Activated Charcoal

I know what AC is and how it works. What exactly does it do in an
aquarium? What is it adsorbing? Not the ammonia, NH3 or NH4 is it?
So what? Color, odor?

Thanks
BM

Brett Miller wrote in
:

I know what AC is and how it works. What exactly does it do in an
aquarium? What is it adsorbing? Not the ammonia, NH3 or NH4 is it?
So what? Color, odor?

Colour, odor, some plant nutrients... lots of stuff, but no not NH3/4. Use
Zeolite if you want something to absorb ammonia.

Active carbon is not really necessary, it is just a polisher, but it can be
detrimental if you are keeping live plants.

How So?
Adsorbs micro nutrients?


On Thu, 07 Sep 2006 17:48:18 -0500, dc wrote:

Brett Miller wrote in
:

I know what AC is and how it works. What exactly does it do in an
aquarium? What is it adsorbing? Not the ammonia, NH3 or NH4 is it?
So what? Color, odor?

Colour, odor, some plant nutrients... lots of stuff, but no not NH3/4. Use
Zeolite if you want something to absorb ammonia.

Active carbon is not really necessary, it is just a polisher, but it can be
detrimental if you are keeping live plants.

and maybe leechs crap back out if old
hard to know what carbon removes as it's hard to test what was in your water
before
traces and stuff anyway



"Bret Miller" wrote in message
...
How So?
Adsorbs micro nutrients?


On Thu, 07 Sep 2006 17:48:18 -0500, dc wrote:

Brett Miller wrote in
m:

I know what AC is and how it works. What exactly does it do in an
aquarium? What is it adsorbing? Not the ammonia, NH3 or NH4 is it?
So what? Color, odor?

Colour, odor, some plant nutrients... lots of stuff, but no not NH3/4.
Use
Zeolite if you want something to absorb ammonia.

Active carbon is not really necessary, it is just a polisher, but it can
be
detrimental if you are keeping live plants.

On Thu, 07 Sep 2006 16:37:10 -0400, Brett Miller
wrote:

I know what AC is and how it works. What exactly does it do in an
aquarium? What is it adsorbing? Not the ammonia, NH3 or NH4 is it?
So what? Color, odor?

Thanks
BM

Not much and not for long. I quit using charcoal.

dick

This is what I've been hearing about charcoal... If no charcoal then
what?

I have a clown loack tank, a ciclid/cat fish tank and a spotted green
puffer tank all with AC 500's.... What would one use along with the big
sponges and bio stars thingies? Peat for the CL's- soft water? This
non-charcoal thing is new thinking for me...

Thanks, Karl.

Dick wrote:
wrote:
What is it adsorbing? Not the ammonia, NH3 or NH4 is it?
So what? Color, odor?

Not much and not for long. I quit using charcoal.

dick

wrote in message
oups.com...
This is what I've been hearing about charcoal... If no charcoal then
what?

Partial water changes. I gave up charcoal ages ago and don't miss it.

I have a clown loack tank, a ciclid/cat fish tank and a spotted green
puffer tank all with AC 500's.... What would one use along with the big
sponges and bio stars thingies? Peat for the CL's- soft water? This
non-charcoal thing is new thinking for me...

Nothing. With partial water changes you don't need anything else in the
filter but the sponges and stars.

--
KL....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö ~~~~ }((((({*

wrote in news:1158089791.785515.162800
@d34g2000cwd.googlegroups.com:

This is what I've been hearing about charcoal... If no charcoal then
what?

Biological filtration and good husbandry.

On Tue, 12 Sep 2006 19:37:52 -0500, dc wrote:

wrote in news:1158089791.785515.162800
:

This is what I've been hearing about charcoal... If no charcoal then
what?

Biological filtration and good husbandry.

What is "biological filtration"?

dick

"Dick" wrote in message
...

What is "biological filtration"?


That the process where certain bacteria turn ammonia to nitrites, then
another bacteria turn the nitrites to nitrate. Both ammonia and nitrites
are toxic to fish. Nitrates are not unless excessively high.
--
KL....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö ~~~~ }((((({*