In fact, if you have a water filter for your drinking water, chances are it contains Granular Activated Carbon made from Bituminous coal. Well, this activated carbon has a superior pore structure for removing pollutants from water and is specifically designed for water treatment. Why do you want this type of activated carbon over the others? So, to clarify, when shopping for activated carbon for your aquarium filter, you want Granular Activated Carbon made from Bituminous coal. In aquariums, you want to use an activated carbon made from Bituminous coal. In aquariums, you want to use Granular Activated Carbon.Īctivated carbon can also be made from a variety of different ingredients, including: The most common shapes of activated carbon include: I would also like to add that if you don’t keep your tank clean and perform regular maintenance, all the carbon in the world is not going to save your tank! What are the different types of activated carbon, and which is right for you?īe mindful that activated carbon comes in a wide variety of shapes, depending on how it is manufactured. Once the pores on your activated carbon are full of trapped pollutants, it’s only suitable for the trash. I have heard so many stories about how you can put activated charcoal in your oven to restore it to as good as new… Don’t waste your time! If your water source contains these, use a water conditioner before adding the water to your aquarium.Īnd of course, you cannot “recharge” or “reactivate” activated carbon. Water changes and other methods must be used to remove these toxins.Īctivated carbon also won’t remove heavy metals, such as iron. … You know, all the stuff involved in the nitrogen cycle. I hate to break it to you, but it isn’t true.Īctivated carbon cannot remove the following: What can’t activated carbon do?Īctivated carbon is often praised as this miracle product that will save your tank from any problems that may occur. So, don’t worry if you forget to remove the carbon from your filter – it won’t harm your aquarium. While it is technically possible for activated carbon to release the pollutants, this would require some changes to the water chemistry that simple will not occur in your aquarium. Oh, and don’t worry – activated carbon won’t leach any of the pollutants back into your water once it is full. If you install the activated carbon before the mechanical filter, it will soon become clogged by the larger debris. To ensure the activated carbon in your filter lasts as long as possible, it should be placed after your mechanical filter. For a well-maintained aquarium, many fish keepers replace the activated carbon in their filter once each month. The dirtier the water, the sooner you need to replace it. Well, that answer entirely depends on how dirty your water is. Fortunately, activated carbon is cheap and replacing it can be done in seconds. I often do it during my regular maintenance routine. You should know that once the pores in the activated carbon fill up, it can no longer trap any more of these pollutants from your aquarium.īecause of this, you need to replace the activated carbon in your filter. Those that don’t have made room for you to add it yourself, if you choose. You should already be using a good water conditioner for freshwater tanks or reverse osmosis (RO) water for saltwater tanks to remove chlorine or chloramines during water changes.īut where activated carbon really shines is clearing up your water and removing bad smells from your aquarium.Īctivated carbon is so popular that most modern filters actually ship with a carbon filter already installed. In aquariums, activated carbon is commonly used to remove… To put it very simply, these pores trap pollutants, making activated carbon excel as a chemical filter media. That’s why you might hear it referred to as activated charcoal.īut what makes it so special is the way it has been treated…Įach piece of charcoal has been specifically manufactured so that it contains hundreds of tiny pores. What is activated carbon, and what does it do?Īctivated carbon is essentially charcoal. Bonus Product: Zeolite and Activated Carbon Blend.Which is the best activated carbon for your filter?.What are the different types of activated carbon, and which is right for you?.What is activated carbon, and what does it do?.
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