Carbon Filter Media - Is It Necessary

[mattyd1701]

Hi all after some know i cracked my Fluval Edge and sent it back to Hagen/Fluval for repair and its arrived back today all nice and shiny and fixed and for some reason Fluval have put in a replacement pack of standard filter media for the Edge Sponge, Carbon and Biomax.

After reading the box on the Carbon i seen it says it needs to be replaced every 2 weeks i already knew this from my first setup and never thought much of it untill now.

Now my understanding of the Carbon in a filter is for Chemical Filtration to remove toxins from the water is a carbon pack in a established cycled tank really necessary do you really need it in there after the tank has cycled? or are people just wasting money replacing it every few weeks as instructed on the packet?

 

[fluttermoth]

Carbon does no real good in a normal set up. It will not absorb ammonia, nitrite or nitrate.

It can have it's uses in removing tannins from the water if you don't like the look of them and for removing meds once the course has finished, so it is handy to have a bag or two around, but in general, no you don't need it and it's yet another way the manufacturers have of persuading you to spend more money than you need to

 

[DevotedToDiscus]

Carbon does no real good in a normal set up. It will not absorb ammonia, nitrite or nitrate.

It can have it's uses in removing tannins from the water if you don't like the look of them and for removing meds once the course has finished, so it is handy to have a bag or two around, but in general, no you don't need it and it's yet another way the manufacturers have of persuading you to spend more money than you need to

+1

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Carbon is considered chemical filtration. The effectiveness of activated carbon is based on a three-step process. The first is adsorption. Static forces will attract particles adsorbing them onto the surface of the carbon. Bacteria that settle on the carbon surface will further consume the waste. Another process is the diffusion of gases. Absorbed into the carbon the gases are detoxified (i.e. Ozone O3 into oxygen O2). The third process is called chemosorption, where particles are irreversibly bound to the carbon.

Activated carbon removes organic pollutants, some of which discolor the water with a yellowish tint, organic acids, proteins, hormones, antibiotic compounds, and organic compounds as well as a variety of chemicals, medications, metals, and minerals.

Inorganic substances removed are, chlorine, chloramine, colors and odor causing substances such as phenols.

Removed organic, particles and substances adsorbed by the carbon will remain biologically active. Trapped waste particles will still decay and remain part of the aquatic system. Activated carbon is therefore best used on a short term basis and replaced regularly.

From http/www.algone.com/aquarium-articles/aquarium-filtration/activated-carbon

Some folks use carbon regularly, some only for specific situational needs and some not at all. Understanding what it does and how it does so will let you decide how and when you might want to use it.