Activated carbon question - sump related

I'm planning on building an above the tank sump got plans and this seems to be the best option for my smallish 72l tank. I have read many different opinions on carbon therefore I'm bringing the question here. I have a power head that will pull water through a sponge for mechanical filtration and then has a compartment for carbon then spraying the water back into the tank this is where I'm going to get the water to the sump I need to know if the carbon will kill or destroy the bacteria that I'm going to attempt to grow in the biomedia and must I then move the carbon to the last stage or can I leave it where it is or just remove it all together from the system. It has been keeping the water nice and clear. Thanks

 

Hmmm snyper... before you attempt a sump ABOVE the tank, please make sure that the design is going to work.

In principle it can work, if the pipes are all set at the right height. The problem with a sump above the tank is that is there is a power failure, both the inlet (through the pump) and the overflow pipe back into the tank could back syphon into the tank, and flood your floor. Basically you would be setting up the sump in reverse to having a sump at the bottom, so you would need to take the necessary precautions.

I do not believe in leaving Activated Charcoal in the tank all the time. Over time it stops working, and actually at this point, start releasing the stuff that it was taking out back into the tank.

Charcoal should only really be used when necessary... i.e to take medication out the tank after completing the course of meds. Some fertilizers are rendered useless with Charcoal in... so the con's of leaving it in permanently outway the pro's.

If your tank is well balanced, light to ferts to CO2 (if adding) you shouldn't have to use any special chemical filtration to clean the water. You should be running a maintenance plan.. i.e water changes on day 7, and if everything is going perfectly, you wll only notice algae on day 6 or 7. (That is if you have a very well balanced system).

That's my 2c

 

Zoom activated carbon wont release anything back into the water. It will just get "full" and then it becomes an expensive bio media.

 

i'm not too certain of that george, have you introduced yourself???

as far as i know, zeolite's don't release back into water, activated carbon and charcoal do...

 

I have made sure that all the pipes etc will be at the right height its a lot easier imo doing the above the tank sump and making sure that the tank won't flood when there is a power cut as I mentioned the tank is small and I just need some biofiltration.

 

JesseG, i promise you that it doesnt, do some research. It is one of those silly fish keeping myths, and why is everybody on this site so obsessed about introductions!?

and you should in the first place never use charcoal in a tank.

 

I tend to disagree with you George. I've read more "rumours" (as you may call it) on charcoal releasing back into the water than not. Even one of the charcoal's I've bought in the past says on the box that after 6-8 weeks it will start leeching back.

We not obssessed with introductions either... we just think that it is common courtesy to introduce yourself. You don't walk into a friends house party and start commenting on other people's conversations do you? Else you'd be regarded as rude, arrogant, and a know it all.... Same applies to an online forum bud. Just because it's "impersonal" doesn't mean we not dealing with people.

 

actually i already know most of the friends whose homes i would walk into so the answer would be yes i do.

Do yourself a favour and google: "does carbon release anything it absorbed aquarium" read the first two links you get, then post here again.

 

i'm pretty sure Zoom meant people you don't know, i'm sure everyone would expect you to know the person whose house you are entering, either way George, i use charcoal, carbon and Zeloites...i haven't had a problem...and also george, we don't know what you keep, where you are from, how many tanks you have etc., so you can understand why i wouldn't use take your advice!

could someone kindly explain why is everyone against charcoal?

 

Well said!! +1

I'm not against it... don't get me wrong. I use it in my tank... BUT if it is used for it's intended purpose, and replaced every 6 to 8 weeks, then fine use it. I've read too many places, including on the packaging that Charcoal releases back into the water after being depleated. I've read it all over the place... and even if it is just a fish myth... I'm not going to put it to the test myself.

My opinion regardiing charcoal is that it is used to take stuff OUT the water when needed. Why would I then want to leave it in the tank and waste it when I don't have anything to take out?? I may as well just crumple up my hard earned money and feed it to the fish.

 

cool thanks mate...but its not expensive, i get a bottle of activated charcoal between R6-R8...and that bottle will last me about 3 months...but like i said, i use all the stuff, i also have two sponges in that same filter...i just want my water crystal clear at ALL times...i'm sure everyone does, but this way works for me, so why change something that works...

 

If you are replacing it periodically JesseG, and it works for you, then that's great. I have absolutely no problem with people who do use it all the time.

I personally do not use it all the time. I have actually started putting blackwater extract (I think that's what it's called) into my angel breeding tank, and slowly starting to think of putting it into my display tank too. I think the blackwater looks pretty good, and very natural... the fish seem to be a little at ease in it too. The only drawback is that it does make the lights less effective on the plants, hence I am only CONSIDERING using it on the display tank at this stage. I might still go ahead with it, but not dose as heavy as the other tank.

This might shock all of you.. but I'm also not against algae in my tank... Yes when it blooms and takes over, I get worried because then I know something is wrong. But a little bit of algae on the rocks makes it look a lot more natural to me than a bleeched clean, scrubbed new rock!

But we all have different tastes, and each one to their own.

 

what exactly does the black water extract do? never heard of it...

 

It turned the water a dark tea stained colour. It's more natural for the South American type fish (I believe) as the Amozon river is not clear. It also softens the water a bit. I've also read that it is beneficial to the fish.

It also stops algae blooms because it obviously stops the light from penetrating... depending on how dark you make it.

Some of the more skittish fish feel more comfortable in it because they feel less exposed.

 

Telling people Activated Carbon will leach back substances it adsorded is like telling someone to use an under gravel filter.

 

I agree with you Zoom a little bit of Algae and a yellowie tint in the water gives your tank a very natural look, I have the same "taste" there but as soon as it get to yellow and to much algae then it becomes a problem and as you say the fish look more peaceful in the tank when it looks like that than in a tank that is spotless.
this is my opinion anyway.

 

George - if you do a tad of research you will see that AC will leach back into the tank once it becomes saturated. AC is great for use over a 48 to 72 hour period to remove stuff like medication or tannins but it must be taken out after 72 hours.

 

Henk, sorry but you are wrong, it will maybe leach something if it is left to completly dissolve back into the the water, that i would agree with, otherwise no.

 

No - it leaches rather quickly. There was a discussion before you joined with the Prof and he explained things. i suggest you go search of that thread. maybe a man with a phd will be able to convice you that you dont know everything

 

haha, so a person with a phd knows everything about everything ? But ok, i will search, and ofcourse this is not aimed at the prof specifically, just people with phd`s i am sure the prof knows what he is talking about from what i have seen.