Carbon change

[hyperman]

How often should I change the carbon in my aquaclear 50 filter? I have a 29 gallon tank. Ammonia 0 -.25 Nitrites 0 Nitrates range from 20 -40. PH is 8.2.

I have been doing bi - weekly pwc but will start doing 25% weekly.

 

[hyperman]

Another question. Why would the PH rise in the tank? The PH of the water being added increases after being added to the tank

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Carbon only last a few weeks so it will need changing regularly if you wish to keep using it. Carbon isn't needed in a healthy tank. If I were you I would replace it with some sponge or ceramic rings to up the bio filtration.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Have you tested your tap water after it has gassed off? Let a container sit out over night, stiring occasionally, then test in the morning. What substrate do you use? Any rocks in the tank?

 

[malawilover22]

ive read that you should change the carbon once a month, i would imagine it would all depend on your stocking load. if your over stocking the tank maybe sooner? this is just what ive read i havnt used carbon in 25 years i prefer more biological than chemical in my tanks

 

[Jmunroe]

Like momma of 2 said get rid of the carbon it is unnecessary and a waste of filter space unless your using it to get rid of medication in the tank. I have been keeping fish for over 20 years and haven't needed medication yet. Regular water changes is the best medication. I haven't even had ick in any of my tanks over the years. Replace the carbon with bio rings for more bio filtration will be much better than carbon

 

[Joshfishguy]

Every 3 months depending on how many fish if heavily stocked get another 20

 

[hyperman]

Have not tested after sitting overnight. Will do that. 29G tank only has 10 fish. 2 swordtails. 2 gold guppies. 2 dalmation mollies, 2 red platy's and 2 small cory catfish. Also will remove carbon and replace with bio rings. Tank was started in Sept. 2012 and we have several of the fish since it was started. We lose a fish once awhile. Stomach turns in and then they die after a few days.

 

[malawilover22]

the ph of 8.2 is just to high for those fish i had the same issues where i live the ph out of tap is 7.9 so i switched to so. africans. i kept losing my other fish to curved spine and waisting they just cant stand high ph.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Regular water changes is the best medication. I haven't even had ick in any of my tanks over the years. Replace the carbon with bio rings for more bio filtration will be much better than carbon

I agree with this advice 200-percent, as it echoes all the sentiments I have been giving on this topic to some of our new members...

When I first bought and set up my AquaClear 110, I used the carbon pouch that came in the box for awhile and eventually replaced it with two 100ml sacks of Seachem Purigen for water polishing (I'm sure by then the carbon was exhausted). That first 60 gallon cracked on us and flooded our home, but in this new 60 gallon we have now, I am still running the same two HOBs I had on the old setup, one of them being an AquaClear 110, and I when I got the 110 up and running for this new aquarium, I didn't bother with any carbon -- I just layered the sponge and two small mesh sacks of BioMax rings. The carbon that's in the cartridges that my other HOB filter, an Aqueon QuietFlow 55, takes I just wait until completely exhausted and disgusting in terms of the floss pad's color and either replace with new or rinse the cartridges in removed tank water.

I will, when I scrape up some money, eventually add either more BioMax or pouches of the Seachem Purigen to the 110's media basket...

That being said, the advice being stated above is what you should follow -- there's no better "medicine" for a tank and a fish's health than regular water changes and keeping the filtration monitored and good...

 

[hyperman]

Is there anything I can add or do to lower the PH?

 

[leopardfrog]

I'm guessing you live in a hard water area. My tap is up to 400ppm TDS. I put mine through an RO unit and have gently dropped my tank hardness to around 150, although I'll continue to nearer 100. My Ph is currently 8.0 and I keep Apistos, in fact I keep all. South American fish. I read a really good article on Ph the other day, which said just get the hardness right and pretty much let the Ph be what it will.

 

[leopardfrog]

The reason was, you'll be adding chemicals left right and centre, and it will always tend back to your waters natural buffering ability. Ph swings are far worse than stable one a little off ideal. Keep the target hardness stable and Ph will also stay stable.

 

[leopardfrog]

Platys and mollies should be fine at that Ph. Corys would like lower as would guppies. But both are commonly tank bred and probably fine.

 

[hyperman]

I have an Aquaclear 50 HOB filter. So I remove the carbon pouch and replace it with bio rings. Any particular bio rings I should use? Do I need to put them in some pouch or just lay them in where the carbon pouch was? Do I need to do any maintenance of the filter, like rinsing the bottom foam pad in removed tank water? I have read that once the tank is cycled very little should be done to the filter to retain the bb.

 

[leopardfrog]

I run a nano with an internal. I never wash all the foam at one. If possible use foam pads half the required thickness. Take out the one which sees water first and really wash it well, move the one behind it forward and re-fit the washed one behind it. Once a month should do. As for bio, whichever really. I use fluval biomax, but they are all much the same. Never wash that once established. Change say 20% of it every few months if it gets too mucky. You can fit a poly pad of some sort as a final stage and you should be laughing.

 

[leopardfrog]

Your tank will cycle before your filter is truely 'mature' as people term it. Just be patient and stock little and often, checking pollutants regularly first few months. I'm quite new to it too, but these are my tips.

 

[Jmunroe]

You can buy bio max for aquaclear filters. It comes with a bag to hold the bio max. Yes you can rinse your filter media in old tank water once in awhile. I try not to clean to aggressively and it's been almost 2 months since I've done any of mine. It all depends how much waste your fish produce. Another trick is to buy a small aquaclear filter sponge, cut a slit in one of the ends and slide it over the intake in the tank. Keeps big stuff from going in the filter and you can pull this off weekly and give it a good cleaning in the tank water. In my aquaclears I use the sponge in the bottom and then 2 bags of the bio max. Sometimes i use the sponge in the bottom, a layer of floss and then the biomax to water polish better. No need to buy any more filter media, especially not monthly like the pet stores would like you to do so they can make money. That is the only benefit to changing filter media.... the pet store makes money. I have the same filter media I've had for years. When I'm not using a filter I give it a good cleaning in hot water, dry it and store it away. ( unless I want to keep it cycled then I stuff it in another filter)

 

[hyperman]

So you are saying to have 2 stages of bio max? Currently the stock filter has sponge, then carbon, then bio max. So replace the carbon with bio max?

 

[Jmunroe]

Yes. That's it exactly.