Freshwater Aquariums

[TraceyB]

I have a wet dry filtration system.

I have visited some aquarium shops and have been advised that the carbon mesh should be removed after 3 days

Can anyone shed some light on this?


Thanks

 

[tkdjr1186]

There's no need for carbon unless you are removing mess from the tank

 

[coldcazzie]

Activated carbon is usually only needed if you are removing medication from a tank

 

[tkdjr1186]

Meds, not mess

 

[Aqua Tom]

Carbon is not needed unless you have to medicate the tank. Take it out & shove some more sponge in there.

Tom

 

[TraceyB]

Carbon is not needed unless you have to medicate the tank. Take it out & shove some more sponge in there.

Tom

If I put more sponge in it will that help improve the fish cycle

ps
Love your tank it looks very peaceful.....

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Yes, the more sponge you have, the greater the surface area on which the good bacteria can live.

 

[tkdjr1186]

Carbon is not needed unless you have to medicate the tank. Take it out & shove some more sponge in there.

Tom

If I put more sponge in it will that help improve the fish cycle

ps
Love your tank it looks very peaceful.....

More media is better sponge is mechanical if you want more biological add more of that material

 

[Mr.Tan]

i always run carbon in my tank, I have a big sponge and then a small bag of carbon. I think it helps keep the water nice and clear (its clear without the carbon but with it it stays super clear). MOst people, in here so far atleast, will tell you you do nto need it however I see no reason why not too... i've run many tanks over the years and always run it, and they have been extremely successful.

 

[Gidge]

i always run carbon in my tank, I have a big sponge and then a small bag of carbon. I think it helps keep the water nice and clear (its clear without the carbon but with it it stays super clear). MOst people, in here so far atleast, will tell you you do nto need it however I see no reason why not too... i've run many tanks over the years and always run it, and they have been extremely successful.

+1

 

[TraceyB]

i always run carbon in my tank, I have a big sponge and then a small bag of carbon. I think it helps keep the water nice and clear (its clear without the carbon but with it it stays super clear). MOst people, in here so far atleast, will tell you you do nto need it however I see no reason why not too... i've run many tanks over the years and always run it, and they have been extremely successful.

At the moment I have a problem with high nitrate levels...... Does carbon have an effect on the cycle?

 

[coldcazzie]

No it doesn't. If you are experiencing high nitrate levels then I would suggest increasing the amount of water you change each time you change it, or changing your water more often.

How long has the tank been running? What are your exact readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?

 

[TraceyB]

No it doesn't. If you are experiencing high nitrate levels then I would suggest increasing the amount of water you change each time you change it, or changing your water more often.

How long has the tank been running? What are your exact readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?

The tank is second hand and was running for about 2 years... I have had it set up for a week and I think I made a mistake along the way.... I had a problem with the pump and it didn't run for about 24hrs .. Each test I took showed a nitrate level of 10 - 20ppm all others were within 'normal' range...... I have been doing about 20% water change each day and today I gave it a 25% change...... One thing I find odd is when I took a test sample to the LFS their test reading for nitrate was about 100ppm... Which is wayyyyy more than what I thought... My test kit is API master test kit and within date. They use the nutra fin test kit... I wonder if different test kits are more sensitive???

I have since removed one of the black filters (one is still in) doubled up on the noodles in another pump and was given a dirty white filter from the LFS to introduce more bacterium....... Oh and I bought 3 live plants to see if that helps with the nitrate levels.. Feeding is minimum and have the water settling for another change tmrw... I will leave the test until then as I am 'fished out to the max' at the mo ... And need to give the wee guys a break....... Lost one of my neon tetras this morning, I think this may have been the stress of me going into the tank(not literally though) that would defo kill off a few ....... lol

 

[TraceyB]

Can anyone answer if :

1. Does removing carbon raise ph levels

2. Does adding live plants raise ph levels

 

[fishlove75]

Running a tank with or without carbon is a person preference. Most people in this forum are on the no carbon until needed for removing medications side of the argument. i have ran tanks with and without carbon. The key to carbon is the quality. Without going into a big chemistry lesson, low quality carbon will require changing approximately every 3 days as the carbon will be "used up". higher quality carbon (ie the stuff in tap water filters) Will last longer, anywhere from a couple of weeks to a month, depending on if there is anything in your water. Carbon does help to eliminate odors, and in my opinion it does help to "polish" the water, give it that little extra sparkly effect. On the other side of the coin, those odors are often a pre-cursor to something going wrong in your tank. Here is a very good site that discusses the pros and cons with no bias. It also goes into detail on the quality of carbon if you chose to go that route.

http/www.ratemyfishtank.com/articles/106