Habitat - Indoor :: aquaclear filter question

[francinemarie]

i have an aquaclear HOB filter & 1 of it's media contains carbon. i've been reading that it isn't good for the tank water. should i remove it & replace it with more biomax? thanks everyone

[BullDog]

The thing with carbon is that it is good for removing impurities in the water, to a point. Then it gets to the point where it can no longer remove anything from the water (it's "full"). I've heard it can start releasing what it's absorbed, but I'm not sure if that's true. I think it can just no longer remove impurities, and essentially become mechanical filtration.

I think the turtle community is split when it comes to using carbon or not. I used it for years, then stopped using it for a while, and now I'm using it again. I don't know if there was a big difference, but I do think it got a bit stinkier without the carbon.

So it's really up to you. Just remember that carbon does need to be replaced more frequently then mechanical or biological filtration. If you want, next time you go to replace the carbon, you can try it without carbon for a while and see if you notice a difference.

[marisa]

How big is the tank and what model filter are you using?

I've got one Aquaclear 110 in a tank now (40 gallon) and do use carbon in it. I think carbon helps with smaller tanks (odors, etc.) but doesn't really make a difference with larger tanks. Once the carbon is "spent," it will up to a point provide some mechanical filtration. I think it's ammonia removers that eventually start releasing ammonia back into the water once they've lost their effectiveness.

[francinemarie]

The thing with carbon is that it is good for removing impurities in the water, to a point. Then it gets to the point where it can no longer remove anything from the water (it's "full"). I've heard it can start releasing what it's absorbed, but I'm not sure if that's true. I think it can just no longer remove impurities, and essentially become mechanical filtration.

I think the turtle community is split when it comes to using carbon or not. I used it for years, then stopped using it for a while, and now I'm using it again. I don't know if there was a big difference, but I do think it got a bit stinkier without the carbon.

So it's really up to you. Just remember that carbon does need to be replaced more frequently then mechanical or biological filtration. If you want, next time you go to replace the carbon, you can try it without carbon for a while and see if you notice a difference.

thanks bulldog! i think i'll try & remove it, see what happens

[francinemarie]

How big is the tank and what model filter are you using?

I've got one Aquaclear 110 in a tank now (40 gallon) and do use carbon in it. I think carbon helps with smaller tanks (odors, etc.) but doesn't really make a difference with larger tanks. Once the carbon is "spent," it will up to a point provide some mechanical filtration. I think it's ammonia removers that eventually start releasing ammonia back into the water once they've lost their effectiveness.

i use the aquaclear 300/70 for 30-70 gallons. i have a 50 gallon tank for 1 female RES. i'll try what bulldog suggested & see what happens. thanks for the help