medicated food for mouth rot

[MaloK]

Rinse it under the tap to remove dust then under tank water until air bubbles are gone before adding it. Air pockets will prevent chemical exchanges for many days.

How old is your tank ? The furthest I went without using carbon is 2 years. Beyond that. I always started to use it once a month. I follow a minimal water change schedule calculated to maintain nitrates a minimum.

And behind my head... I know It's not enough to Maintain all other dissolved matter / chemicals in check.

Some peoples are able to reach such a balance, that they will never need it. but I'm just a Professional noob.

Activated Carbon is an incredibly neglected tool to maintain a guaranteed water quality regarding buildups of over 225 chemicals. It's been used since the dawn of time in the hobby and has earned it's "fins" many times since.

 

[GaryE]

Activated carbon was used in the pre-water change era of the hobby, when the foul smell of fishtanks was a real issue. Since water changing caught on in the 1970s, it's become a rarely used substance. It's great for removing meds, but I haven't used it in 40 or so years. If your water changes are regular, and adequate, it's a needless expense in my books.

I see @MaloK is on a minimal water change system, which explains the need for carbon, but if you stay on the weekly changes, you won't see 'rot' or the dirty water maladies.

 

[MaloK]

Activated carbon was used in the pre-water change era of the hobby, when the foul smell of fishtanks was a real issue. Since water changing caught on in the 1970s, it's become a rarely used substance. It's great for removing meds, but I haven't used it in 40 or so years. If your water changes are regular, and adequate, it's a needless expense in my books.

I see @MaloK is on a minimal water change system, which explains the need for carbon, but if you stay on the weekly changes, you won't see 'rot' or the dirty water maladies.

Absolutely.

But when you're paying for your water. It's a excellent polisher and contaminant build-up insurance.

If you're already doing large water changes on a regular basis, your problem is somewhere else.

 

[Sgooosh]

Rinse it under the tap to remove dust then under tank water until air bubbles are gone before adding it. Air pockets will prevent chemical exchanges for many days.

How old is your tank ? The furthest I went without using carbon is 2 years. Beyond that. I always started to use it once a month. I follow a minimal water change schedule calculated to maintain nitrates a minimum.

And behind my head... I know It's not enough to Maintain all other dissolved matter / chemicals in check.

Some peoples are able to reach such a balance, that they will never need it. but I'm just a Professional noob.

Activated Carbon is an incredibly neglected tool to maintain a guaranteed water quality regarding buildups of over 225 chemicals. It's been used since the dawn of time in the hobby and has earned it's "fins" many times since.

around 3-4 years old
I used carbon for a year.

Absolutely.

But when you're paying for your water. It's a excellent polisher and contaminant build-up insurance.

If you're already doing large water changes on a regular basis, your problem is somewhere else.

nice, will this get rid of foul smells like cyanobacteria?

 

[MaloK]

around 3-4 years old
I used carbon for a year.

nice, will this get rid of foul smells like cyanobacteria?

Yes but, But they shouldn't occur in the first place.

The 70's where the stone age of aquario, Activated carbon was used at large as an "all in one remedy" for all apparent water contaminaton problems and was able to deliver enough good results on that side to become a defacto process to be used.

In reality, today, the uses of carbon is like Gary said, Not necessary.

But, it is still an extremely capable product that can give a good hand to regularly get an hold on a tank that has a tendency going south.

my 2 cents.

 

[Sgooosh]

Yes but, But they shouldn't occur in the first place.

The 70's where the stone age of aquario, Activated carbon was used at large as an "all in one remedy" for all apparent water contaminaton problems and was able to deliver enough good results on that side to become a defacto process to be used.

In reality, today, the uses of carbon is like Gary said, Not necessary.

But, it is still an extremely capable product that can give a good hand to regularly get an hold on a tank that has a tendency going south.

my 2 cents.

cyanobacteria occurs in between the little gaps of the water lettuce, where water is stagnant.
thanks for the tips!

 

[MaloK]

Dangerous levels of cyanobacteria mostly occurs in too deep substrate layers under extremely low water movement, and I would never worry from the gap between of any quantity of water lettuce. being a problem.

Please elaborate more on your ascertainment of the phenomena, I would never tough it could be a problem under an environment with such water movement as an aquarium.