Ah, perhaps I shouldn't feed the troll....

Because biological filtration is totally relevant. Activated carbon,
especially in the quantities used in some filters (ug filter tube
intakes being the worst case I can think of), isn't necessary in a
well-kept aquarium and can even be detrimental to plants.

Methinks he's just a troll, though, as that comment re filtering
bacteria was just plain stupid.

Ciao.

Dick wrote:
On Wed, 13 Sep 2006 18:16:55 -0500, dc wrote:

Dick wrote in
:

What is "biological filtration"?

A natural process that occurs everywhere in nature that involves the
recycling of nitrogenous byproducts into various forms. The cycle is
incomplete in aquaria and generally is limited to the conversion of ammonia
into nitrite and nitrite into nitrate.

The first two byproducts are very toxic and can kill fish in short order
when found in quantity, the last byproduct is many times less toxic than
the others and generally only increases stress levels and the chance for
shock and infection when found in very high quantities.

In nature nitrate is further converted into nitrogen.

Without biological filtration every fish in your aquarium would be dead
right now.

The subject of this thread is "activated Charcoal.

You have taken some effort to describe, what appears to be, a natural
process. Even mention of "biological filtration" would appear to be
off topic. Mechanical filtration and their relation to charcoal would
be close to the subject.

Why did you insert your "biological filtration" know how into a
discussion about "activated charcoal"?

dick