Activated Carbon

[Ali Day]

Sorry should have put this in my last post. Whilst reading through the
documentation for the Rena Filstar XP it came with a bag of activated carbon
and it said that the filter must have a bag in place and changed every 4-12
weeks. Now I only use carbon to strip old medicines out, and I thought that
leaving a carbon pouch in the filter will eventually leech phosphates into
the tank giving a high chance for an algae bloom. Which is correct?

Cheers

A

[Dinky]

"Ali Day" > wrote in message
...
| Sorry should have put this in my last post. Whilst reading through
the
| documentation for the Rena Filstar XP it came with a bag of
activated carbon
| and it said that the filter must have a bag in place and changed
every 4-12
| weeks. Now I only use carbon to strip old medicines out, and I
thought that
| leaving a carbon pouch in the filter will eventually leech
phosphates into
| the tank giving a high chance for an algae bloom. Which is correct?
|

Most aquarists agree carbon is not as crucial as the marketing firms
would have you believe. I have not used it for years, except to
remove medications from the water as you mentioned.

billy

[NetMax]

"Dinky" > wrote in message
ink.net...
>
>
> "Ali Day" > wrote in message
> ...
> | Sorry should have put this in my last post. Whilst reading through
> the
> | documentation for the Rena Filstar XP it came with a bag of
> activated carbon
> | and it said that the filter must have a bag in place and changed
> every 4-12
> | weeks. Now I only use carbon to strip old medicines out, and I
> thought that
> | leaving a carbon pouch in the filter will eventually leech
> phosphates into
> | the tank giving a high chance for an algae bloom. Which is correct?
> |
>
> Most aquarists agree carbon is not as crucial as the marketing firms
> would have you believe. I have not used it for years, except to
> remove medications from the water as you mentioned.
>
> billy

But do use it the first time. The filter's plastic components are all
made in moulds, which use release agents (nasty) so they don't stick.
The carbon will get anything the factory rinse didn't. AFAIK, carbon is
inert, in that it does not add anything to your water (ie:phosphates).
--
http://www.NetMax.tk/

[Ali Day]

> But do use it the first time. The filter's plastic components are all
> made in moulds, which use release agents (nasty) so they don't stick.
> The carbon will get anything the factory rinse didn't.

Good idea.

> AFAIK, carbon is
> inert, in that it does not add anything to your water (ie:phosphates).

I did what I should have done in the first place and did a goole search on
the subject in this group and the web and found a fair bit, the main one
being about carbon being washed in phosphoric acid.
But I keep coming up with this "As a rule, buy only carbons made by
reputable aquarium supply companies .......".
My LFS recomends against it as they say it promotes blue green algae.

I think I'll start the tank with it as you say and then forget about it.

cheers

A

[NetMax]

"Ali Day" > wrote in message
...
> > But do use it the first time. The filter's plastic components are
all
> > made in moulds, which use release agents (nasty) so they don't stick.
> > The carbon will get anything the factory rinse didn't.
>
> Good idea.
>
> > AFAIK, carbon is
> > inert, in that it does not add anything to your water
(ie:phosphates).
>
> I did what I should have done in the first place and did a goole search
on
> the subject in this group and the web and found a fair bit, the main
one
> being about carbon being washed in phosphoric acid.
> But I keep coming up with this "As a rule, buy only carbons made by
> reputable aquarium supply companies .......".
> My LFS recomends against it as they say it promotes blue green algae.

I've no idea what they wash or rinse activated carbon with. Regarding
the LFS's blue-green algae, also called slime algae (if that's what they
are referring to) it's not an algae, but bacterial (Cynobacteria).
Perhaps your local water conditions have Cynobacteria, so your LFS is
trying to find ways to not promote its growth (?!). We should start a
thread on the 'interesting' things people have heard from their LFS. It
would become a very long thread ;~).
--
www.NetMax.tk

> I think I'll start the tank with it as you say and then forget about
it.
>
> cheers
>
> A
>
>

[Jim Anderson]

On Wed, 5 May 2004 10:56:39 -0400, NetMax had this to say...


> I've no idea what they wash or rinse activated carbon with. Regarding
> the LFS's blue-green algae, also called slime algae (if that's what they
> are referring to) it's not an algae, but bacterial (Cynobacteria).
> Perhaps your local water conditions have Cynobacteria, so your LFS is
> trying to find ways to not promote its growth (?!). We should start a
> thread on the 'interesting' things people have heard from their LFS. It
> would become a very long thread ;~).
> --
> www.NetMax.tk

Recently on a science cable show, they said that Cynobacteria was one of
the first life forms on earth, It even survived the 'great snow ball'
ice age that frozen the oceans. Some day Cynobacteria and cockroaches
will be all that's left.

--
Hope this helps.
Jim Anderson
( 8(|) To email me just pull my_finger

[Boris]

"Ali Day" > wrote in message
...
> > But do use it the first time. The filter's plastic components are
all
> > made in moulds, which use release agents (nasty) so they don't
stick.
> > The carbon will get anything the factory rinse didn't.
>
> Good idea.
>
> > AFAIK, carbon is
> > inert, in that it does not add anything to your water
(ie:phosphates).
>
> I did what I should have done in the first place and did a goole
search on
> the subject in this group and the web and found a fair bit, the main
one
> being about carbon being washed in phosphoric acid.
> But I keep coming up with this "As a rule, buy only carbons made by
> reputable aquarium supply companies .......".
> My LFS recomends against it as they say it promotes blue green algae.

Activated Carbon is just Activated Carbon. There are differences in
quality, but at the hobbest level, it's the lowest level for all carbon.
Instead of looking for local fish stores, look under "Carbon" or
"Activated Carbon" look in the Yellow Pages. I got a 100# bag from a
supplier years ago, for $100 (including tax). Your local fish store is
selling you the same crap for $5-6 oz..

[Ali Day]

> Activated Carbon is just Activated Carbon. There are differences in
> quality, but at the hobbest level, it's the lowest level for all carbon.
> Instead of looking for local fish stores, look under "Carbon" or
> "Activated Carbon" look in the Yellow Pages. I got a 100# bag from a
> supplier years ago, for $100 (including tax). Your local fish store is
> selling you the same crap for $5-6 oz..

I'm having the same problem with CO2 bottles 29 euros for a half kilo
bottle, ($29 per lbs) where as the local brewery supplier can get a 10Kilo
for 50 euros.