eiginh

Hi,

I dose my 10g well planted tank with dry fertilizers. I read on a different forum that carbon filter media removies the fertilizers from the water column. Is this true? If so I have been wasting my dry ferts!

aquarist48

Hello Eiginh. Hope you're doing well. I haven't read about or heard of carbon removing plant fertilizers. That doesn't mean it isn't so. I'll be looking forward to more responses on this as well from some of our plants experts.
Have a good day today!
Ken

Nutter

It is true that activated carbon will remove certain nutrients from fertilizers that are added to the water column. Activated carbon removes ammonia, (food for bacteria), as well as heavy metals like iron & many of the other nutrients found in liquid or dry ferts.
Carbon will have no effect on substrate tablets or nutrient substrates as the nutrients from these remain in hte substrate for the plants to access.
I personally don't use carbon for anything other than removing medications from the water after treatment. I don't reccomend the use of carbon in any tank but it is very much dependant on the individual aquarium. If you have lots of floating or non-substrate rooted plants, then you should definitley get rid of the carbon. On the other hand if nearly all of your plants are rooted in the substrate then having no carbon will make little difference. If you use the carbon to get nice clear water try using filter floss instead. I do this in all of my tanks & I my water is crystal clear.

eiginh

Darn, I just bought 3 carbon media's for my penguin 150b but I might transfer that into another 10g as the circulation isn't as good anymore cuz my original tank is heavily planted. Thanks!

Nutter

No problem at all. Happy to help where I can.