Advice On Carbon For Filter

[nessar]

What type/brand of carbon would you reccommend for a Stingray Elite 15 filter?

I dont want the cartridges that you can buy for the Stingray filters because they contain zeolite.

Also is there a difference between brands?

I'd like one thats readily available on ebay etc if possible.

 

[coldcazzie]

Not really a difference between brands - as long as it can fit in your filter then it's good, and you can cut them up to fit if needs be.

I actually have a carbon pad that I don't need anymore which is for sale if you want it? It's a Juwel one, about an inch thick and about 5-6 inches square but I threw my Juwel filter out cuz it broke so don't need the pads. Very easily cut up into smaller bits. PM me if you're interested

How comes you need carbon? Have you been adding meds?

 

[SlyPolak]

Carbon is useless unless you are removing meds. or trying to get your tannins down.. other than that its just more surface area for bacteria colonies....
I have actually heard from some people that carbon can remove certain minerals and some fertilizers (if you have plants and dose)...

 

[nessar]

I'm trying to remove tannins, fed up with yellowy water.

Thanks but I think my local Pets at Home do fluval sponges, so I'm going to look there

and thank you for your help

 

[SlyPolak]

I'm trying to remove tannins, fed up with yellowy water.

Thanks but I think my local Pets at Home do fluval sponges, so I'm going to look there

and thank you for your help

But carbon only removes SOME tannins and will only last a week ,,, 2 TOPS....

 

[kaivalagi]

I had a big amount of tannins in my tank for a few months but no more...do bigger water changes more frequently for a month or two to reduce the colouration short term and eventually your problem will most likely go away in the longer term anyway....*touch wood*

How long has the offending wood been in the tank?

 

[nessar]

well its been in there since april I think, and i'm trying to be patient but its not going away! Its a big piece of wood, takes up about half the tank in length.

To be honest its nowhere near as bad as it was, but it isnt helped by the fact I moved house and the walls here are a much more yellowy cream colour, meaning the water looks yellowy to start with, without tannins. I think maybe the sand doesnt help either, being yellow. I changed it when I moved house.

Its probably partly my fault as I only do water changes once a week, sometimes I admit I leave it till 10 days, but when I do its always 65-75%, but even then its yellowy within 2 days.

Also 2 weeks?! is that for absorbing it a lot, or does it completely stop absorbing after 2 weeks?

 

[ian]

it depends on how hard your water is, the softer the water, the longer it lasts. I have read a report about tests in hard water area and carbon sponges only taking up particles over 4 days and after that it was useless.

 

[SlyPolak]

Completely stops after 2 weeks.. if you're lucky..... It may last shorter if theres more tannins and such to absorb in the tank. Think of it as a sponge... I have heard of people reusing activated carbon after baking it or something but never tried first hand... Then it just becomes more surface are for bacteria to colonoze...

 

[nessar]

ah well its a soft water area but even still replacing every 2 weeks or sooner will soon mount costs up. Any other way other than water chanegs every few days?

 

[kaivalagi]

You could try removing the wood, and soaking it somewhere else, doing big daily water changes in it's bucket for example? Not sure if there is anything that could be added to the water to speed up the leaching process?

 

[frogmarch1987]

put the wood in a bucket and fill it with boiling water. do this every day for a week or so and you should see a big difference

 

[coldcazzie]

Yeh boiling water did the job for me.

 

[nessar]

good idea, i will keep a look out for a bucket bi enough!

 

[coldcazzie]

A plastic flip-top bin might be good if it's big