Carbon?

[Jen21]

I usually always put carbon in my filters, but today I decided to leave it out. Are there any benefits to carbon or no carbon?

 

[freddyk]

All I can tell you is that about twelve years ago I stopped using it and never noticed a difference - it's been exactly the same every since. In general unless there is a smell or color that needs to be removed that carbon can take care of, it's a waste of money. However, you'll soon see there are many views of this - some swear by it, some don't.

 

[breezer40]

I never use carbon unless I need it to strip out any meds but this link might be useful in explaining what carbon does etc.

http/www.care4fish.com/carbon

 

[WILDER]

Only need it to remove meds, some say it keeps water crystal clear but you can do that with tank maintance, and the water isn't meant to smell as much when you remove lid.

 

[Jen21]

I just read that old carbon can trap bad toxins and keep them in your tank..., could the carbon cause high levels of toxins and mini- cycles?

 

[WILDER]

You should remove carbon every 6 weeks or the toxin will release back into the tank, so yes.

 

[Fish Buddy]

I use carbon in the tanks that I have no plants in and none in the tanks I do have plants in- it repoves the good stuff plants need. And actually I have not noticed a difference in water clarity between the two.

 

[Jen21]

Well, one day after I took the carbon out of the filter I noticed the tank is a little cloudy now. Will it clear up or harm the fish?

 

[WILDER]

What are your water stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate, and ph, it sounds like the tank might of gone into a mini cycle.

 

[LifeBear]

Jen21,
Was your filter one of those that keeps the carbon in a little baggie of cottony sponge stuff? If so, you took out the beneficial bacteria when you removed the carbon, unless you put the empty bag back in. If your tank went back in to cycle, that could be why. It isn't that the carbon is gone, but the bacteria that change ammonia into nitrite/nitrate.

 

[Jen21]

My tank has been in a mini cycle for a while now. I've been doing daily water changes to get the nitrites down... they are now .25 and ammonia is 0. I haven't added fish and I don't over feed.... I thought maybe the old carbon was the problem.... I don't know, this new sponge filter without carbon seems to be ok.

 

[WILDER]

If you left the carbon in to long it could of been the cause, what is the stock in the tank, and how big is the tank.

 

[Jen21]

I have a 30 gallon with several livebearers, and 4 cories and otos. I think I was a bit overstocked, so I moved 4 platies to a different tank. I've been doing daily water changes for about a week now trying to get the nitrites down. How long does this take and is there anything else I can do to get my levels at 0?

 

[WILDER]

Don't look over stocked to me, shouldn't take to long stir the gravel up so some of the debris can be sucked up by the filter.