Application of activated carbon in aquarium

Activated carbon (AC) is a kind of charcoal material used in aquariums to remove chemicals from water. It is usually provided in the form of a black sponge or small black beads and is used in filters to remove certain chemicals from the water. Activated carbon carbon is made from two kinds of coal, wood or nut shell (coconut, etc.). Only coal or charcoal is used in the aquarium. coconut activated carbon  is used to clean chemicals in gases. The sponge or particles are usually placed in the final stage of the filter, and the manufacturer recommends replacement after 2-4 weeks.

Buying activated carbon for water treatment can remove some odorous organic gases from water, such as hydrogen sulfide, absorb chlorine from water, or, if the tap water contains chloramines, chlorine can be removed and ammonia left behind. Small amounts of chelated copper, mercury and iron can also be removed, which may be of limited use. It used to be very popular in the 1980s, but in the 21st century people have a better understanding of its use, and now people are constantly questioning the benefits of its continuous use. Beginners may overuse it because by default, manufacturers usually provide it with new filters and aquariums, and often advise users to replace them once a month. If the tank is new and the tap water has been pretreated with water conditioner, then this may be an unnecessary monthly expense. Since carbon adsorbs organic chemicals on its surface, good rinsing and "grinding" treatments should refresh batches longer than the manufacturer wants.

The quality of activated carbon varies greatly. There are cheap and expensive products on sale, both of which claim to work wonders. But some studies have shown that, in fact, 90% adsorption of carbon in a good flow actually occurs within the first 48 hours, and can be removed after 100 hours (4 days). High quality carbon can effectively remove pollutants from aquarium water for up to four weeks. Activated carbon doesn't leak chemicals back, no matter how long you leave them in the water. All forms of activated carbon leak large amounts of phosphate. The difference between different products depends on the quantity. This may help the growth of algae in your tank. Of course, carbon foam will quickly become the location of your nitrifying bacteria filter. In a new tank in the middle of the nitrogen cycle, carbon should never be removed for at least 40 days to ensure that the cycle is fully established.

Once the activated carbon has adsorbed chemical substances, it should be discarded. The activated carbon can be heated to 200 ° C for 30 minutes. But this only destroys the organic elements it absorbs. Any metal will still exist. Service life can be extended by thorough cleaning (only in water) and physical grinding. This removes the growing bacterial colonies and prevents water from contacting the carbon and opens up new surfaces on the carbon particles. The mass of carbon is proportional to the surface area exposed to water flow. Higher quality carbon has smaller structure. It is possible to crush lower quality carbon particles to produce larger surface areas. The resulting debris should be thoroughly cleaned to remove carbon dust that may blow into the water tank.