Dooper

SO I have a filter that contains activated carbon, as well as a bio fiber filter that is seperate from the filter with carbon. Is it necessary for me to have a filter that has carbon in it? If I am not medicating fish, do I still need this filter?

Llama

If you're medicating fish you should probably have removed it.

Active carbon's use is rather disputed. It removes discolouration and smell, but otherwise don't think it has any other much uses.

Dooper

so I dont need the activated carbon filter?

mr. Clown Loach

unless you want your tank to stink and maybe become murky you don't need it

Dooper

wait, the carbon makes it stink and murky? or it helps get rid of that?

Llama

It removes the smell and colour. That's about it.

oh and poisons. So if you accidentally drop bleach into the aquarium...

Dooper

ohh ok....now how often should I be changing the filter....and should I let this filter sit in the filter slot before removing the old one?

shadowavenger

instead of replacing the filter cartridge, just get a filter bag and a carton of carbon and put that in the filter is there is extra space. Im assuming that you have an aquatech filter with a disposable filter cartridge? don't replace the actual cartridge because it can be used as long as the fibers stay intact and don't clog, and it will hold a large amount of bacteria for detoxifying the water. get a filter bag and place carbon in that and put that in the front of the filter in the vacant space. whenever it gets saturated just dump out the old stuff and put in new.

Dooper

yeah I do have an aquatech filter cartridge (blue). So I need to buy a filter ba and place the carbon in it? Where can I get this "filter bag"/what do they look like? also how will i know when it is saturated?

dennis

Usually carbon in the filter lasts for a month. SO you will have to replace the carbon every month.

Dooper

right, but for this particular cartridge that i have, I cant get the carbon out unless i actually dammage the fibers. Would adding carbon in a mesh filter bag work....or will the carbon that is still in the other cartridge leak the toxins it has been absorbing

shadowavenger

filter bags are just a mesh fabric with pull string at the top. you just load about a palm full of carbon into it, rinse it thoroughly and push it down into the filter slot. It should last about a month and when it becomes saturated, just remove the bag and refill it with fresh carbon. filter bags can found at practically any pet or fish store but if oyu can't find on then a nylon stocking would work too.

You can use a razor to cut the plastic louvers out of the back of the filter cartridge and remove the carbon that way so it will not leach back into the tank.

Dooper

sweet thanks!!! So just get a mesh bag, and some carbon at a pet store. Then cut the back of the filter and empty out that carbon