Im still confused on carbon

[señor_pescados_felices]

Ive searched for the word "carbon" and have read all the carbon arguments,and I am still kind of confused.

HITH-some people say it causes HITH by removing needed minerals from the water,others disagree...in the end both sides seem to just say "its up to you use it if you want"

Leaching-alot of people say that the carbon leaches back into the water what it takes out after some time,and others say that is impossible,and then the thread usually stops.

so what is fact and what is fiction?(im more interested in the leaching personaly)

 

[señor_pescados_felices]

I did a bunch of searching on the net and answered my own questions.

it seems that it is undeniable that carbon does take beneficial minerals etc. from our aquarium water that should be countered with supplements....but I couldnt find anything attributing carbon to HITH 100% without a doubt.

AS FOR THE LEACHING

if carbon were using absorption it may be able to become full or clogged,and then begin to leach back into the water,but as is the process by wich carbon purifies our water is through a chemical attraction known as adsorption,which is not easily undone,and definately not by our aquarium water.

It seems that not only is carbon not going to just start "Leaching" back into our water but if we for some reason wanted something our carbon took from us back,we would be in for a hell of a process.......

STEP 1-Drying at 215 degrees
STEP 2- Desorption at 1200 degrees (volitile materials and chemicals driven off)
STEP 3-Pyrolisis at 1200 degrees (heavy organics burnt leaving a residue)
STEP 4-Gasification at 2000 degrees (vapors and residues from previous stages driven out of pores )

 

[Dr Joe]

Hi,

Good research.

What most people call leaching back into the water is really just the water absorbing some of the stuff the carbon had taken up, this is a long process found when people only change the carbon every 6mo.s to a year...mostly from ignorance of the properties of carbon. If carbon were to change color, say like purigen does, we probably would never have had this dicussion.

As for carbon absorboing necessary minerals, nothings perfect, it's better to absorb some minerals with the pollutants than to have the pollutants.

Keep up the good work.

Dr Joe

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