# Carbon Filtration



## Magdelaine (Apr 9, 2005)

I have read on this forum and elsewhere that you shouldn't do carbon filtration if you want to grow plants. Is this true? I have a whisper filter and it's fairly easy to just remove the carbon and just use the bio-bag. Does anyone like to grow plants AND uses carbon filtration?


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Carbon removes the trace elements plants need to grow. Remove it.


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## rohape (Jan 31, 2005)

what would you suggest using instead of carbon that will still remove the junk chemicals produced in your tank? i would really like to know, im getting a new canister filter for mine, must get accessories.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

There should be any need for chemical filtration. THe end result of a cycled tank is NO3 (nitrAte). Your plants will hungrily gobble this up assuming your other nutrients are there (other Macros, micros, trace elements and CO2). If medding your tank, the carbon will be needed to remove any excess once treatment is over. I use filterfloss and only filter floss on my HOB bio-wheels. My AC HOB filters have added bio-media in them. You could add bio balls instead of charcoal or even more floss. Beware that more floss will reduce your water flow.


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## rohape (Jan 31, 2005)

i have a pretty heavily planted tank, i still run just a HOB TetraTec filter. I am getting a Fluval 304 (i have a 55 gal tank). is any certain type you would recommend? i also noticed that there is this peat floss. since im starting this canister, im seeing tons more options open up, and would like to do the best for my tank and plants. As far as CO2 goes, i have 2, one on each side, Hagen CO2 canisters. the CO2 tanks are really not an option. i need to do more research on the balance of light, nutrients, and CO2 seeing as i added a jbj light system with 2 10,000 kelvin bulbs. been running that and my plants love it, but the algae love it more, and i have been misguided (in reading other forums) that reduce the plant fertilizer and light and the algae goes away. NEGATIVE, its horrific. Thanks for such a quick reply. i will be visiting APC a little more often than usual now.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

The only way to keep algae at bay (as you can never totally remove it) is to balance lighting, ferts, and CO2. Fluval makes a good cannister (though it lacks a spray bar but one can be made DIY relatively easy); Enheim cannisters while more expensive are quieter and you can put your co2 line directly into the uptake for a powered reactor. Not possible on the fluvals (to my knowledge). Either filter is great and you can't go wrong with either.


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## rohape (Jan 31, 2005)

thanks for the help! like i said, im diving into the forums on APC. on the Eheim filters, are you talking about the ridiculously expensive ones, or do they all integrate that feature of adding the CO2 on the uptake hose? i have been looking at the descriptions for their filters, the only one i see that mentions anything about CO2 exchange is their wet-dry canister filter.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

All of their cannister filters work great as reactors. Not what they were designed for but they work nevertheless. Just stick your co2 line into the intake valve and there you go.


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## rohape (Jan 31, 2005)

thanks for the help again. sorry Magdelaine, didn't mean to take over your post.


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## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

I've always used carbon filters with my live plants, and I've had them all growing happily...the only reason I had to get rid of some of my plants and switch them out was because they were getting too big for the tank. I had overdone my planting a bit and there wasn't enough water/tank space to accomodate them all. My friends all reccommended a product called plant-gro that they use in their tanks, and it will compensate for the nutrient loss carbon could cause. However, even when I didn't use this, my plants were still fine. Some of my friends have had their fish 3 and 4 years, so it doesn't seem harmful to them either.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

What plants are you keeping?


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## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

Just Rotala Indica  and Egeria Najans....don't know the common names. They're all on this site: 

http://www.aquabotanic.com/abstore/index.html

Seem to be growing roots to china. I needed to pull one up to get some food out of the underlayer of my gravel and it nearly took the plastic base up with it. I bought them to deal with algae, and they're growing like crazy...with the carbon filter.

Edit: click aquarium plants at the left, then stem/bunch plants at the bottom of what comes up after that.


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## buddah101 (Mar 20, 2005)

Here ia a good link for canister filters & they are cheap too>>www.bigalsonline.com
Also just get an Aqua Clear powerhead and run the CO2 into the air inductor...Real easy
Look on the top of this one, see the air filter/ inlet?
powerhead


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