Carbon sponge

[Eliedaoura]

Im wondering if its ok to clean the carbon sponge in the filter ? Or I should only replace it by a new one ??
Thx

 

[maestromad]

I rinse mine in rank water, but will be watching this to see if people say otherwise!

 

[BBradbury]

Carbon Medium

Im wondering if its ok to clean the carbon sponge in the filter ? Or I should only replace it by a new one ??
Thx

Hello E...

If you do large, weekly water changes you don't really need to use carbon. It's not wrong to use it, but the water changes will do much more to maintain stable water properties than carbon.

If you decide to use it, then every week or two, remove it and squeeze out the contents in a bucket of the old tank water and put it back into the filter. Just replace the medium when the old one isn't holding together any longer.

B

 

[Eliedaoura]

Thx for the advices
E

 

[LyndaB]

I would say the vast majority of forum members don't even use carbon. It's not really necessary.

 

[maestromad]

Really lynda? In the fluval u series the second filter is polycarbon and polyester. Would you recommend removing it? I find it very difficult to clean personally

 

[Cornstar]

The purpose of carbon is really to remove medicine and tannins.

Carbon also becomes inactivated after a period of time (1month?) and no longer works. The only time I use carbon is when I use medicine which has been a while.

 

[T-Rexx]

How interesting! I was thinking of buying some carbon today for my 60 gallon to help improve water quality in between changes! The carbon that is inside the filters (marineland specifically) wont work after a month? Should the filters be replaced or is it more beneficial to leave them in since they hold good bacteria?

 

[LyndaB]

It's my understanding from a lot of reading on-line and in forums (I'm no scientist), that the carbon can create a level of toxicity if left in longer than 30 days. So, you kind of have no choice but to be religious about changing it out, if you do use it.

Quite often, in those filter cartridges that contain both filter media and carbon, people rip them open and remove the carbon part.

 

[maestromad]

Thanks maybe I'll just get polyester on its own rather than the carbon then?

 

[LyndaB]

I haven't used carbon in years. You can use filter floss, batting material from a craft shop, all manner of things to help keep your tank clean.

 

[maestromad]

Thanks I'll look into that anything that's good for my tanks!

 

[Eliedaoura]

I read on the package of the carbon sponge , they say it's carbon sponge ( they didn't say it's an activated carbon) so that mean it don't has a limited period of life)
What d u think ?
Elie.