Carbon Filter - Any Disadvantages?

[Peri]

Hi Friends,
I am planning to use Carbon Filter in the water aging process.

One of my Friends told me that carbon elimates all minerals and chemicals in the water and it elimates all elements, hence there is no useful elements in the water for the discus to grow/develop. It said the Fins and other shapes development might be a problem.

Is it true? can we use carbon in the pre-filtration process before the water comes to the tank? Has anyone encountered any problems using Carbon / Activated Carbon in the Pre-filter Stage before the water comes to the tank.

Thanks
Pk

[Graham]

poof

[Mikeyfish7620]

Is it true that if you have carbon in your filter with peat it kinda crosses each other out? Like the carbon absorbs the things peat adds to the water? I have peat granules and a-c in the same filter and i was wondering if that prevents my water from being soften from my peat

[crazie.eddie]

Peat usually leaches allot of tannins. The amount that the carbon removes from the water is not much and only continous changes of new carbon will allow the water to eventually clear out.

[poconogal]

Is it true that if you have carbon in your filter with peat it kinda crosses each other out? Like the carbon absorbs the things peat adds to the water? I have peat granules and a-c in the same filter and i was wondering if that prevents my water from being soften from my peat
No, not true. I used peat and carbon filtered water before switching to my tap water. Carbon only absorbs the brown COLOR that the water gets from the peat but does not affect the water softening or PH lowering of the water.

Connie

[CAGE-RATTLER]

I have a whole house filter on my main line under the house and usually just use a sediment filter on there ............. but just recently picked up a sediment filter that also has carbon in it.

Says on the label that it reduces:

Chlorine - Taste & odor
sand
Soil
Silt
Sediment
Rust

Any advantages or disadvantages to having this on my water line?

Would this change my tap water parameters at all?

[poconogal]

I have a whole house filter on my main line under the house and usually just use a sediment filter on there ............. but just recently picked up a sediment filter that also has carbon in it.

Says on the label that it reduces:

Chlorine - Taste & odor
sand
Soil
Silt
Sediment
Rust

Any advantages or disadvantages to having this on my water line?

Would this change my tap water parameters at all?
I've never in 15 years found carbon to change water parameters, as far as PH, KH or GH.

[grelot]

My water passes through a carbon filter when I fill up my water storage tanks. It removes chlorine, rust, sediment, heavy metals and a list of about 80 chemichals that can be found in your tap water. So I think it's a good precaution because I've seen a report evaluation of the content of my tap water and it can contains many chemichals like cyanide, fluoride, halogenic compounds and many other.
So I dont put carbon in the filters on my tanks but I put some in the prefilter for the filling of my water storage tanks.

[raglanroad]

very good reasons , Grelot. Most tapwater has the undesirable chemicals, quite a list of them. And with carbon prefiltering, no worries about sudden changes in the chlorine level. All taken care of cheaply.

Much better taste and safety for drinking water, too. You can't lose.

At the low cost of RO on the net, it is a deal just to get the 3 prefilters -sedimentary, granulated carbon, and carbon block. Not to mention, a faucet, and an RO unit, all for about $80.

I think that is cheaper than just a
plain sediment and carbon filter at most stores.

You can sell the DI unit and resin to a marine fishkeeper, and recoup.

Dave

[Alight]

No disadvantages to a carbon block on your input water to your aging tank. Only advantages as far as I know. I have always used them. I have mine before my RO filter. Helps to remove junk that might otherwise kill my RO filter.