# activated carbon



## leedsrhinojohn (27 Jun 2018)

im looking to use activated carbon as I have to remove some medication and also some tannins, Ive been looking online and there is so many different brands which all claim to be the best so im looking for experience, not marketing ploy as to which brand is best or are they all the same?


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## kadoxu (27 Jun 2018)

Not sure if carbon removes tannins... you'd surely be better off with some Purigen instead. As for removing medication, I've never used activated carbon, so can't help much, but if it was me I'd probably go for Seachem.

I believe activated carbon is all about surface area, so if in doubt try to choose one with smaller grains.


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## Andrew Butler (27 Jun 2018)

RowaCarbon is a quality product and value for money in my opinion.

Activated carbon does remove tannins but so does Purigen; which does a better job I wouldn't like to say.
I still use Carbon - why I'm not entirely sure!

I think a few water good changes is a better approach to removing medication no matter what else you decide to use.


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## zozo (27 Jun 2018)




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## ceg4048 (27 Jun 2018)

leedsrhinojohn said:


> im looking to use activated carbon as I have to remove some medication and also some tannins, Ive been looking online and there is so many different brands which all claim to be the best so im looking for experience, not marketing ploy as to which brand is best or are they all the same?


Get any brand name Activated Carbon that you can afford. They are pretty much all the same. They start with the same material (charcoal) and are processed the same way (either sintered in an oven at 750 deg.F or processed by acid wash).

As long as the package state "activated carbon" and NOT "charcoal" then it is fine. Activated carbon removes foul odors, tannins and other substances as described in https://ukaps.org/forum/threads/does-carbon-remove-trace-elements.6980/#post-77856

Activated carbon is also one of the better filter media. It is higher in total surface area per gram of material (over 5000 square feet) than many materials sold as filter media.

Cheers,


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## peaches (27 Jun 2018)

I preferred the granular type carbon to the carbon sponges.  It is fairly cheap at most fish shops.  I am not an expert, like the gentleman above, but I was told to not leave it in place too long if you have put it in to adsorb (note the D) a medication.  If you were to leave it in place a long time, the stuff it adsorbed would leach back in to the water.


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## PARAGUAY (28 Jun 2018)

I always change it before the said replacement date.


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## zozo (28 Jun 2018)

JBL has 2 types to choose from, the Carbomec Ultra, the standard cilindrical pellet.. And the Carbomec Active, a smaller chip, obviously giving you much more surface area than the ultra type. 

https://www.jbl.de/en/products/detail/2420/jbl-carbomec-activ

https://www.jbl.de/en/products/detail/2421/jbl-carbomec-ultra

I've used the Active in the past, but never the Ultra.. So i can't say if they realy would give different results..


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## Andrew Butler (28 Jun 2018)

A quote about RowaCarbon:

"RowaCarbon is an unusually high-performance activated carbon based on the finest quality hard coal and contains extremely low levels of Phosphate.
Within the aquarium activated carbon will remove toxins and yellowing from the water which will improve the health of your livestock and improve the penetration of light leaving your aquarium crystal clear.
Many low cost carbon products on the market place are washed in phosphoric acid as a final stage of their preparation and can release high levels of Phosphate into the water. RowaCarbon contains extremely low levels of Phosphate.
Problems with algae are often caused by the release of phosphate from activated carbon with high POI (Phosphate Output Index) levels - often as high as 14.0, which inhibits lime synthesis in coralline algae, corals and other organisms that deposit lime.
RowaCarbon is distinguished by its exceptionally low POI level of only 1.3 which is considerably below detection levels of phosphate test kits available to the hobbyist"


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## leedsrhinojohn (28 Jun 2018)

Thanks guys


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## ceg4048 (28 Jun 2018)

peaches said:


> If you were to leave it in place a long time, the stuff it adsorbed would leach back in to the water.


This is not really true at all. This is a boogie man story programmed into our psyche in order to frighten us so that we will continue to remove and buy more product.

The fact of the matter is that there is no physical or chemical reason for the substances that were adsorbed by the carbon to suddenly release their hold.
The only reason to remove the carbon is that the surface becomes filled with adsorbed substances and therefore the carbon can no longer adsorb any more.
If the water still contains toxins, tannins and other pollutants, after a few weeks, then yes, of course, remove the carbon and replace it with a fresh batch in order to continue the cleanup.

The misunderstanding about leaching originates from the fact that some companies choose the acid wash method of activating the charcoal. The acid used is typically phosphoric acid and zinc, so carbon activated in this way may later leach phosphate residues into the water column. This is not a big deal for freshwater tanks but is a consideration in saltwater tanks.



Andrew Butler said:


> Problems with algae are often caused by the release of phosphate from activated carbon with high POI (Phosphate Output Index) levels - often as high as 14.0, which inhibits lime synthesis in coralline algae, corals and other organisms that deposit lime.


Again, this refers to marine tanks but in planted tanks this is a good thing. Phosphate does not cause algae. Lack of Phosphate causes algae.



PARAGUAY said:


> I always change it before the said replacement date.


Leaving your carbon in place  converts the pellets from a chemical filter media to a biological filter media and is a more effective bio filter media than 90% of products sold as bio-media.

People really need to get over the carbon paranoia. Activated Carbon does 100 times more good things than bad things.
If you are really scared of carbon then just do more frequent large water changes - which accomplishes exactly the same thing as Activated  Carbon or Purigen - or of any chemical media.

Cheers,


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## leedsrhinojohn (28 Jun 2018)

Thanks for clearing things up Clive


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## peaches (28 Jun 2018)

Its funny how things change in this hobby isnt it?

That makes it easier because I am likely to forget to remove it.


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## PARAGUAY (29 Jun 2018)

The history of activated carbon can be confusing to anyone new to it. Years ago it was used as a necessatity rather than an aid, the "aged water" theory and few water changes, it was the best knowledge at that time. Now we understand the need for biological filtration and WC more. So the choice of use of it for removing organics tannins and medications is the most common many uses.I use it for clear polished water so its the last thing in the filter, replaced regularly with regular WCs. It wont remove ammonia,nitrite or nitrate.Handy to keep some extra under cabinet in case of mediction removal. I agree about the purchase of branded name .One or two retailers sell it in clear plastic bags so you would have no idea what your buying


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## Authur11 (26 Oct 2021)

Tannins cause the brownish or yellowish tint of aquarium water.  So you should know how to remove tannins from aquarium water: Activated charcoal can be used. It helps to remove the yellowish to brownish color in the aquarium and restore the pH level of the water. Alternatively, Seachem products such as Purigen and Renew can be used to counteract the discolouration effects of tannins.


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