Question about Carbon

[Redbled]

Removing carbon from my tank by taking out the filter cartridges of my penguin biowheel filter to help heal HITH disease. What I was wondering is this. Anytime treatment calls for the removal of carbon from a tank, and your filter cartridges are carbon, doesn't it hurt the fist to have no real filtration in the tank? All the water just runs thru the biowheel and back to the tank.

 

[cichlidmaster]

Get yourself some filter floss and stuff it in the cartridge compartments.

This will help trap particulate matter until the treatment period is over.

CM

 

[Harmonic]

That state wouldn't really be called "no real filtration". The bio-wheel is the most important filtration devive on your tank. And no, removing the carbon and the mechanical media during the treatment period won't hurt your fish.

Do just what CM said if you want to keep mechanical filtration going.

 

[LesGerber]

Do as CM says.....He should know....I seen his 100 tanks on Sunday and water was pristine. and I didnt see carbon anywhere. He uses aged gravel and filter floss to keep it perfect.....Really an awesome site


Les

 

[Redbled]

What exactly is filter floss, and is it something I can find at most any fish store? Also, would a tank in your guy's opinion be better having this as the filter media all the time rather than carbon?

 

[Tanked]

filter floss is ployeste fiber and yes you can find it at you lfs, you can also find it at walmart, get a bag of 100% polyfil available in the bedding section. its the stuff you make pillows with.


thanks to les for the wal-mart tip.

 

[cichlidmaster]

Make sure it has not been treated with anything tho!! Sometimes fiberfill is chemically treated.

CM

 

[Tanked]

CM is right,

sorry an over sight on my original post. it will say on the bag if it treated. my bag says 100% polyester. since adding it my fish have become more active, swimming alot back and forth, the water is clearer too.

 

[playfulalliecat]

The one names Poly-fil is the one we have been using over a month. It works really well!

Also, we don't use carbon in our tanks either. We did use it after using RidIch to clear up the water but took it out quickly.

Hope this helps!

 

[Redbled]

Carbon just not as good of a filter media, or do you guys believe it can contribute to HITH, and other diseases?

 

[Redbled]

OK all, I bought some Polyester filter fiber like suggested, but have a question about it. It comes in a bag, and I'm not sure how to best put it in my filter. Planning on using it in place of carbon in one of my tanks to see how it does, but not sure what sort of container to put it in or how to keep it in place. Haven't opened the bag yet, so walk me thru the best way to use the stuff please.

 

[cichlidmaster]

I think a brief explaination is needed....................

As Harmonic said....most of your biological filtration (the most important) is contained in the biowheels of your filter.

By removing the carbon, you are simply removing the "chemical" aspect of filtration which is basically a water polisher and nothing more.

While a small amount of good bacteria will colonize the carbon, it is inconsequential as it is lost when you change your carbon cartridges.

The reason I suggested using filter floss is because the floss will not only help to draw out particulate matter, it will also harbor a fair amount of good bacteria.

The filter floss, by drawing out the fine particulate waste is in essence doing the same thing the carbon does!!

As Les stated....I do not use carbon in my filters, the reason is twofold............

1. I use internal box filters and sponge filters in all my tanks!! While the box filters can hold carbon, this would simply not be cost effective with over 200 box filters throughout my tanks.....and......

2. Some say that carbon looses it's effectiveness after several weeks, while other reports say it starts to break down after just a few days!!

When carbon starts to break down it will leach all the polutants it has absorbed back into the aquarium thus creating a very harmful environment for your fish!!

I find by using aged gravel (acts as the main body for nitriying bacteria to grow) and filter loss (acts as the main mechanical filtration) this accomplishes the objective very well.

So in closing......If you want to continue to use carbon in your filter, I see no problem with it. Just make sure to change it at least weekly to ensure it does not break down and leech everything back into your tank.

If you choose to use floss then simply place it into the chamber where your carbon cartridges go. If you choose to use the floss.....you do not have to change it when it gets dirty....simply rinse it out in a bucket of aged fish water during your water change. I usually change the floss only when it starts to break apart during the rinsing proceedure. You will know when it is time to clean it because your flow rate on your filter will slow down.

Once the floss becomes water logged, it should stay down on it's own. You do not need to place it in any type of container simply take a wad of it and stuff it into the chamber where your filter cartridge goes. Take a big enough wad of the stuff so it fits tight in the space....this will help keep it from floating up out of the filter.

Hope this helps clear things up!!

Man my fingers are sore

CM

 

[Redbled]

Thanks CM, good information. Bookmarking it for future reference. Kept fish for 7 years now, and don't believe I understood the filter process well until tonight. Didn't realize the biowheels took out the harmful bacteria and all the carbon filters did was make the water look cleaner. One thing I'm still wondering is what is aged gravel? Bought some kind of gravel once that went in the compartments that slide in and out at the back of my filter. Wondering if that was aged gravel? With the filter floss, some aged gravel, and the biowheels working, hoping that will be the best for my fish as I know I wasn't changing the carbon ones often enough. BTW, it is true I understand that you never need to replace biowheels, but surely they or the filter breakdown at some point. What is the best way to transfer to new equipment when the need arises?

 

[Jamnog]

hmm in work there is a clean room and we all have to wear thease things on our faces to stop dust gettign out of our mouths... if i got one of those ya think it would it be as good?

 

[cichlidmaster]

One thing I'm still wondering is what is aged gravel?

OK let's see......................

Think of how an UG filter works. It uses the gravel bed as a place to harbor nitrifying bacteria. This bacteria removes/eats the bad bacteria.

The nitrifying bacteria needs an air supply to live. The uplift tubes draw the water thru the gravel bed and returns it out thru the top of the lift tubes. As the water passes thru the gravel where the bacteria live the good bacteria consumes the bad. Only problem with UG's is....the bacteria only live in the first inch or so of the gravel thus making the rest a catching ground for detritus and other "nasties"!! When fish dig and expose the filter plates or you have decorations on the filter plates thus creating "dead spots" where water can't pass thru, this renders the UG useless!!

Box filters don't have this problem as they are completely enclosed!! No chance of dead spots.

Once the gravel has colonies of good bacteria in it, it is considered "aged" When I set up a box filter, I use gravel from an existing tank. Although I don't use UG filters, the gravel still harbors some bacteria.

Once it is placed into the box filter with floss and an air supply is attached, this aides in the growth of more good bacteria!!

I also use "aged" sponge filters when setting up a new tank!! I have many extra sponge filters in my tanks and simply pull out however many I need to filter the tank. This depends on the tank size and the bioload it will carry.

I would not suugest you use aged gravel in your power filter. They were not designed for this.

Simply use either filter floss or carbon along with your biowheels. Carbon also pulls out impurities such as fish urine, but IMO a good water change schedule will keep this in check making the need for carbon non-existant!!

You can rinse the biowheels pleated cartridges in old tank water. Once they get to the point of being worn (many years!!) you can replace them. Simply replace one wheel at a time. Say one wheel and then the second wheel several weeks later.

By doing this, you allow the first new wheel to gain a colony of good bacteria in it before replacing the second thus still having a bacteria colony to keep the bad bacteria in check.

Hope this was not confusing.


CM

Jamnog...........I'm sorry, but you've lost me!!!!