Washing Carbon?

[H]-[H]

How many of you washes the carbon in your filter?
I don't know if we are even supposed to wash the carbon but it came to the point where it clogged the whole filter box & I'd to rinse them out..

 

[evojoey]

Are you talking about an initial rinse or are you talking about pulling it out of the filter and washing it and reinserting back in the filter? I always do an initial rinse before I put fresh carbon on my filter. If your carbon bag or filter pad get dirty enough to plug your filter then i would just replace the carbon.

 

[H]-[H]

I meant pulling out the carbon bag, rinsed it, then put it back in the filter box..
& the carbon still can last one month before it needs to be changed(according to the instructions on the carbon package).. Is this bad practice?

 

[nfored]

I always got the carbon in bulk from walmart for like 5 - 10 bucks and then just dumped the old carbon out of the bag and refilled with clean carbon. However I haven't used carbon in almost a year, unless I have medication some other nasties in the water.

 

[H]-[H]

Is carbon supposed to eliminate the "fish smell"? If so, it isn't doing a very good job..

 

[fishloaf666]

I have not tried but once read that one could bake the carbon at a certain temp to retain it to its original form. Now is the "fish smell" you are talking about a "fishy" smell, or an "earthy" smell? If it is fishy i would recommend doing more frequent water changes and baking or changing the carbon along with gravel vac'ing any old or uneaten food and poop. All my tanks have an "earthy" smell which is sort of like a "dirt" smell, or wet dirt w.e

 

[thepede]

I, agree. Get rid of the carbon altogether. I haven' used it for 2 1/2 years. Just maintain water changes (this includes vacuuming and filter cleaning)...better for getting rid of smell and better for fish health. Remember that most good fish keepers know little about diseases because they keep illness from happening with good quality maintenance.

 

[fishloaf666]

I, agree. Get rid of the carbon altogether. I haven' used it for 2 1/2 years. Just maintain water changes (this includes vacuuming and filter cleaning)...better for getting rid of smell and better for fish health. Remember that most good fish keepers know little about diseases because they keep illness from happening with good quality maintenance.

not sure if true, but i have heard that carbon can increase the cause of H.I.T.H disease. i use it in my pleco tank because of all the driftwood tannins and i get tired of the "blackwater" look sometimes

 

[RobotDeathSquad]

I won't be using carbon, but why do people always say their tanks look crystal clear because of carbon? is it true?

 

[H]-[H]

Now that you guys mentioned, I went to smell the tank & it smelled clean(I did water change yesterday).. What exactly is the cause of the "fish smell"?