Can Activated Carbon Increase Algae???

[jonwes]

My 40 gallon tank was perfectly clear for the last few months and suddenly I am getting a bunch of reddish brown algae over my decorations and gravel. The only thing I can think of that changed recently is that I put a couple of new cartridges in my Emperor 400 with new activated carbon in them about three weeks ago. I tried rinsing them very well and even putting them in a bucket of water and shaking them good, but immediately after running them the water became cloudy like carbon dust filled the tank. I have a feeling the agitation of the impeller loosened the carbon up and sent the dust everywhere. I've read that carbon releases phosphates which can spawn algae. I stopped running carbon in my two internal Whisper 30i filters a long time ago. Do I need to run carbon at all or can you successfully maintain and run a freshwater tank without carbon?? I have an Emperor 400 with biowheels, two Whisper 30i filters, two UV sterilizers, and some airstones in my 40 gallon freshwater tank.

 

[SpeedEuphoria]

no you dont need carbon

 

[bs6749]

The algae is present most likely because you have 1) too high of a nitrate level, which can be from not having live plants to outcompete the algae for nutrients, from not doing water changes and neglecting the tank, overfeeding, having the tank overstocked, etc. 2) You may be keeping the light on too long or the tank is getting too much light and without a source of CO2 in the tank, some algae can flourish.

You don't need to run carbon in your tank. It is mainly used to remove medications after their course is run and to remove other toxins from the water.

 

[rich311k]

The algae sounds like diatoms, does it come off like dust? It is common in new setups it comes and goes on its own.

Carbon will not cause algae. From everything I have read, carbon will not release toxins back into the water. It is only effective for a few weeks. You probably do not need to run it.

 

[bs6749]

Actually carbon can release toxins back into to water and that's why nearly all discus keepers avoid keeping carbon in their tanks for any length of time. Carbon is used up quickly and is nearly useless after 3 days and should be replaced.

 

[jonwes]

I should add that the algae is definitely not from high nitrates, as I have had the same load of fish for the last six months or more without any problems and I have been doing weekly 35% water changes. Definitely not overfeeding either, as I only feed them one blood worm cube every other day. All of the reddish brown algae problems kicked in about 2-3 weeks after I added those new carbon filters. I've done some google searches since posting to this site and found several websites that say that carbon can contain a high level of phosphates, which can spawn algae. Some went so far to say that if you're having an algae problem and you're running carbon to remove the carbon and there's a good chance it will solve the problem. I'd like to know other's experiences, because everything on my end is pointing towards this.

 

[CaptainAhab]

Cheaper quality AC can contain phosphates which is why it is highly recommended to soak all AC in RO water for 24-48 hours for removal before using. That said, the likelihood of whatever small amount of phosphate may have been in those cartridges is highly unlikely to be the sole cause. Even on the off chance that you were bordering on the brink and this little bit tipped the scale, the place to look is your water source, food source and feeding habits. A couple tablespoons of even low quality AC isn't going to add that much phospahte, IMO

What are you Nitrate and Phosphate test readings?

 

[rich311k]

I doubt the AC in an Emporer cartridge released enough of anything to cause algae out break.

Does it come off easy, What does it look like? How long are your lights on?

AC will not release built up toxins. It is used in many high tech applications because of its absorbant qualities. The only way to break thoase bonds is to heat it to incredibly high temps.

The releasing thing is an old myth that will not die. Just like the removing of trace ferts, it does not do that either.

 

[Niglin]

C'mon rookies! Some brands of Granular Activated Carbon contain phosphates left over from the manufacturing process, and can add phosphates to the water column. This encourages unwanted algae growth. Normally, you would never want to add phosphates to your water because they tend to stimulate the growth of unsightly algae. If you notice algae growing in your aquarium and you are running Granular Activated Carbon in your filter, you might want to try removing the carbon to see if that doesn’t solve the problem.