Can You Kill The Carbon In Media?

[Behold]

I would like to be able to use the sponge from a cheap filter that came with my hospital tank and store it in the cannister till needed but its a carbon sponge.

I wanted to know if there is anything i can do to disable the carbon action as the sponge can then be used as its the right size for the filter....

Thanks

 

[afishdude]

carbon is only active for up to 2 days in your aquarium. hope this helps as i dont quite understand your Q.

 

[Underwurlde]

^ Agreed!

And agreed again: what's the point of using a deactivated carbon filter?
1st stage crap filter perhaps?
This is what the cheapo floss is for....

Andy

 

[cheesy feet]

Yup filter floss takes the gunje out.Carbon is basically pointless for most tanks.In pfk a reefkeeper said it's one of his top priority's to use carbon as it thorouhly cleans the water.Something like that anyway.

 

[Behold]

I want to use it for as a bio filter as its for my hospital tank. I would leave it in the main filter to build up with bacteria then when needed move it over to the hospital then back again. don't want it to remove meds tho

 

[cheesy feet]

They are not to be used as bio filter.Get some bio balls if you want bio media.But in a hospital tank air driven sponge filters are usually used.

 

[Underwurlde]

Well they can be used, but the idea of the blue filter media is to provide a large surface area for the bacteria to adhere to. The larger the surface area, the more bacteria (given there is enough fish producing enough ammonia / ammonium to eat). Hence I do not think that a used up carbon pad is (what's the word) spongy enough? In other words, has a large surface area due to it's structure.

Then again, who knows. It may work if you have a small bio load.

Another thought is that carbon filter media is quite solid and does not retain it's shape when sqeezed - the action you need to do when regularly cleaning the bio media as you would do for the normal blue filter media.

Andy

 

[Behold]

Well they can be used, but the idea of the blue filter media is to provide a large surface area for the bacteria to adhere to. The larger the surface area, the more bacteria (given there is enough fish producing enough ammonia / ammonium to eat). Hence I do not think that a used up carbon pad is (what's the word) spongy enough? In other words, has a large surface area due to it's structure.

Then again, who knows. It may work if you have a small bio load.

Another thought is that carbon filter media is quite solid and does not retain it's shape when sqeezed - the action you need to do when regularly cleaning the bio media as you would do for the normal blue filter media.

Andy

The sponge/carbon sponge looks just like my sponge in the external filter only smaller

here is the filter.

I almost doubt it is much of a carbon sponge. maybe sprayed with something.

Thoughts

 

[Underwurlde]

OK, if I were you...

...I'd stop faffing about with that carbon filter. Go out and buy a fine blue filter media and cut it to size (use the old carbon one as a template, so don't bin it). I'd also be tempted to cut it slightly smaller so that I could cap it with a white floss filter (stops crap getting into the blue one) - again simply cut it to size.

The flow of water from the tank should be white floss first, then blue filter media.

Then, replace the white one every week or two and simply leave the other alone (apart from a monthly rise off in old tank water).

Job done.

Keeping the blue filter next to a running one is the perfect way to seed it and keep it ready for use at the drop of a hat.

Andy

 

[Behold]

Ill be buying some more bits then!!

Thanks

Im using floss at the moment and thought that leaving some room would be good idea. nice to know it was right although interesting to have the floss first.