Activated Charcoal

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 ~~~~ }((((({*

On Wed, 13 Sep 2006 09:30:36 -0500, Köi-Lö $##$$@$##$$.#$$ wrote:


"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.



One does not filter "in" or "out" bacteria. Nitrates are not
biological, they are just chemcals. The bacteria are the active
agents.

Every pond is full of bacteria, all doing special things.

No filter, I can imagine, would be classified as "biological
filtration." Why would one want to filter out bacteria?

dick

Dick wrote in
:

No filter, I can imagine, would be classified as "biological
filtration." Why would one want to filter out bacteria?

Your semantics are very limited.

Biological filtration is a widely used term to describe the natural process
of the nitrogen cycle. It has nothing to do with the "filtering out of
bacteria", which doesn't even make sense. Bacteria will adhere to any
surface where it is able to obtains the means for it to survive--it exists
in every part of your filter.

Biological filtration describes the action of biological organisms
(bacteria) on organic chemicals (nitrogenous wastes) as they convert them
into various, and progressively less toxic forms.

"dc" wrote in message
...
Dick wrote in
:

No filter, I can imagine, would be classified as "biological
filtration." Why would one want to filter out bacteria?

Your semantics are very limited.

Biological filtration is a widely used term to describe the natural
process
of the nitrogen cycle. It has nothing to do with the "filtering out of
bacteria", which doesn't even make sense. Bacteria will adhere to any
surface where it is able to obtains the means for it to survive--it exists
in every part of your filter.

Biological filtration describes the action of biological organisms
(bacteria) on organic chemicals (nitrogenous wastes) as they convert them
into various, and progressively less toxic forms.

DC for calm under fire I hereby award a distinguised service medal.
Well done man.

"dc" wrote in message
...
Dick wrote in
:

No filter, I can imagine, would be classified as "biological
filtration." Why would one want to filter out bacteria?

there are many mechanical filters capable of your so called 'straining out'
bacteria
the common ones used in the hobby both use plant cells that have been
signifigantly altered.
The carbon/charcoal already mentioned and also the good old diatomous
Only really used to 'polish' water in hastily built displays in my
experience as with established bio filtration they are rarely needed in
general aquaria.



Your semantics are very limited.

Biological filtration is a widely used term to describe the natural
process
of the nitrogen cycle. It has nothing to do with the "filtering out of
bacteria", which doesn't even make sense. Bacteria will adhere to any
surface where it is able to obtains the means for it to survive--it exists
in every part of your filter.

Biological filtration describes the action of biological organisms
(bacteria) on organic chemicals (nitrogenous wastes) as they convert them
into various, and progressively less toxic forms.

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.