plants and filter media

[Jen]

I got the airstone thing cleared up, but now I hear that when you have a planted tank, it's best not to use carbon in the filter? True? I currently have a HOB filter with loose carbon in sleeves. Is that bad for plants. I don't have a gillion plants in there yet... but I'm trying to add in more every few weeks to get a nice natural (non plastic) look.

Any help/advice is greatly appreciated

 

[Silly me]

Most needed trace element in the water needed for healthy growth is removed by carbon. So adding in fertilizer will be removed by your carbon in the filter before the plant had a chance to use them.

 

[Discomafia]

Just what Silly me said, if you use ferts. they'd all be absorbed by the carbon. Why are you using carbon anyway?

 

[gale]

Just what Silly me said, if you use ferts. they'd all be absorbed by the carbon. Why are you using carbon anyway?

I'm not canoechiq but I'm guessing it's because the filter inserts come with the carbon already in them. So far I've left mine in but I think I might start dumping the carbon before I put the insert into my filter. For one thing the carbon is really tough to get out when it's wet.

 

[Jen]

When I got the tank, I went to PetSmart and told them that I needed to purchace a filter. They recomended the TipFin HOB with activated carbon. I knew nothing about fish and aquariums so I said OK. I have never kept more than 1 plant before, and it used root tabs. My sleeves come empty, and you dump in a package of carbon.

So basically carbon is bad for plants as it filters out the fertilizer? What else can I put in the filter as media then?

 

[gale]

You can buy filter floss to put in them.

 

[Jen]

just plain ol' filter floss? do you just shove it in the section that the sleeve went in? How do you clean it? Can you put anything else in with it - those bio balls or those donut-y things?

 

[Yenko]

I'd fill it up with the donuts; they require next to no cleaning (Which is a good thing for your plants and the filter bacteria) and work very well.