Question about filtration.

[Glene20]

My carbod in my filter expired so i threw it out as the bag was breaking. But i heard you actually dont need carbon in your filter unless you want to remove meds. Is this true?

If so what could i use instead to replace it. Im using the aquaclear 50 filter. Thanks

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[coralbandit]

Water changes will do anything carbon can do better except remove contaminants from your source water.
Purigen is a great product to have in your filter and is easily rechargeable.

 

[IllusionX]

If you kept your carbon so long it is breaking apart, you might (absolutely) kept it way too long.

 

[mikem691]

Add a second bag of bio media.

 

[BillD]

You could also add a second sponge insert, which would be my first choice. this would allow the easy placement of a piece of poly mat between the two sponges. The reticulated sponge is an excellent bio media, and was the only bio media in AC filters prior to the renaming of the models in the line. Another choice would be plastic scrubbies. All my old ACs don't have any ceramic bio media, so, I run two sponges and a couple of scrubbies.

 

[Paul1792]

Water changes will do anything carbon can do better except remove contaminants from your source water.
Purigen is a great product to have in your filter and is easily rechargeable.

*******
In an AC50, Seachem Purigen (100 ml bag) & filter floss are about the best way to get crystal clear water. Carbon is a complete waste.

 

[JAnders]

Sorry for the minor thread jack but I was wondering about carbon myself. I have a Penguin bio-wheel and their stock filter with carbon, which I have been using for awhile (rinse every week in tank water during PWC). Is it ok to just leave the carbon in there or should I cut the plastic and get rid of it?

 

[sinibotia]

Sorry for the minor thread jack but I was wondering about carbon myself. I have a Penguin bio-wheel and their stock filter with carbon, which I have been using for awhile (rinse every week in tank water during PWC). Is it ok to just leave the carbon in there or should I cut the plastic and get rid of it?

Yeah, you should keep it; carbon stops working really quickly after it's put into the filter but then becomes a whole bunch of surface area for beneficial bacteria. It's basically just more biomedia.