External Filter Help

[philg00]

Just swopped to an external canister filter and the guy at the local shop told not to put carbon in if i had a planted tank is this true.
if i can put carbon in can it be any type of charcoal or just type for aquariums as the canister size takes 3x1.4ltr containers. also what other media can i put into a tropical tank got ceramic rings and 3 sponges in at the mo.

thnx philg

 

[andywg]

Carbon has a tendancy to suck up the nutrients in water utilised by plants and is not recommended for planted tanks.

In fact, carbon is not that necessary at all in a tank, unless you are removing meds. Some people swear by it as a "polisher" but when you have a large tank you tend not to want to change the large amounts every few weeks and stop. Then you see it was making no difference at all and so you stop using it all together.

In short, for a planted tank, avoid carbon.