To Carbon or Not to Carbon

[Squishy McFishy]

Hi all, I was wondering if you guys use carbon in your filters. I was recently reading an article about the use of carbon and it recommended not using carbon, reason being that it interferes with the biological filter too much for a discus to tolerate. So what's the consensus around here:do you use it or not, and why?

TIA
Carrie:)

[loggerbomb]

I don't because I have live plants in my tank and the carbon would strip nutrients the plants take in.

[Graham]

Carrie did they explain how it inteferes with nitrification , as that's a new one to me. AC does not absorb ammonia

[Don Trinko]

The fiter inserts I use on my 29g discus tanks come with carbon. I make no effert to keep the carbon fresh. Both tanks cycled normaly. In other (non discus ) tanks I have removed the carbon to medicate and and replacxed it later(to remove the meds) and had no problem with amonia or nitrites. Don T.

[Apistomaster]

I don't use carbon except occasionally but as to having an adverse effect on discus carbon is harmless and can actually improve water quality. It does no harm to a biological filter and in fact soon becomes a part of the bio-filter.

The statement that it is detrimental in planted tanks is very much overstated but it is use is not necessary either.

Carbon is an optional filter media and its best use is for specific things like removal of residual medications used to treat fish. once treatment is over and after a water change the use of carbon will help remove any trace of meds left.

[Squishy McFishy]

No, the article I read gave no explanation for their assertion. It simply made the statement not to use carbon. Now I use carbon in my other tanks and have no problems with it. So I was curious what other discus keepers do. It seems everyone has a different opinion on how to keep discus, but it seems safe to go with what the majority do.

[Graham]

Sounds like they made an observation and then drew the wrong conclusion,,,as Apisto mentioned it makes great bio-media

G

[Ed13]

Sounds like they made an observation and then drew the wrong conclusion,,,as Apisto mentioned it makes great bio-media

G
Maybe they meant that debris an organics trapped within the carbon would polute the water?

Also I've always find interesting the comment that carbon will remove too much elements from the water for discus when this fish originated in almost pure water:)

[loggerbomb]

Also I've always find interesting the comment that carbon will remove too much elements from the water for discus when this fish originated in almost pure water:)

If your doing the frequent water changes you should be doing, you wont need to use activated carbon as the water changes will keep the crap down.

" Carbon in planted aquariums should be limited, because many fertilizers contain minerals in cheleated form. These cheleates will be adsorbed by the carbon as organics."

That is what I was talking about.