aquatic filter question

silkyuk9

I have an aquatic filter running. It has 2 compartments for filter sponges, one side is for a white sponge and the other for a black carbon filter.

Do I use both for general use?

teddysmum

I believe so.


I am running an old sponge only Fluval, but when this temporarily had a problem (suspect gunging up by a certain brand of fish food), a bought one which took sponges and had a charcoal box which need not be filled. However, the handbook said that the used charcoal must be replaced (after a couple of months?), as leaving it in could cause water problems, so I would have run it with the charcoal left out.

Misty_Blue

I would remove the carbon and replace it with a normal filter sponge. Carbon provides chemical filtration (and a degree of biological filtration as the sponge will be colonised by bacteria while being run in the filter).

As above, if you use carbon then you need to replace it regularly because it will become saturated and can eventually start to leach any removed chemicals back into the tank water. Unless you have a specific problem in the tank that makes it necessary to run carbon (over dosed with medication, you're decorating and worried about paint fumes...etc.) then much better to just use standard filter material that you don't have to replace every few weeks.