8 Days Into My Fishless Tank Cycle...should I Change The Carbon Filter

[-Jo-]

After my wood in the my tank leached last time, I have noticed that the carbon filter is pretty much brown. The ceramic noodles are also brown (the ones that were in the water when the wood was in there) but before my fishless cycling i turned them over so the 'clean' ones were in the water.

My tank is so much better without the log (which is in a bucket soaking until the cycling is finished) but there is a really slight brown haze emerging. Could this be the stains that were left on the carbon filter? Im tempting on buying new ones - but will this effect the cycle?

Thank you for your help!

xx

 

[tkdjr1186]

You can rinse the carbon in tank water to clear them. You should soak the wood in a bucket of hot water for a few days to get the tannins out of the wood. The wood will also leech some oils that could cause a film at the top of your water.

 

[OldMan47]

Every surface in your filter will be participating in growing bacteria for your cycle. Even carbon works for that purpose, although it is far from an ideal biological medium. If you are only 8 days into your cycle, you don't have much bacteria yet so you would not lose much. I would replace the carbon with more biological media unless you intend to always have carbon in your filter.