notice it anymore. There are better ways to deal with algae then buying more fish (which consequantly add more waste to tank).
2007-06-14 20:21:57 · answer #2 · answered by Ghapy 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It can lower ammonia and will make the water more clear. It only works well for about 2 weeks. Then you can bake it (re-activate) or replace it.
2007-06-14 20:37:01 · answer #3 · answered by something_fishy 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋