Using carbon in hang on back filters

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Jakec96

Jakec96

Exodon
MFK Member
May 8, 2016
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New Jersey
I haven't changed the carbon in my HOB filters in a very long time. I usually just rinse them out every once in a while to just clean the waste out. The carbon is probably doing nothing because its probably inactive by now. My fish are doing just fine and looking and feeling great so I was starting to wonder is carbon really necessary? Or am I doing something horrible to my fish by not changing it? What do you guys think because I obviously don't want to harm my fish in any way and I want them as healthy as possible.
 
It is not necessary, in fact carbon is unnecessary for a healthy fish tank. I don't use it at all. The carbon becomes inactive overtime... but it still provides surface area for good bacteria to colonize.
 
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ECW said:
It is not necessary, in fact carbon is unnecessary for a healthy fish tank. I don't use it at all. The carbon becomes inactive overtime... but it still provides surface area for good bacteria to colonize.
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That's pretty much all I've been keeping it in there for lol thanx for the quick response
 
It would be better to replace it with bio media. I replaced the carbon in my AC 110 with floss.

Frequent water changes replace the need for carbon, some people just use it to remove meds or on snakehead tanks given their sensitivity to large water changes
 
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Hendre said:
It would be better to replace it with bio media. I replaced the carbon in my AC 110 with floss.

Frequent water changes replace the need for carbon, some people just use it to remove meds or on snakehead tanks given their sensitivity to large water changes
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I do a 35 to 50 percent water changes every week to all of my tanks so I think I'm good with that so I think I'll do just that and replace the carbon with some bio media
 
Jakec96 said:
I do a 35 to 50 percent water changes every week to all of my tanks so I think I'm good with that so I think I'll do just that and replace the carbon with some bio media
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Good idea. What fish do you keep?
 
Hendre said:
Good idea. What fish do you keep?
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I have a 55 gallon mbuna set up with yellow labs, cobalt blues, red zebras, yellow tail acei, chailosi, and 1 butterfly pleco. Another one is a 90 gallon with a green terror, Jack Dempsey, turquoise jewel, tilapia buttikoferri, and 3 butterfly plecos. The next one is a 36 gallon that I keep fry in from the mbunas I'm looking to sell them when I grow them out to a nice size. Next one is another 55 gallon which doesn't have fish yet it's still cycling but It will be a demisoni tank. Then a 10 gallon hospital and another 55 gallon which I didn't set up yet not sure what I'm guna stock it with yet and I have more tanks on the way but I'm running out of places to put them lol
 
Cool stuff! Thats a lot more than i keep :p
 
Jakec96 said:
I just can't get enough tanks lol my parents are going crazy from them lol

What do you keep?
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I am driving my parents crazy as well. I have a 5 gal betta tank, a cracked 15 gal I got for free that I plan on breeding kribensis in. And then my 70 with 2 African knives, featherfin cat and pink tail chalceus.
I need to redo and decorate my 70, as well as drop the pink tail and get more knives, hopefully
 
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