Should I Remove The Carbon Bags?

[Bugsvile]

Sorry to ask this if it has been answered elsewhere.

I have a fluval 205 filter which has 2 baskets of bio media and two baskets for carbon which are in some porous bags. would i be better off taking one of the carbon bags out and adding some more of the bio media or even replacing both the bags?

I hear its just for taking odours out and discolouration, plus i think im right in saying i would need to change these on a regular basis as they are not really effective after a short period of time.

What do you think?

 

[JustKia]

While there will probably be those who disagree I'd say always remove carbon unless you NEED to run it (ie for removing meds, etc).
Just replace the empty space with a suitable media preferably ceramic noodles or failing that a coarse sponge so you can grow plenty of Abacs and Nbacs =)

 

[natalie265]

I agree w/Kia. It looses its effectiveness after only a few days anyways, and after that it's useless (except that it will begin to act as a biological filter as bacteria begin to colonize in it). Better to just replace it w/ceramic or sponge media IMO.

 

[waterdrop]

Yup, agree with the others, you'd need to replace it about every 3 days. If its been in there a long time though, it may be handling a significant amount of your biofilter, so you need to examine that situation from a volume standpoint. If the carbon you would remove is 1/3 or less of your total non-floss media volume then it could be replaced with biomedia all at once, otherwise, if its more than 1/3 then it would be more conservative and less risky to replace half of it and wait a week or two before replacing the other half.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Bugsvile]

Thanks guys, it has been there for over a week now so i guess if i just leave it then no harm can be done. However in the future should i need to add any medication to the water will it still remove the stuff or do nothing?

 

[JustKia]

No, it won't work to remove meds at a later date.
It's only good for a few days to a week.
You need to put new carbon bags in after the med has been used to remove the remains of the med (can also be done with water changes instead of carbon).
It's pointless to have carbon in when using meds as it will remove the med and not treat your fish as intended.

Also, some suggest that carbon left in your filter can actually start to leak out whatever chemicals it has absorbed - potentially causing you greater problems further down the line.
Best thing is to remove the carbon unless you actually NEED it.

 

[Bugsvile]

I have not added any meds i am just cycling the tank at the minute, i dont suppose it is holding ammonia back and releasing it back into the tank is it? What i am worried about is if i remove it will i end up taking any bacteria out of the tank that may have attached itself to the now useless carbon.?

 

[JustKia]

If you're just cycling then I really would take out the carbon.
I know how confusing it can all be - but honestly if you can take the carbon out then do, it will be better.
Bio-media is going to be so much more useful to you.
I have a fluval 405 (has 4 baskets) and 3 of them are full of bio-media (ceramic noodles) and the top one has just plain old filter floss and it works great.
I've never had any need to use carbon as yet, so the bags I removed from my 405 are in a ziploc bag in the back of my cabinet.

 

[OldMan47]

I leave my carbon in the bags, jars and boxes that it comes in when I buy a new filter Kia. If I ever need some, I will know right where to find it, it is in my spare parts box in the fish room.

 

[JustKia]

Yes, OM47 - best place for them until you need them.
The ones from the 405 were already inside the canister (as were the ceramics, all in polybags) and came straight out into a ziploc and into the cabinet.

 

[draconis]

After years of using carbon of my tanks I took it out after reading an article about possible correlation with HIH disease. I ve lost 5 scars to hole in the head with carbon on my tanks. None lived more than 6 months. I have a new oscar several months old and no sign of HIH so far. Don't know why it happens but I also recommend taking it out, especially if you have ciclids.

 

[bitteraspects]

There is no direct correlation between carbon use and HLLE. The problem was the fish itself, not the filter. Oscars are prone to MANY diseases. HLLE is just the beginning. People blame the carbon because they don't want to admit it was their doing.

Back to the OP. The surface area of the carbon is very little compared to the bio media in the other baskets. While some bacteria will/has grown on the carbon, its not enough to make a major difference in the cycle if removed. If you're really concerned for whatever reason, remove the bags one at a time and replace them with more bio media. But like I said, removing both will not disrupt your cycle.