activated carbon...

[12 Volt Man]

When they refer to a "carbon-rich" environment, they are referring to soluble carbon dietary sources, such as amino acids and carbohydrates. They are not attempting to suggest that Hexamita is actually ingesting and metabolizing particles of carbon...such as activated carbon. This could confuse some readers.

exactly. carbon rich doesn't mean 'in the presence of activated carbon'

it means an environment rich in organics (which are carbon based molecules) that are consumed by microorganisms..

 

[nubz]

wow this is intersting! BTW does carbon dust from not rinsing it enough effect fish?

 

[RDTigger]

Great way to polish water..imo...

There is a great sticky for all Filter media

 

[12 Volt Man]

When I was doing post grad after university at college we did a carbon lab that involved experiments measuring adsorbance of carbon using methyl blue.

we would run water + methylene blue through granular activated carbon and measured the transmittance of the filtrate with a spectrophotometer.

did some graphs, literature research etc.

it was pretty interesting, not sure if I still have the lab report that I did though. If I can find it, it would have some great internet links...

 

[polish]

If carbon was so bad why would nearly every single filter cartridge come with it preloaded. Along with that nearly every HOB and Canister come with it. If it was not needed and caused so many problems these companies would not waste the money to include it, it could save them a lot.

Not that this really means *much* but worth considering in my opinion.

 

[tcarswell]

I still want to see the "proof" about carbon releasing toxins back in this would be a real question answered for the fish keeping community.
Bump

 

[velanarris]

When they refer to a "carbon-rich" environment, they are referring to soluble carbon dietary sources, such as amino acids and carbohydrates. They are not attempting to suggest that Hexamita is actually ingesting and metabolizing particles of carbon...such as activated carbon. This could confuse some readers.

Yes that is true, however, the carbon you put in your filter is there to capture these water soluble particles, in addition to stripping some of the other natural antibiotics out of the water in your tank. This allows HITH both a place to feed and multiply as well as a "safer" environment to thrive.

Now as I said, the presence of filter carbon doesn't cause HITH, but Hex is present in all aquariums and in most fish intestines. If carbon removes some of the natural elements that keep hex in check then it is quite likely that activated carbon does cause HITH indirectly.

I still want to see the "proof" about carbon releasing toxins back in this would be a real question answered for the fish keeping community.

Well the way carbon works is by capturing charged ions in the water. If the carbon is left in for too long it would become electrostatically neutral and be unable to hold more toxins unless releasing some to capture other more strongly charged particles.

I don't think carbon leaches toxins into the water, I think poor tank maintenance allows old carbon to leach toxins back into the aquarium.

If carbon was so bad why would nearly every single filter cartridge come with it preloaded. Along with that nearly every HOB and Canister come with it. If it was not needed and caused so many problems these companies would not waste the money to include it, it could save them a lot.

The filtration companies also make products that deal with the maladies introduced by carbon. And carbon is the cheapest media you can get.

 

[tcarswell]

Yes that is true, however, the carbon you put in your filter is there to capture these water soluble particles, in addition to stripping some of the other natural antibiotics out of the water in your tank. This allows HITH both a place to feed and multiply as well as a "safer" environment to thrive.

Now as I said, the presence of filter carbon doesn't cause HITH, but Hex is present in all aquariums and in most fish intestines. If carbon removes some of the natural elements that keep hex in check then it is quite likely that activated carbon does cause HITH indirectly.


Well the way carbon works is by capturing charged ions in the water. If the carbon is left in for too long it would become electrostatically neutral and be unable to hold more toxins unless releasing some to capture other more strongly charged particles.

I don't think carbon leaches toxins into the water, I think poor tank maintenance allows old carbon to leach toxins back into the aquarium.


The filtration companies also make products that deal with the maladies introduced by carbon. And carbon is the cheapest media you can get.

You could be right I don't know. I just like to get things either proven or suggested as speculative. It would be nice to have some proof on a lot of fishkeeping topics that some people claim to have proof on (The ick argument about it never going away for instance)

 

[velanarris]

Agreed.

As for Ich never going away, there's some basis in fact on that one, the only way to prove it is to start dicing up your previously infected livestock and 'scoping them.

 

[tcarswell]

Agreed.

As for Ich never going away, there's some basis in fact on that one, the only way to prove it is to start dicing up your previously infected livestock and 'scoping them.

Well that would be another good one to get out of the way!