BK Posted March 7, 2005 Report Share Posted March 7, 2005 What are peoples thoughs on using Carbon in there filters that service tanks with Discus in them. I have "tank one", bare bottom, 10 potted plants, trickle filter-noodles-floss-peat and two sponge filters. Feed beef heart 3x daily with 10% water change after each feed (220 ltr tank). 9 4inch discus and 5 1inch discus. All doing nicely with little ones starting to colour on lower fins. Happy with this set up. "tank two" 220ltr,fluval 403, UGF in-reverse(tank 1.0m tall) keeps food of bottom(mostly) and lets fish ate with out losing 1/2 on bottom, many plants, 3 cory cat, 5 dwarf Gromi's, 3 1inch Discus and about 30 small tetras(blacks, Rummy's etc). Fluval has floss, carbon and noodles. Thinking about replacing carbon with more floss. 30% water change weekly. "tank three" 160ltr trickle filter-floss-carbon-noodles. 2x 3 spot Gromi's, 5inch Pleco, Red tail,6x Angles(aveg 50cent size), 2x Kulis, 12xtetras, 4 guppies and many plants that are getting eaten? pleco/Redtail? will add CO2 unit tonight. As above thinking of replaceing carbon with floss.30% water change weekly. Two other tanks for Guppies and Betta's that will stay as is. From CHCH so water good apart from ph around 7.4 but tanks at about 6.6-6.8. Haven't change carbon for about 2 month's so not getting anything from this any way. WILL I LOSE ANYTHING REPLACING CARBON WITH FLOSS re filtting preformance. Sorry about spelling (timber worker on computter at work not a good looks with boss walking behind me every 30mins) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted March 7, 2005 Report Share Posted March 7, 2005 The carbon doesn't really add anything to the bio filtering of your filter so removing it wont hurt the filter, althrough I would look at replacing it with noodles rather than wool, the noodles offering more biological filtration, wool (floss) being more mechanical. Depending on what you are trying to acheive of course, also remember mechanical filtation should be at the start of the filter process not the end where the carbon would be. Just a note regarding the carbon, I assume you know that if you leave it in too long it will start leaching stuff back out into the water, whatever you decide to do I would take the carbon you currently have out, how long it lasts depends on the amount of carbon and how much work it is having to do. Carbon is commonly used to keep the water clear (esp in Discus tanks because soft water tends to have a very yellow look) if its not keeping the water clear then is should be removed. Also used to remove meds from tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK Posted March 7, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2005 Would add more noodles as I see this as the most important part of filter. Maybe just keep one bag of carbon. Thanks for reply as didn't really know what purpose carbon did in filter but understand now that they remove small particals from water. What is best way of cleaning carbon Wash/throw away. What dose cardon remove? I now meds what else that can't be removed by anything else. If floss removes larde particals and noodles break down waste what is left. Best to ask stupid ? than never find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK Posted March 7, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2005 Just thinking it Asia breeders use no filters just water changers. they are just removing food and waste just like floss and noodles. Thinking out load. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted March 7, 2005 Report Share Posted March 7, 2005 Just so you know, I don't use carbon 90% of the time cause I like the yellowy colour of the water I think it looks more natural. You don't 'need' to use carbon unless you are trying to remove some thing specific like a medication. Carbon doesn't remove particals, there shouldn't really be any still in the water by the time it goes through your mechanical filter (sponge) then your bio filter (noodles), but of course there will still be some because no filter is perfect. What the carbon does is obsorb chemicals out the of the water, like tanins (sp?) which make the water yellow, that the bio and mech don't remove. I'm not sure the full procedure for cleaning carbon, but I know it involves heating it to a higher temp than I could manage at home so I didn't bother looking any further, plus its cheap, but make sure you buy a good brand because some of the cheaper ones (so I have been told) release phosphate (can cause algae). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK Posted March 7, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2005 Sorted. out with the carbon in with the noodles and floss. I like the tanins as well 1/2 the reason the peat is in the first tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted March 7, 2005 Report Share Posted March 7, 2005 I don't think carbon actually removes tannins does it? I thought you had to get some sort of special thing to absorb them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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