Activated carbon in filters

[gypsy32]

Hi, I just read on here under another topic that "several of us here do not run carbon of any sort in our filters"

My question is, why is this?

When I bought my external canister filter recently the lady at the pet shop made me buy a large bag of carbon & a net bag to put it in because she said it was absolutely essential,

I've only had my tank up & running for about 4months

So am I using it & replacing it monthly for no reason?

In the filter there is a black coarse spongy thing & a blue spongy thing and a piece of white fluffy stuff & in the next basket was just these ceramic noodle things & that is where she said to put the bag of carbon.

 

[Yorg]

HI gypsy32:

I only use carbon in rare circumstances, like after medicating a tank to deal with a disease outbreak. Even then, I only run it for a short period of time. In my opinion there's really no need to use it all the time. The lady at the pet store probably meant well, but I disagree with her that it is absolutely essential to have it in the filter.

The spongy things are probably for 'mechanical' filtration (removal of large pieces of debris in the water), although with proper care they will also serve as places for your beneficial bacteria. The ceramic noodles are most likely intended solely for biological filtration (to provide surface area for the bacteria).

-Yorg

Hi, I just read on here under another topic that "several of us here do not run carbon of any sort in our filters"

My question is, why is this?

When I bought my external canister filter recently the lady at the pet shop made me buy a large bag of carbon & a net bag to put it in because she said it was absolutely essential,

I've only had my tank up & running for about 4months

So am I using it & replacing it monthly for no reason?

In the filter there is a black coarse spongy thing & a blue spongy thing and a piece of white fluffy stuff & in the next basket was just these ceramic noodle things & that is where she said to put the bag of carbon.

 

[Stephen]

I also only use carbon to remove medications. Many hobbyists feel that the carbon actually leaches bad stuff back into the water.

 

[Thai Aquarium owner]

Activated Carbon is used as a " chemical " filtration media.
That is to say that it will absorb any chemical agents in the tank water, but only up to the point of saturation, where upon it needs complete replacement.
This could be used usually after a medication process in the tank to remove the meds, and if it is used all the time, it will probably need complete replacement every 3/4 weeks, which can work out very expensive over time.
As for the white " fluffy stuff", that is the first stage wool filter to remove large pieces of solid waste from the water.
The " spongy things ", are elements of the filter, and the black one is probably impregnated with carbon.
The filter should be configured as follows for the best results, in the direction of the water flow
1) White fluffy stuff - rinse in old tank water when you do the water change
2) Black or Blue " spongy thing " - you choose. But if one has a more open structure than the other place it here. Only rinse in old tank water every 3 months or so.
3) The other " spongy thing "
4) The ceramic rings " noodles " . This is the most critical filter stage as this is where most of the Beneficial Bacteria will establish to keep the tank healthy. And here, if there is more space, cram it full of the ceramic rings.
If you establish a strong filter, you will have very little need ( if any ) for Activated Carbon in the filter.

 

[Chunk101]

I also only use carbon to remove medications. Many hobbyists feel that the carbon actually leaches bad stuff back into the water.

Carbon should be replaced on a regular basis otherwise it loses it's effectiveness at adsorbing toxins/chemicals from the water.

Activated carbon may not be essential, but it certainly helps the filtration process.
Here is a link on what activated carbon filters out.

http://www.daveh.org/carbon.html

 

[Spencer1044]

I have a 29 gal with two HOB filters both rated for 30 gallons. They were using active carbon for 4 years and the water was always yellow or just never clear. I stopped using the active carbon and put a bunch of ceramic rings in the filter boxes where the active carbon use to be. The water has never been more stable and clear than before.

 

[gypsy32]

Hi, thanks for the replies, I have learnt so much since I joined about 2 weeks ago, so thanks again,

The basket that has the ceramic noodles in it is only about 1/4 full, if they are an important part of the filtration process maybe I should get more to fill up the basket, or I have heard about those black plastic 'bio-balls' has anyone used these?

As for rinsing the filter stuff out in old tank water I had no idea I was suppose to do that, I have been rinsing them out under running tap water, now each time I do a water change I will rinse out the white fluffy stuff in the old water.

As for what spencer1044 said my water has always had a quite strong yellow tinge to it, I just thought it was meant to be that way, I never made the connection with the carbon, I knew it couldn't be tannins because the driftwood had fully leeched before I put it in the tank.

So I will remove the carbon from the filter, it seems to cause more problems than it solves.

 

[jerilovesfrogs]

I don't use carbon. Just don't over clean your media. There's no need to do it with every water change. Every month or two, or more is ok.

 

[Spencer1044]

The only thing in my opinion is to use carbon after you have finished using a medication in your tank. As for bio balls the only reason I don't buy them is because they are quite expensive at my lfs. The ceramic noodles are used for more surface area that beneficial bacteria can attach itself to.

 

[aylad]

The basket that has the ceramic noodles in it is only about 1/4 full, if they are an important part of the filtration process maybe I should get more to fill up the basket, or I have heard about those black plastic 'bio-balls' has anyone used these?

Ceramic noodles will most likely be more helpful than the bio-balls. I'd recommend adding enough to fill the basket.

 

[NCE12940]

Like you, I started out thinking I had to use the carbon all the time, bought a bunch on sale, and now probably have enough to last me forever. I have mostly bristlenose catfish so my cleaning schedule is more often than most other peoples' - every day on some tanks, every other day on others. And this includes cleaning the filters and media (in tank water) once a week. (A LOT of poop necessitates this.)

 

[Mims]

Sorry to hijack, but I have a question. My tanks currently have filters like this.





The carbon is in the little basket attached to the back.

Should I peel the blue part off and keep it (I assume this is where my BB is) and toss the basket and carbon?

 

[NCE12940]

I have the same thing and I don't use it at all. I use coarse sponge, bio-media (Seachem Matrix in a bag) and Seachem Purigen right before the overflow.

 

[Mims]

Okay, thanks. I just ordered 8 lbs of ceramic noodles (looks more like tp rolls to me, lol) to start replacing all of my media.

 

[Thai Aquarium owner]

The black plastic " Bio-balls " are a wrongly purseived by many Aquarists to be a bio media for the establishment of a strong BB colony.
Although they will, to a certain extent hold Beneficial Bacteria, they will only hold this on the surface, and this media is primarily used to break up water flows in filters for even distribution, and to add oxygen into the BB media section.
Ceramic Rings, on the other hand, are a specifically designed media for holding BB.
The shape of them will hold a vast amount of BB on the surface, which is of a rough nature to increase the surface area, and they are also porous which allows all those BB to establish inside them as well.
Another factor, which is often overlooked about Ceramic Rings is the shape of them.
They are designed to be just washed through to remove dust Etc, and then randomly thrown into the filter.
Because they will lie as they fall, this will create areas of high Oxygen within the filter for the Aerobic Bacteria to flourish, and areas of little or no Oxygen, which allows the Anaerobic Bacteria to also flourish, both kinds of Bacteria are essential for a good filter to work correctly.
It is in this stage of the filter, that the water is clarified by the bacteria, and if you use loads of these rings, you will not only have a strong BB colony, but clear water as well.
Caution Note - Never under any circumstance clean these Ceramic rings or disturb them once established in the filter, or you will loose masses of BB

 

[Mims]

Great info, ThaI Aquarium. Thanks for that!!

 

[gypsy32]

Thaiaquarium owner, once again I never had any idea I wasn't suppose to be cleaning the ceramic noodles, each time I have been doing a filter clean since I got my tank 4 months ago I have been scrubbing them with a nail brush because they were dirty...lol

I won't be doing that from now on that's for sure, I have just gone & bought another bunch of ceramic noodles, the basket in the filter is full now & they will never see nail brush again.

Thank you so much for the great info, I have learnt so much.

 

[toosie]

Activated Carbon is used as a " chemical " filtration media.
That is to say that it will absorb any chemical agents in the tank water, but only up to the point of saturation, where upon it needs complete replacement.
This could be used usually after a medication process in the tank to remove the meds, and if it is used all the time, it will probably need complete replacement every 3/4 weeks, which can work out very expensive over time.
As for the white " fluffy stuff", that is the first stage wool filter to remove large pieces of solid waste from the water.
The " spongy things ", are elements of the filter, and the black one is probably impregnated with carbon.
The filter should be configured as follows for the best results, in the direction of the water flow
1) White fluffy stuff - rinse in old tank water when you do the water change
2) Black or Blue " spongy thing " - you choose. But if one has a more open structure than the other place it here. Only rinse in old tank water every 3 months or so.
3) The other " spongy thing "
4) The ceramic rings " noodles " . This is the most critical filter stage as this is where most of the Beneficial Bacteria will establish to keep the tank healthy. And here, if there is more space, cram it full of the ceramic rings.
If you establish a strong filter, you will have very little need ( if any ) for Activated Carbon in the filter.

ThaI Aquarium owner , the black spongy thing, if it is impregnated with carbon, the OP should treat this media the same as granulated activated carbon and replaced just as frequently. You didn't mention this, but you mentioned A LOT! Great post. I just wanted verify this is what you intended the OP to do, if they determine it is a form of carbon.

If this spongy media is impregnated with carbon, I would be tempted to eliminate this from the setup, and use something else in it's place, especially if granulated activated carbon is also being used. I don't like to throw out more media than I can help, so especially if there turns out to be two forms of carbon, I'd eliminate the one.

The only time I use activated carbon, is for medication removal as well, however, I have a planted tank and plants are natural removers of many kinds of nasties. If I didn't have a planted tank, I would be a bit more tempted to use carbon.

Edit: gypsy32, Welcome to FishLore! I just looked at your info, and I see you don't as of yet, understand the nitrogen cycle. If you haven't had the opportunity to learn a bit about it yet, just click on the blue words and it will get you on your way to learning this necessary bit of information. If you have any questions after reading this info on this process, don't hesitate to ask any of us questions about it. It's a really important process, and your fish will depend on you to know it. You might want to start a new thread for those questions though so that your filter info and nitrogen cycle info don't get all boggled up.

 

[gypsy32]

I just checked the box the filter came in & it says that the black pad is for 'chemical filtration' so as carbon is a chemical filter I assume the black sponge is carbon impregnated, so I have been running 2 lots of carbon all this time, no wonder my water is yellow,

I am thinking of replacing it with more of the white fluffy stuff, get rid of all carbon all together, I have all live plants in my aquarium so that should help filter out a lot of nasties, I just have to stop my silver dollars eating them
all
I am still learning the nitrogen cycle, I'm just about to start up a second 300litre tank so I know I won't make the same mistakes I did with the first & now I know how important the filter is, that its not just for taking uneaten food & fish waste out of the water, I know now that this is where the bacteria is, I thought when people were talking about building up the bacteria (cycling) that it was only something that happened inside the tank, like on the gravel & driftwood,

I will fill out more of my info in my profile when I figure out how to do it

Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it & ultimately my fish will appreciate it as well because I'm not killing them & they can live long healthy lives,

 

[Thai Aquarium owner]

Do not replace the Carbon sponges with the " White Fluffy Stuff " as you should already have that in place as the first stage of the filter. - and this should be the only thing to rinse in old tank water when cleaning the filter,
What you need to really do, is try to get more of the correct media ( Ceramic Rings ) for producing and holding the BB into the filter if possible.
These Ceramic Rings are the " Engine " of the filter, and the more you have, the stronger and better that engine will be to keep the tank healthy.
Any filter of a tank is the singular, most important item on the tanks setup, and should be treated with the utmost care and respect, and although there are masses of BB in the filter ( or should be ) there are also many more BB on every surface of the tank, its decor, and inside the substrate.
If you have a correctly cycled tank and filter with a strong BB colony inside it, there should be no need at all for " Polishing Pads Etc ", as the BB should clarify the water, and this is where I believe slower filter flows are essential in giving the BB enough time to process the water correctly.
As for the Black pads, they could stay in the tank if you so wish, as the surface area of the sponge will hold a fair amount of BB, but always remember that it will be there as a holder for the BB, and not as a chemical filter.

 

[skar]

Let's not forget to mention the wonderful and reusable purigen !!!

 

[gypsy32]

I was just on eBay looking for fish food & other things when I came along PURIGEN I had never heard of it, it seems to be really good, skar mentioned it in the post above, it came in 200ml packs, it didn't say whether it was a liquid or solid, all I know is it went in the filter it was $19 (Australian).
So is it worth investing in this, the seller said it is excellent but you never know if this is true, there was also a product called zeolite, is this worth buying as well,

 

[toosie]

I was just on eBay looking for fish food & other things when I came along PURIGEN I had never heard of it, it seems to be really good, skar mentioned it in the post above, it came in 200ml packs, it didn't say whether it was a liquid or solid, all I know is it went in the filter it was $19 (Australian).
So is it worth investing in this, the seller said it is excellent but you never know if this is true, there was also a product called zeolite, is this worth buying as well,

I don't use either of these products because I like letting my beneficial bacteria take care of ammonia and nitrites. It's what they are there for, and why we work hard at cycling our tanks. I use water changes and plants to help with nitrates. Seachem says in the below link...

Purigen® controls ammonia, nitrites and nitrates by removing nitrogenous organic waste that would otherwise release these harmful compounds.

This to me says that beneficial bacteria will be lacking their food source.

https://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Purigen.html

Zeolite removes ammonia.

I don't like to use products that can interfere with the size of a beneficial bacteria colony. If for any reason these products become exhausted, in my opinion there may not be enough BB available at that point to take care of nitrogen spikes, so it can leave fish open to possible toxic levels of ammonia and/or nitrites before you become aware of the situation. A lot of people do use and like Purigen, but I don't look at it as a necessary part of a filtration system. I don't recommend zeolite except in rare emergency situations. It has a purpose, but not something I believe belongs as a full time resident in a filter.

 

[Chunk101]

toosie, I agree with you that purigen can compete with the BB for nitrogenous 'waste products'. But I think purigen also removes other organic waste that the BB doesn't use, like carbohydrates and lipids/fats.

Seachem and other manufacturers can be cryptic and ambiguous, you really have to read between the lines.
gypsy32, if you plan on buying the purigen, I know that 100ml comes in a bag, I don't know about the other sizes.

 

[Yorg]

HI gypsy32:

Purigen is a fine product, as are most made by Seachem. For most freshwater aquarium set-ups, though, it's probably not necessary. If you've cycled your tank correctly, practice good maintenance with regard to water changes and cleaning, and have a reasonably stocked tank, then you shouldn't need to run a chemical medium to remove ammonia/nitrite/nitrate.

Something like Purigen is probably of more value to folks with tricky or sensitive set-ups (perhaps discus breeders, certain reef set-ups, etc.). I'm kind of old-fashioned (and more than a little cheap, I guess), and my feeling is why use something if there's no obvious need for it?

-Yorg

I was just on eBay looking for fish food & other things when I came along PURIGEN I had never heard of it, it seems to be really good, @ mentioned it in the post above, it came in 200ml packs, it didn't say whether it was a liquid or solid, all I know is it went in the filter it was $19 (Australian).
So is it worth investing in this, the seller said it is excellent but you never know if this is true, there was also a product called zeolite, is this worth buying as well,

 

[Thai Aquarium owner]

" Purigen " will house BB, and some other media will house the colony well. However, IMO, the Purigen will reduce the water flow through the filter because it is more tightly packed together, and has a more closed structure.
The Ceramic Rings are specifically designed to allow a good flow of tank water through the filter due to the large bore in their shape, which allows oxygen to be carried to all parts of the filter.
Zeolite is only for a one hit use on the removal of Ammonia, and as such is not a true media, and needs to be removed again after use.
There will always be a large bone of contention over these kinds of issues ( This Media VS that Media, Etc ), But the one certain thing about all these different media, is that they are there in the Market Place to filter money from your wallet as their principle use.
I have worked on a K.I.S.S. principle( keep it simple straightforward ) for over 30 years now in keeping all kinds of fish, and have never even considered the use of some of the so called " wonder medias" in filtering my tanks.

 

[BlazeFlamer]

Ceramic noodles are most probably for the beneficial bacteria to grow as there is a larger surface area.

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Fish Lore Aquarium Fish Forum mobile app

 

[skar]

Purigen is awesome . I don't see it competing with bb, purigen removes Excess waste.
Improved water clarity and is reusable that's a win win.

 

[Thai Aquarium owner]

I may be missing something here, but surely if you " reuse" a media that houses your beneficial bacteria, where by you have to " clean " that media ( whether by chemical or another means ) then you will destroy, or weaken the BB colony housed within that media, and completely make a nonsense of the whole idea of the Neutrification Process which, as we all know, is essential to the health and well being of every living creature within a tank.
Therefore if " Purigen " ( or any other similar product ) is not used to house the BB colony, what is its use and function in any filter exactly?

 

[Jsigmo]

I've never ever seen activated carbon impart any color to the tank water. Quite the contrary, it usually removes any slight tinge of color, making the water extremely clear and neutral.

And this is over many many years of using it.

In water treatment, AC (activated carbon ) is frequently used to eliminate taste, odor, and color problems, and can be extremely effective.

So I have to think that when people have observed a color while using activated carbon, either the carbon was completely exhausted and the color was originating elsewhere, OR they got a batch of very poor or defective activated carbon.

Using "too much" (real and not exhausted) activated carbon will not give your water a yellow (or other color) tinge.

But that doesn't mean I think you need to use AC all of the time. But doing so can be helpful, and should not be harmful - other than, perhaps, taking up valuable space that could be used for something else (like more bio filter media).

If you can prove that your AC was causing the yellow color in the water, then I'd like to know what brand of AC it was so we can all avoid it!

More likely, the driftwood may be the source, and/or, you've been killing /eliminating your beneficial bacteria by washing the filter media too carefully and with chlorine-containing water.

I'm not saying that you need to keep your AC. I'm just saying that establishing and increasing your beneficial bacteria is the main thing to concentrate on at this point. I don't want you to think that getting rid of the AC will help, much less solve your problems.

 

[skar]

I may be missing something here, but surely if you " reuse" a media that houses your beneficial bacteria, where by you have to " clean " that media ( whether by chemical or another means ) then you will destroy, or weaken the BB colony housed within that media, and completely make a nonsense of the whole idea of the Neutrification Process which, as we all know, is essential to the health and well being of every living creature within a tank.
Therefore if " Purigen " ( or any other similar product ) is not used to house the BB colony, what is its use and function in any filter exactly?

I don't understand where you are coming from.. It's not taking bb away from your filtration. The bb will still be in the sponge filter and housing plus the ceramics or bb housing in your filter.
The purigen is added to filtration it's
not taking away anything.

 

[aylad]

The idea works like this:

Purigen removes ammonia from the water.
Bacteria "eat" ammonia.
Bacteria need a minimal level of ammonia to grow and multiply.
If a significant amount of ammonia is removed from the water, the bacteria won't grow (or will starve).
Therefore, a filter containing Purigen will never develop an adequate bacterial colony.

You think: who cares? The Purigen is removing the ammonia anyway, so who cares if the bacteria aren't there?

Then you miss regenerating the Purigen for a few days -- you know, life happens and you get busy, or you're sick, or you're on vacation, or you're snowed in at your in-laws' house -- and all of a sudden, you realize the importance of having a full-strength bacterial colony.

Or, maybe you think: hey, bacteria grows on Purigen anyway, right? Of course, the whole regeneration procedure involves pouring bleach over the media, so...

IMO, Purigen just isn't a good deal.

 

[Chunk101]

I think everyone here agrees that the biological filtration (bf) is the most important aspect of the filtration process.
And I don't think there's an argument that stands against the fact that purigen affects the bf system.

What's at issue is, how much of an effect does purigen have on the bf system. And I think the answer is, that it can depend on the system.

IMO, if you already have a strong bf system, (Edit: small amount of) purigen will not detract from that system too much. After all, BB doubles every 12 hours or so.

However, if you have a weak bf system, i.e a cycling tank, a tank with a small amount surface area, a tank with extremes in pH & temp, in these cases I could foresee issues arising with using purigen.

 

[gypsy32]

Hi,
A few days ago I removed the carbon from my filter, as advised, I also removed the black filter pad as well(not sure if I was suppose to) I have had my tank for 4 months now & for those 4 months my water has been quite a strong yellow colour, after only a few days without carbon the change has been amazing, the water is crystal clear, the fish seem more active & vibrant, I can't believe the difference,

I never though it was the carbon making my water yellow, I still have quite high alkaline levels but maybe that will improve as well, I also bought more of the ceramic rings & filled the filter basket to the brim,

I now know that there is no need to use carbon in the filter all the time, which is good as it can be pretty expensive,

I think I will leave the filter as it is now, as someone in a previous post said 'keep it simple' & as things have improved dramatically I don't want to push my luck,

One question, so could I just use the purigen if I get an ammonia spike just leave it as it is?

Thank you all for all your help with this topic, this forum is truelly fantastic, you can get advice from so many different people with many different experiences from all over the world, it has all been valuable & now that I know I can get good honest advise, this is where I will come to solve any future issues with my tank, as I'm sure there will be, there is so much to learn,

Thanks.

 

[toosie]

Hi,
A few days ago I removed the carbon from my filter, as advised, I also removed the black filter pad as well(not sure if I was suppose to) I have had my tank for 4 months now & for those 4 months my water has been quite a strong yellow colour, after only a few days without carbon the change has been amazing, the water is crystal clear, the fish seem more active & vibrant, I can't believe the difference,

I never though it was the carbon making my water yellow, I still have quite high alkaline levels but maybe that will improve as well, I also bought more of the ceramic rings & filled the filter basket to the brim,

I now know that there is no need to use carbon in the filter all the time, which is good as it can be pretty expensive,

I'd have to say this isn't a very common observation, because as Jsigmo says, carbon usually helps remove discolorations from the water. I won't argue with your observations though, because sometimes strange things happen. I'm just happy to hear your tank is looking better for you.

I think I will leave the filter as it is now, as someone in a previous post said 'keep it simple' & as things have improved dramatically I don't want to push my luck,

One question, so could I just use the purigen if I get an ammonia spike just leave it as it is?

Thank you all for all your help with this topic, this forum is truelly fantastic, you can get advice from so many different people with many different experiences from all over the world, it has all been valuable & now that I know I can get good honest advise, this is where I will come to solve any future issues with my tank, as I'm sure there will be, there is so much to learn,

Thanks.

If your tank is cycled and you increase stock slowly when/if you do, and are careful not to severely over stock the tank creating too much burden on the filtration system, remove dead fish, and don't over clean your filter, an ammonia spike is very unlikely to happen. If you do catch a spike, a water change and Seachem Prime is often all it takes to remedy the situation. Most spikes if they do occur, usually have a very short duration, unless it's caused by some of the things I've mentioned.

As shown by the above posts, the use of products like purigen is a debatable topic. Ultimately which side of the coin you land on, is up to you.

I'm glad you're enjoying the forum. Welcome aboard!

 

[Thai Aquarium owner]

I am glad that things are starting to work out with the filter.
+1 advice from Toosie Re - water change and Prime for any Ammonia spike ( that should not happen )

 

[skar]

I think everyone here agrees that the biological filtration (bf) is the most important aspect of the filtration process.
And I don't think there's an argument that stands against the fact that purigen affects the bf system.

What's at issue is, how much of an effect does purigen have on the bf system. And I think the answer is, that it can depend on the system.

IMO, if you already have a strong bf system, (Edit: small amount of) purigen will not detract from that system too much. After all, BB doubles every 12 hours or so.

However, if you have a weak bf system, i.e a cycling tank, a tank with a small amount surface area, a tank with extremes in pH & temp, in these cases I could foresee issues arising with using purigen.

Agreed. .. You don't need purigen in a new tank. Imo it's irreplaceable awesome stuff.

 

[Jsigmo]

Hi,
A few days ago I removed the carbon from my filter, as advised, I also removed the black filter pad as well(not sure if I was suppose to) I have had my tank for 4 months now & for those 4 months my water has been quite a strong yellow colour, after only a few days without carbon the change has been amazing, the water is crystal clear, the fish seem more active & vibrant, I can't believe the difference.

That's great! I'm surprised (but glad) that removing your carbon appears to have made such a difference. I'd like to know what brand of carbon and the brand of the black carbon-impregnated pad you were using.

I have a 29 gal with two HOB filters both rated for 30 gallons. They were using active carbon for 4 years and the water was always yellow or just never clear. I stopped using the active carbon and put a bunch of ceramic rings in the filter boxes where the active carbon use to be. The water has never been more stable and clear than before.

Again, this is pretty odd. I wonder if the real reason for the improvement is the increased bio-surface due to the ceramic rings. Activated carbon should remove color, not add it!


I also would like to know if, maybe, people are getting some brand of very poor activated carbon that is not only not doing its job, but is also leaching some kind of stain into the tanks. It's just completely counter to my experience with activated carbon used in aquariums and in drinking water treatment systems.

 

[gypsy32]

Yeah I never though that the carbon could turn the water yellow but when Spencer1044 said his? water was yellow but cleared up after removing the carbon, I did wonder if that was why my water was yellow & like Spencer I removed the carbon( just as everyone here suggested & filled the filter basket full of more ceramic rings & in just 3 days the water is crystal clear.

Not sure of the brand of black filter pad, might be aqua one
The brand of activated carbon I was using is the 'show master' brand, it says its made in Australia(which is where I live)& it says on the pack 'assists in keeping water crystal clear' but that's not true or like was said above maybe the clear water is due to the extra ceramic noodles that I added, I really can't believe the difference,

But now I know how important the filter & its contents are & I definitely won't be scrubbing the ceramic rings with a nail brush again.

Thanks for all your advice, its appreciated, I'm only just starting out, there is definitely more involved in keeping a fish tank than I ever thought but it is really rewarding when you see all the fish happy, healthy & excited to see me at dinner time

 

[Thai Aquarium owner]

The addition of the Ceramic Rings will rapidly clarify the water, as they are very fast in attracting and growing BB - Its what they are designed to do.
I, personally have never experienced water that dis-colours when using Activated Carbon, in over 30 years of keeping fish.
But Hey ! I have only used it twice. Once when I first started keeping fish ( then my mentor put me straight ) and again about 15 years ago, when I treated a tank for Ich.
Many, many people believe that the introduction of this " wonder media " or that " Polishing Pad " will clarify the water.
They don,t ! - the water clarity is down to the BB doing their job correctly, and by useing some additional medias, the BB may actually be being starved of the correct amount of neutriants to perform well.