Taking carbon out of PLANTED tanks

[dstephen]

I've read up a lot about people taking their carbon filtration out of their filters and putting either sponge or bio media to replace it. They say that the carbon filters out some organic that plants need.

Does anyone else do this? Does it work?

[brendenscott]

Originally Posted by dstephen

I've read up a lot about people taking their carbon filtration out of their filters and putting either sponge or bio media to replace it. They say that the carbon filters out some organic that plants need.

Does anyone else do this? Does it work?

No reason to run carbon in a planted tank. Purigen is your best friend. Yes carbon does filter out some nutrients that the plants need. How much though really not much. But to be honest carbon is just not needed. Your plants are a better and longer lasting filter than carbon is.

[dstephen]

Originally Posted by brendenscott

No reason to run carbon in a planted tank. Purigen is your best friend. Yes carbon does filter out some nutrients that the plants need. How much though really not much. But to be honest carbon is just not needed. Your plants are a better and longer lasting filter than carbon is.

I don't know how I never learned this. Thanks

[Fresh2o]

I have not used carbon in years. As to it removing key nutrients needed by plants, that appears to be a popular consensus. I don't use it because it can get exhausted easily and at that point it seems useless. Yes, it is helpful for removing medicines and toxins from the water column.

[brendenscott]

Seachem Purigen is a great alternative to carbon. And does not filter out anything that the plants use. So win win. And yes carbon gets exhausted very easily.

[dstephen]

Originally Posted by Fresh2o

I have not used carbon in years. As to it removing key nutrients needed by plants, that appears to be a popular consensus. I don't use it because it can get exhausted easily and at that point it seems useless. Yes, it is helpful for removing medicines and toxins from the water column.

So I could take it out right now, replace it with something else and everything would be fine?

[brendenscott]

Originally Posted by dstephen

So I could take it out right now, replace it with something else and everything would be fine?

Depending on how long you have had it in there it's already probably not doing anything but slowing down water flow to be honest. So yes everything would be fine.

[dstephen]

Originally Posted by brendenscott

Depending on how long you have had it in there it's already probably not doing anything but slowing down water flow to be honest. So yes everything would be fine.

Should I replace it with some kind of bio media?

[brendenscott]

Originally Posted by dstephen

Should I replace it with some kind of bio media?

It really depends if you need more bio media. I would replace it with seachem Purigen. That is all the chemical filtration I use and helps keep water crystal clear and clean.

[dstephen]

Originally Posted by brendenscott

It really depends if you need more bio media. I would replace it with seachem Purigen. That is all the chemical filtration I use and helps keep water crystal clear and clean.

I agree with you- however I feel like the more bio media, the better. in other words the more surface area for bacteria to grow on, the better

[brendenscott]

Originally Posted by dstephen

I agree with you- however I feel like the more bio media, the better. in other words the more surface area for bacteria to grow on, the better

Up to a point sure. But you will only ever have the amount of colonies for the amount of load they can deal with. You could have miles and miles of bio media but if your load is not much then the miles will not be full but barely used. So it all depends on how much you already have and how large your bio load is.

[Autumnsky]

Originally Posted by dstephen

I agree with you- however I feel like the more bio media, the better. in other words the more surface area for bacteria to grow on, the better

Right now my favorite is adding Seachem Matrix for available space for BB colony and Purigen for beautiful crystal clear water. I use almost all HOB AquaClear filters which also have sponge media. I add both the above to all the FW tanks including the FX-5 canister filter I have.

There is another interesting material EcoBio-Block Stone saw this from the creator at MACNA Denver a few years back. I have not used it but all the information about it seems worth looking into /I am pretty sure it is the same one as at MACNA.

[nirbhao]

Originally Posted by Fresh2o

I have not used carbon in years. ... Yes, it is helpful for removing medicines and toxins from the water column.

The only time I use carbon is in quarantine to remove medication from the water column, but it definitely serves its purpose there.

Purigen is great. I'll add my voice to that chorus.

[dstephen]

Originally Posted by nirbhao

The only time I use carbon is in quarantine to remove medication from the water column, but it definitely serves its purpose there.

Purigen is great. I'll add my voice to that chorus.

So just put the purigen in a nylon bag?

[nirbhao]

If you get the 100ml, it comes in its own bag.

[brendenscott]

Originally Posted by dstephen

So just put the purigen in a nylon bag?

If you get the Purigen in a container you will want at least a 180 micron bag. If not they will leak through the holes of the bag.

[Bert2oo1]

I don't use purigen because I feel it's to expensive and annoying to recharge. I've got a canister devoted to polishing the water though. I've just filled it with filter floss and fine sponges. Change the floss once and month and it works as good as anything

[fishenthusiast]

Activated carbon is great at removing tannins from driftwood and removing other unwanted organics (more so than Purigen), but other than that, I think Purigen would be better for long term use.