Activate carbon

[Gourami Swami]

My water is generally crystal clear without carbon, cloudy water usually tells of a problem not related to having carbon.
If you want to use it, I would get the high grade aquarium stuff. No sense putting something that's potentially harmful in the tank when it's not really needed.

 

[xraycer]

Well my filter is a penguin 300 (i think) and it has filter pads/cartridges in it and those have carbon in them...

Did you know you can get after market filter pads, for Penguin filters, without activated carbon?

The regular usage of activated carbon is an antiquated concept. It just isn't neccessary, if you do the proper maintenance (such as adequate water changes). The only time you should use activated carbon is to temporarily remove meds. I haven't use activated carbon since the '90s. Currently, I have 3 tanks running with fishes in the 4-5yo ranges, and none of these tank has ever been exposed to a single pebble of activated carbon. My water is clear and no offensive smell......of course, I do around 60% wc twice a week.

 

[Davidiator]

Did you know you can get after market filter pads, for Penguin filters, without activated carbon?

The regular usage of activated carbon is an antiquated concept. It just isn't neccessary, if you do the proper maintenance (such as adequate water changes). The only time you should use activated carbon is to temporarily remove meds. I haven't use activated carbon since the '90s. Currently, I have 3 tanks running with fishes in the 4-5yo ranges, and none of these tank has ever been exposed to a single pebble of activated carbon. My water is clear and no offensive smell......of course, I do around 60% wc twice a week.

But wont it make the water cloudy since you are disrupting everything?

 

[tlindsey]

Did you know you can get after market filter pads, for Penguin filters, without activated carbon?

The regular usage of activated carbon is an antiquated concept. It just isn't neccessary, if you do the proper maintenance (such as adequate water changes). The only time you should use activated carbon is to temporarily remove meds. I haven't use activated carbon since the '90s. Currently, I have 3 tanks running with fishes in the 4-5yo ranges, and none of these tank has ever been exposed to a single pebble of activated carbon. My water is clear and no offensive smell......of course, I do around 60% wc twice a week.

Totally agree with this and what others have stated stopped using carbon yrs ago because if your not on top of maintaining your aquarium it only mask the situation. I go by smell of my aquarium water .

 

[xraycer]

But wont it make the water cloudy since you are disrupting everything?

If you're referring to debris, it will settle after about a half an hour. If you're referring to a bacterial bloom, it shouldn't happen with w/c.
There are people who routinely do nearly 100% wc, without any issues. As long as temps and parameters are close, you can do 100% wc

 

[skjl47]

I am trying to use carbon only for crystal clear...nothing else

Again don't get me wrong, carbon won't hurt anything at all. It's just it's not actually needed. I've meet some people that think a filter "has" to have it and that's not the case.

The regular usage of activated carbon is an antiquated concept. It just isn't neccessary, if you do the proper maintenance (such as adequate water changes). The only time you should use activated carbon is to temporarily remove meds

Hello; These and other comments are spot on In this thread. I am among the antiquated fish keepers who used carbon back in the 1950' and 1960'. I stopped after learning it is not needed some decades ago.

Carbon is good for trapping some chemicals by a process called "adsorption". It becomes loaded fairly quickly, maybe hours to a few days. It cannot be reactivated by normal home means.

 

[souzie]

There have been theories on carbon causing HITH in certain species. Whether or not it's true, I wouldn't chance it on my fish.

If you want crystal clear water, keep up with the tank maintenance and use probiotics instead.

I use HOB filter pads with carbon in them but I actually throw out the carbon and keep the pads. They're good for BB colonization. I've had these pads in my filters for over 3 years now. No need to replace them unless they're literally falling apart...