Is It Ok Too Wash My Carbon?

[Filmoholic]

Hey guys I'm on a mission to drop my nitrates a bit lower.as I'm doing some regular cleaning I was cleaning out the filter and noticed a lot of nasty build up on my bags of carbon.would it be ok to wash these.I have been told both ways so I figured I would come too the ones that really know what they are talkin about! thanks a lot. also I have been fighting to keep my nitrates under 20ppm usually around 15ppm but I'd like to get it much lower any suggestions would rock! thanks!

 

[SkiFletch]

Shake it off in a bit of saltwater just to remove the detritus. Then I would reccomend what would seem like a "drastic" suggestion to many to do as big of a water change as possible, nearly 100%. I know it sounds ludicrous, but if you match the temp and salinity it really isn't a big shock to the system, but it will for sure knok your nitrates down to almoast 0

 

[Filmoholic]

Thanks Ski. yeah I have thought about trying that big of a wc.I just did a 20g out 75g change. seemed to just barely drop them. My problem might be that I have a deeper sand bed than most.I might just start suckin some out each wc I do.could the sand have anything to do with it? thanks again!

 

[SkiFletch]

Use a small gravel vac designed for say a 10g tank with thin tubing. That way you can remove detritus but the siphon is slow enough that you dont suck up sand

 

[Filmoholic]

Yeap that's exactly what I got! thanks man.

 

[steelhealr]

Do you have a refugium set up? SH