Carbon in the filter?

[ChiefZero]

OK I was reading on the home page, actually the beginner's basics, of simply and I read that I shouldn't have carbone in the filter. On this page about a quarter of the way down.
http://www.simplydiscus.com/library/discus_husbandry/discus_basics/discus_4beginner.shtml

Is this true? I got a 350b penguin filter and it has two cartridges in it that have carbon in them and my discus are currently sick. How does this make them sick? Should I take the carbon out of the filter and just use the cartridge.

thanks
ChiefZero

[rickztahone]

OK I was reading on the home page, actually the beginner's basics, of simply and I read that I shouldn't have carbone in the filter. On this page about a quarter of the way down.
http://www.simplydiscus.com/library/discus_husbandry/discus_basics/discus_4beginner.shtml

Is this true? I got a 350b penguin filter and it has two cartridges in it that have carbon in them and my discus are currently sick. How does this make them sick? Should I take the carbon out of the filter and just use the cartridge.

thanks
ChiefZero


many here do not keep it in a discus tank (I no longer do) due to many thinking it might lead to the carbon deteriorating after a while. it's associated with hole-in-the-head as well. i do not think any of these are proven scientifically but many do on the word of others just to avoid the "possible" problem. i know this explanation was pretty vague but it is ultimately your choice if you want to keep it or not. if you do make sure you change it out frequently

[Chad Hughes]

Carbon in my opinion is for novice aquarists that only perform tank maintnenace once a month. Typically on community tanks that just don't require the maintenance that a discus requires. If you are performing at minimum a weekly water change of more than 50% (depending on your tank size and stocking) then you should be just fine with bio media only. If you have a small tank, the more water changes the better. I use just bio media in a 150 gallon display and have no issues.

THe only thing that I use carbon for is to filter tap water before mixing it with RO water. The carbon that I use is solid block, not granule.

[Eddie]

CZ, as everyone stated, carbon is not required for a discus tank.

I ended up just using a foam block in the back portion of the 350 and then a media basket in the second slot. Worked like a dream. I broke my filters down though and just running sponge filters.

Originally, I used to cut a slit at the top of the cartridges and just pour out all the carbon. The filter floss would do a pretty good job at keeping all the crud from hitting the media baskets. I also used prefilters on all my intake tubes to keep even smaller particulates from going into the filter.

Eddie

[ChiefZero]

THANKS all.

ChiefZero

[Scribbles]

Does anyone know if there is proof that carbon is linked to sick discus? Or has anyone experianced this problem? I use carbon in my canister filter and change it every 4 weeks max (to avoid it degrading). I use it because I don't have a source of RO water.

[Eddie]

Does anyone know if there is proof that carbon is linked to sick discus? Or has anyone experianced this problem? I use carbon in my canister filter and change it every 4 weeks max (to avoid it degrading). I use it because I don't have a source of RO water.

Hey Scribbles, I've never used RO ever.

I'd replace your carbon with some bio media. Carbon causing problems with discus can be very controversial, you'll find many arguments on the subject if you search. There is just no place for carbon unless you are removing meds, dyes or smells. Thats my stance on it.

Eddie

[Scribbles]

Thanks Basshead. I have bio media in there now with the carbon, just in separate baskets. I used it because our water supply comes from natural springs managed by the county. You never know which spring they will use and sometimes they add 10% from a municipal supply. I used to test it before every wc for PH. I use prime but you never know what else is in it. I also use Seachem discus buffer and neutral regulator so water is always consistant. But better safe than sorry. I'll ditch the carbon and add more bio media. You can never have too much.

[Eddie]

Yeah, never used discus buffer or neutral regulator either. I think all the adding of chemicals is just too much. What's your PH straight from the tap and then aged overnight with aeration?

Eddie

[Scribbles]

I hate to add chemicals too. The more natural the better I think . Cheaper too. My PH can vary from the tap from 7-8 usually around 7.8 (great when I had African cichlids). I don't have a place to age water. Not my house, cars barely fit in garage, active large young dogs in a small house. You get the picture. I have lots of bog log in my tank and used to use peat pellets in the canister, but its hard to find them anymore. I was also starting to get PH fluctuation from water being too soft (I think). I figured using the Seachem products was the best way to keep things consistant. However, I'm always open to suggestions.

New juvies from Hans so doing 50% wc daily.

[Chad Hughes]

Scribbles,

I think Eddie may agree with me here.... It's best not to tinker too much with the water perameters that are natural to your source. Meaning, use the tap source that you have unless you want to permanently filter your tap just for your tank. From what you have indicated, permanent filtration to storage is not really an option for you due to space. I completely understand. It's actually harder to try and adapt your water parameters for consistancy with chemicals than just using your tap.

You can probably get by just fine with the tap water that you have. If you are concerned about the quality of the the tap (not just Ph) the you could use a carbon filter as you add water to the tank during water changes. Here is a link with some information about it.

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewitem.aspx?idproduct=AP4111&child=AP4111&utm_source=mdcsegooglebase&utm_medium=cse&utm_term=AP4111&utm_content=AquariumPharmaceuticalsTapWaterFilter&utm_campaign=mdcse&site=google_base

This may be a much better way of doing things than simply adding carbon to your filter IMO. I use RO/Tap mix and I filter my tap water through carbon before adding it to my RO. You can never be too safe. Once everything is mixed, then I add Prime.

You may want to do a little experiment. Take a gallon of tap water right out of the tap. Test the Ph. Record the result and then let let it stand for 24 hours with an air stone running in it. Test the Ph at the end of the 24 Hours. If the Ph stays with ".2" points of the originally recoreded Ph, then your Ph is relatively stable and you should not worry about your Ph.

I hope this helps.

[ChiefZero]

So if I took out the cartridges I should take out the cartridges and buy bio media and just set it in there openings and put the none caron cartridges infront of the bio mass.?

[Scribbles]

Chief Zero,

I think that you could put a foam block in the first chamber and bio media in the second basket. Sorry if I inadvertantly stole your thread. I thought that you had finished.

avionics30,

I totaly agree with you and basshead. The more you add to your tank the more things you have to go wrong. Less is always better. Except for money and discus lol. My problem has been that the water can change from spring to spring as the water company switches which ones it uses. It's a verry old system that is inadiquate with huge population increase and is due to be replaced with a traditional more consistant municipal source in a couple of years. I have thought about the tap filters, like the one on your link. Just seems like it would take forever to get enough water filtered. I just worry about PH 7.8 one day and 7.0 the next.

[Scribbles]

Sorry for getting off topic and accidently hijacking your thread ChiefZero. I have started a new thread to continue water consistancy disscussion.

[Eddie]

Chad is spot on.

I'd use straight tap and nothing else. When I first started keeping discus, I used to add baking soda to buffer my PH. My PH was very unstable but the BS locked it in place. I'll bet discus buffer or neutral reg is pretty much the same thing.

Sorry the thread went off track CZ :o. I would do as suggested and use a foam block in the back slot and a media basket in the slot just before the water leaves the filter.

Eddie

[ChiefZero]

OK sounds good.
No problem about the thread. The more info the better the way I see it.