Carbon Or No Carbon

**Yankee** · 02-27-2007, 11:30 PM

I've noticed that some of you don't use carbon. I have an Emperor 400 that comes with carbon in the filters. Should I be removing it? Also I've never put any media in the media containers, (in the month I've had fish in the tank). How much of a benifet are those media containers? I have a 55gal. tank with a 4" Dempsey, a 31/2" Firemouth and a small Pleco and so far my water has been in good shape.
Thanks

**Chrona** · 02-28-2007, 12:23 AM

Most people that don't use carbon have planted tanks, since carbon strips trace elements needed by the plants. If you don't have live plants, carbon is great imo.

**xoolooxunny** · 02-28-2007, 01:07 AM

Remember, and I think I'm quoting William when i say this, but what works for some people doesn't work for others. But this is what i do.

I use carbon in my filter, but i also have a planted tank. I tried not using carbon, but i found that the water started to smell. So I started using carbon again, and paired with my fluorite, i use flourish tabs in the substrate, and now i have absolutely no algae on my plants, the water is crystal clear and is odor free.

I'll drink it.

**Chrona** · 02-28-2007, 01:19 AM

Originally Posted by xoolooxunny

Remember, and I think I'm quoting William when i say this, but what works for some people doesn't work for others. But this is what i do.

I use carbon in my filter, but i also have a planted tank. I tried not using carbon, but i found that the water started to smell. So I started using carbon again, and paired with my fluorite, i use flourish tabs in the substrate, and now i have absolutely no algae on my plants, the water is crystal clear and is odor free.

I'll drink it.

What kind of plants do you have? It is possible they are all root feeders, and so don't need trace elements from the water column. I don't know, and don't feel like starting up the whole carbon debate :)

**cocoa_pleco** · 02-28-2007, 02:10 AM

My tanks are 100% unreal planted right now so i do use carbon

**xoolooxunny** · 02-28-2007, 02:15 AM

Mostly root feeders, you're right. But when I stopped using carbon, the water smelled and the plants were healthy. Started using carbon again, and the water is beautiful and the plants were covered in hair algae. when i kept the carbon in and added some more fertilizer, the algae problem cleared 98% (water changes take care of the fake decor). i don't want to debate either, I'd rather exchange personal experience issues.

:10:

**Severus** · 02-28-2007, 04:22 AM

I was not using carbon for awhile and i found my water to be a little cloudy with some excess algea. I put fresh carbon back in and my water is a lot better, i am going to stick with it for awhile and see how it goes. Also, my tank is not planted

**Yankee** · 02-28-2007, 10:17 AM

I have all fake plants so I'll stick with the carbon, thanks.

**Lady Hobbs** · 02-28-2007, 10:34 AM

I don't use carbon and use instead the filter floss. I started buying the Aqua bags that you fill yourself with either the carbon that comes with it or using floss.

Both have their downsides. Small pieces of floss can get into the tank now and then and get tangled up in plants or the filter. Too much of it causes the bio wheels to stop turning, as well.

Carbon is suspected to be a cause of HITH disease which cichlids are suspectible to. I've also read not to use it in Angelfish or Discus tanks so that made me feel possibly this was not such a good thing. And they are expensive. I suspect that people that have had problems with carbon filters is how long they continue using the same filter. Especially when someone writes "I have used the same filter for 6 months. I just clean it off." Hello! I can just see under a microscope the moving, living bacteria living on that thing.

The carbon in filters only last a couple of weeks. Using them constantly will make them ineffective for removing medications after a short period of time.

So.......to use carbon or not is a good question. I am still looking for something more effective than carbon OR floss.

**Fishguy2727** · 02-28-2007, 12:42 PM

I have stopped using carbon in all my tanks (only one is planted) and so far I see no difference. Besides removing meds, carbon's main uses are removing discoloration (a yellowish tint to the water due to biological activity and low quality foods) and odors. However by keeping up with my water changes I have no issue with either and avoid the problems of removal of trace elements essential to the fish. So it seems to me that carbon is treating a symptom and not the actual problem. So I keep up with my (large) weekly water changes and take care of the problem, not just the symptoms. I do not feel that in a modestly stocked tank you would need as large of water changes as I do to avoid the mentioned problems.