Carbon Question!

[Jjsmith46]

I have a box of carbon pellets,which i am using to clear meds,is there a difference between carbon and activated carbon!,

 

[nmonks]

Unless you're using copper, most medications are metabolised by filter bacteria within 24 hours of use. So there's no real need for using carbon afterwards. Copper binds with some materials, particularly calcium carbonate, so copper might cause problems for copper-intolerant livestock weeks or months after usage. Carbon will have little/no impact on copper concentration.

Any carbon sold for aquarium use will be activated carbon, regardless of what it's called by the manufacturer. There is some variation in quality though, usually described in terms of iodine number, molasses number, and ash content.

Most freshwater aquarists need never touch a box of carbon in their entire lives. It's almost always inferior to other water quality maintenance approaches, in particular water changes.

Cheers, Neale

I have a box of carbon pellets,which i am using to clear meds,is there a difference between carbon and activated carbon!,

 

[Jjsmith46]

Cheers nmonks thats cleared that up,will plenty wc clear coper from the water,cos i have used some med with it in,and i got clown loach so need to clear the coper

 

[nmonks]

Water changes will reduce copper concentration. But you will need to use a copper test kit to be sure there's no copper in the system. Your local fish shop might be able to do that test for you.

Clown loaches are intolerant of copper, as you seem to know. But you shouldn't have one specimen! They're gregarious, and will be stressed kept singly. A stressed clown loach is a heartbeat away from a whitespot outbreak or finrot, so it pays to provide them with companions,

Cheers, Neale

Cheers nmonks thats cleared that up,will plenty wc clear coper from the water,cos i have used some med with it in,and i got clown loach so need to clear the coper

 

[Jjsmith46]

Yeah,i got 9 or 10 and some tiger barbs which are always with the clowns lol,i will get a copper test,but the meds i use have little copper content,