Carbon Filters In The Planted Tank

[Boxcar Muzzdogg]

I have a penguin biowheel on my planted tank, I have been using the same cartridge for about 2 months

1) Why is it that carbon should not be used in a planted tank?
2) After 4-6 weeks of use, the carbon is supposed to have lost its chemical filtering capability. I would rather leave the carbon in the cartidge, in order to preserve the nitrifying bacteria that have colonized the carbon, and just wash the cartidge for re-use. What should I do?

 

[qwikimpss]

Well, I also have a Penguin BioWheel and simply rinse out the cartidges every week or two and it's worked fine for me so far, maybe we can get some advice to the contrary tho.

 

[penguinpimp1990]

carbon filters out your fertilizers

 

[Boxcar Muzzdogg]

What about if you don't use a fertilizer, and if the carbon is old, does it still effect the fertilizer?

 

[George Farmer]

What about if you don't use a fertilizer, and if the carbon is old, does it still effect the fertilizer?

If the carbon is old then it may leech out all the toxins that it has adsorbed - not a good thing.

If you don't use a fertiliser then using carbon is fine as you won't have enough growth to benefit from the traces that the carbon may remove.

In short - keep using carbon if you wish but replace it regularly. If and when you have lots of plant growth and start to need fertilisers then remove the carbon - the plants will perform a lot of chemical filtration.

 

[WendyinWichita]

Well for pity sakes, it never occured to me that the carbon would remove the ferts. Not using my brain I guess. That would explain why I have trouble with algae, and seem to have to constantly dose ferts! I just bought an Eheim Pro2 canister and plan on installing it this weekend, I am just trying to round up the floss etc to go inside of it. I had been using HOB Magnum that cause more disturbance than I want with the surface water even with floss stuck in the outflow.

Always something to learn here!

 

[RYO]

[/quote]Always something to learn here!

Ain't that the truth

 

[Boxcar Muzzdogg]

I'm not concerned about the carbon leeching chemicals into the water, I do enough vacuuming and water changing, the leeching of chemicals will not effect the tank, the purpose of using the same carbon cartridge is to preserve the bacteria that has colonized the carbon, unless someone knows of a bigger problem other than the possibility of absorbed chemicals being leeched, please let me know