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Filtration, Carbon, and Sponges
Ok someone tell me again, why not to use Carbon, or that White stuff to get rid of Amonia?
I am using 2 Magnum 250's with Biowheels, and using carbon in the filter housing with the prefilter.
The tank is 75 Gallons, and I do weekly water changes, I change the carbon once a month. Have had no problems with my fish, but am I asking for trouble?
Thanks!
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Re:Filtration, Carbon, and Sponges
The thought is that after a short time the carbon leaches back into the tank the stuff that it extracts only now it worse.
Personaly I do not use it for disc but always have it for my other fish
I like you am just going on more experianced suggestions
Ken
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Registered Member
Re:Filtration, Carbon, and Sponges
Hi,
Here is a good article that addresses some of the carbon thoughts/issues.
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//index...;threadid=1122
hth
The white stuff to get rid of ammonia may inhibit beneficial bacteria from growing (it locks up the ammonia)
It would be better IMO to increase wc's to at least 30% three times/wk.
This will help keep impurities out of the water.
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Re:Filtration, Carbon, and Sponges
Excuse my Ignorance, but what does IMO mean?
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Registered Member
Re:Filtration, Carbon, and Sponges
IMO= in my opinion, IME= in my experience.
darcy
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Re:Filtration, Carbon, and Sponges
IMO= In my opinion
IME= In my experience
IMO...if your doing the amount of water changes that max out discus health and growth....you dont need carbon. If there are dissolved organics in your water due to fish waste and decaying matter, your not changing enough water.
It works great for removing meds though.
The "white" stuff....amrid is one name....I agree with Arden. It starves the nutrifying bacteria in your filter. A healthy biological filter will achieve the same end....without the additional cost.
Tony
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Re:Filtration, Carbon, and Sponges
When carbon starts "leaking" back to the tank, it will "eat" into your discus's fins and head area. This happened to me a few years back. Now, I only use sponge filters and do daily water changes.
Don't use any "conditioners" either!
Mark
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Re:Filtration, Carbon, and Sponges
Hi,
I don't use carbon, but only because my setup doesn't seem to need it and when reading any info when medicating it says to turn the carbon filter off. Though I didn't know that it "leaked" back in and can "eat into the discus's fins, ect. How (or why) does this happen? I would be very interested to know.
Karen
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Re:Filtration, Carbon, and Sponges
Howdey.. maybe I can shed some light on Carbon..
Carbon is an ''ADSORBANT'' MATERIAL. Unlike a sponge, which is an ''aBsorbant material''. A sponge can be cleaned by squeezing and rinising in clean water.
Carbon - aDsorbes chemicals into its microscopic pores and retains them . However, when the carbon is ''full'' / exhausted , it can no longer adsorb. What happens now, the carbon, actually the adsorbed chemicals can and do escape/leach back into the water. Contaminating the water.
It does not take long for carbon to become ''full''.
Unfortunately carbon can not be ''rinised'' clean. Unless you have a furnance capable of temperatures exceeding 1200 F..
Also, carbon does change the gh/kh of water, slightly.
The ultimate answer is..... WATER CHANGES . Nothing less.
HTH.
Smokey
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Registered Member
Re:Filtration, Carbon, and Sponges
Hi,
I am not an expert, but what I understand is that carbon has many little pores or holes that collect the impurities in the water. When the holes get full, or the carbon starts to break down or crumble, the ipurities go back to the water
hth
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Re:Filtration, Carbon, and Sponges
Hi, I would be very interested in reading up on this Carbon and Leaching back into the water...
Any good links on this?
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Registered Member
Re:Filtration, Carbon, and Sponges
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Re:Filtration, Carbon, and Sponges
Thanks for the links.. The one i was looking for I read a long time ago, it had some nice info on Carbon..
Someone did a real world test and had the results listed in a nice article.
I'll try my best to find it..
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Re:Filtration, Carbon, and Sponges
Wow, lots of good info! Then answer this for me, im running 2 Magnum 250 Pros, with Bio Wheels on a 75 Gallon tank, if I run the sponge filter (the one that fits over the housing that can contain carbon) I think its called a pre filter, what else do I need to run for filtration, or am I good?
Thanks for all the info!
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