# Carbon for Freshwater aquarium



## zebo (Feb 10, 2008)

Should carbon be used in Freshwater Aquarium?
If yes, how much should be used?
Does it need to be changed?
If so how regularly or how to tell it needs to be change?
Can it be washed and reuse or do I have to buy new ones?

Thanks You.


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

I do not regularly keep Activated Carbon in any of the filters. 
Carbon will generally adsorb organic molecules such as medicines and dyes. It will remove tannins from bog wood or peat moss. 
Carbon seems not to remove plant nutrients, but there are some people who say that it does. 
AC will remove a lot of things rather quickly, then slow down as the attachment sites get filled. If there is a lot of stuff in the water that is attracted to it the carbon can get filled in just a few days. 
Carbon does not release the stuff it has; it is almost impossible to rejuvenate it using any method available at home. 

General instructions for using it is to replace it monthly. If you want to do this then buy the carbon in large containers and get some nylon stockings to use as media bags. It will be a lot cheaper than buying pre-packaged carbon. 

Specific instructions that I follow:
To remove medicines I add fresh activated carbon at the rate of 1/2 teaspoon per gallon of water in conjunction with a water change. The water change removes a lot of the medicine, the AC removes more of it. 24 hours later I do another water change and replace the carbon with fresh. After that I will remove the carbon whenever I get around to it. 

I will also do this when something bad happens, such as a filter that quit, and smelled pretty bad. I cleaned the filter media and ran it in a bucket for a while, and when I put it back on the tank I used the carbon and water change method to be sure that any remnants of the bad smell were not left in the tank.


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## nysher (Feb 11, 2008)

Then any idea on Ammonia Chips? Some people called it corals. Can we used it in a planted tanks? I'm a bit confused whether to put it on my new planted tank.


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## schaadrak (Aug 18, 2006)

nysher said:


> Then any idea on Ammonia Chips? Some people called it corals. Can we used it in a planted tanks? I'm a bit confused whether to put it on my new planted tank.


I wouldn't unless your ammonia levels are extremely high.


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## zebo (Feb 10, 2008)

Hi Diana K,

Thanks a bunch!


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## HTN86 (Nov 2, 2007)

I don't use carbon unless my aquarium smells. Other than that reason, I think carbon is unnecessary because it gets clogged up too fast so it requires frequent maintenance.


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

Ammonia chips are bad for several reasons. The most basic reason is that they remove ammonia. 
You WANT ammonia int he tank to feed the plants. 
I agree that ammonia enough to show on a test is not good; the plants and nitrifying bacteria ought to be able to remove all the ammonia so fast that it will not show on the average test that most fishkeepers use. 

Here is a more complex reason:

1) Fishkeeper tests, sees ammonia. "Oh NO! Gotta deal with it!" and adds ammonia removing chips. 
2) Ammonia levels go down, reducing the food that was there to encourage the nitrifying bacteria. 
3) Ammonia chips get full, and bacteria population is greatly reduced. Now ammonia starts to climb. 
return to 1)

You never TRULY deal with the ammonia by raising thriving plants and a good population of nitirfying bacteria. 

If you are facing a crisis with rising ammonia I would suggest a few things, such as:
A) Add lots of plants, of the fastest growing type. Floating and emerged plants... the ones sometimes referred to as weeds because they grow so fast. 
B) Add a couple of separate, small bags of ammonia chips, and rotate them in and out on a short schedule, so that the ammonia levels will come down, but the small amount of the chips will NOT remove it all. Leave a trace of ammonia so the plants and bacteria can get their share. 
C) Some ammonia chips can be rejuvenated in a brine solution followed by a fresh water rinse. Keep rotating the bags through your system, rejuvenate, replace...BUT!!! Increase the time between swapping them out, so that there is still a little ammonia left as the plants and bacteria grow and remove more. Eventually (a week or two) you will not need the chips.
D) use a dechlorinator that will neutralize ammonia, yet leave it available to the beneficial bacteria. 
E) Find and remove the source of ammonia (dead fish, old food buildup... whatever)

As for where to put the chips: because you will be swapping them out so frequently I would put them in the handiest place you can. In a HOB, right on top, in the water, but easy to access. If you are running any filter that is not so handy (Canister) or has no chemical media place (Sponge filter) then simply hang the bag in the flow of water from the filter, it does not have to be right in the filter. 
I use nylon stockings to make media bags. Zip tie for permanent media or rubber bands for media that gets replaced. (I seem to have an endless supply of small rubber bands perfect for this use)


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