Dick wrote in
:

On Sun, 07 Jan 2007 13:14:44 GMT, Michael
wrote:

I am trying to remove some medication and lower the organics load. I
am preparing to do a water change, but the water temp here is low and
I don't want to shock the tank temperature wise. (In the summer I do
water changes exclusively). The tank is large so storing water
(warming up to room temp at least) is not practical. I have a great
filter system (series of filters for tap water) which removes
chlorine, and a host of other stuff from tap water.

Zëbulon wrote:

"Michael" wrote in message
...
Can activated carbon used in our aquarium filters be reused if you
clean it, dry it, and then bake it in an oven at 300 degrees?

Or should it just be thrown away?
==========================
I don't bother with carbons because of all the partial water changes
I do. They remove pollutants. Are you trying to remove something in
particular from the water?

I don't use carbon except when there is no choice (prepackaged filter
sleeves).

I don't understand what you are removing, what are "pollutants?"


Zebulon was probably referring to metal ions, which fresh carbon is
very efficient at removing. Think ich medications...(copper-based
treatments), and lead-contaminated water. Carbon is efficient at
removing organic waste and clarifying water, too. The problem in
aquarium type applications is the high variability in different carbon
types. If you have a consistent source for carbon, then it can be a
good filtration tool. If not, its usually a waste of time. Once
carbon gets fully loaded, it basically serves no further purpose,
except as a surface for bacteria to grow on.

I get bone charcoal from my LFS, which the store owner (a fantastic and
knowedgable guy) has sourced from the exact same supply for 22 years.
In a heavily planted FW tank that I have tannin "issues" with, I put 1/4
cup of his bone charcoal in the filter, and replace it monthly with
fresh media. My "tea water" issue is resolved perfectly by this, and it
works out to less than 50 cents a month in media cost.

Another example of good use of carbon: If you have FW inverts, and you
need to treat the tank with, say, copper malachite for ich, the best
course of action is to remove your inverts to a quarrantine system, and
run the course of treatment on the main tank. When the ich is gone, you
run fresh activated carbon in your filter for a day or three before
returning your inverts to the tank. You'd remove the carbon at this
time, to prevent possible later leaching of copper back to the tank.
Since inverts are Super-sensitive to copper, they cannot come anywhere
near most copper based meds. I hear the same holds for some fish
species (...loaches, maybe? I can't remember, for certain), which can
only take lower treatment levels, and you should remove the copper
quickly, once the ich cycle is defeated. These are the sorts of things
carbon is good for...

Regards
DaveZ
Atom Weaver