CARBON,is it a must?

[[enjoyable_attempt]]

I only use it in my saltwater tanks that have coral in them.

 

[Austin]

very unnecessary. regular water changes and adequate bio media are a better thought. i only use to remove meds if need be. have never kept it on hand or used it regularly.

 

[sostoudt]

im not worried about the negative effects, i used it for years in my tanks with no problem. the fish should be getting most of there nutrients from there food anyway. if you feed your fish a quality formula with vitamins and minerals they will be ok.
all it does is make your water a little clearer and take a way any faint smell you tank has, but moneys been tight so it was the one thing i could do with out on the fish tank.

if your tank has a strong smell or discoloration, this really isnt something for carbon to take care of it, you should look at the rest of your filtration first.

 

[Sab_Fan]

I stopped using carbon a few years ago and have never looked back. no problems with smelly water, no discolored water. I do have heavily planted tanks, and they are probably over-filtered . . . the water is clear, the fish are fat and happy

 

[XxPrudencexX]

i forgot when i last used carbon

 

[zennzzo]

When it has the potential to "give back" the nasties it originally filtered out, and with no clear cut info on when this generally can occur, It just doesn't make good sense to use it for the marginal performance it may offer...

 

[Dominator]

i use carbon for crystal clear water and beneficial build up, but carbon is unnecessary for canister filters because it has enough pads to keep water crystal clear and substrat for beneficial bacteria build up.

 

[Will Hayward]

Nothing is a must, people have been keeping fish with no filtration for a loooong time since the hobby began. Plants were at one time considered the beginning and end of filtering a fishtank.

 

[nastyfish]

hey thanks guys i really appreciate all the info on this im greatful.!

 

[velanarris]

Ignore the myths. Carbon is a cheap and widely available chemical filteration material. If you do not need chemical filtration, then you do not need carbon.