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Does the charcoal in my filter take the fertiliser out?
Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 2:59 pm
by Arny
Hey guys
Does the charcoal in my filter take the fertiliser out of the water?
I want to dose my tank with plant fertiliser but dont want to waist my money if the charcoal in my filter is removing it from the water. If it does ill just remove the charcoal from the filter.
Thx
Re: Does the charcoal in my filter take the fertiliser out?
Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 4:42 pm
by Pufferpunk
No but you don't need charcoal in a FW tank anyway.
Re: Does the charcoal in my filter take the fertiliser out?
Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2014 8:17 am
by RTR
+1 to Pufferpunk's comments. GAC is a lot more expensive than water. Give up GAC and do routine water partials. Thsat is cheaper and broader-spectrum.
Re: Does the charcoal in my filter take the fertiliser out?
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 5:11 pm
by Arny
I dont normally use charcoal in my filters and will carry on not adding it to them. Thx guys for clearing that up for me
Re: Does the charcoal in my filter take the fertiliser out?
Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 6:11 pm
by Arny
Sorry just another q guys.
Im worried that the plants I buy may have been treated with copper based treatments. Would carbon in my filter take the copper out of the water?
Thx again
Re: Does the charcoal in my filter take the fertiliser out?
Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2014 8:35 pm
by bertie 83
I believe it would, a good soak and rinse is all I have ever done and only ever lost shrimp to puffer mouths lol
Re: Does the charcoal in my filter take the fertiliser out?
Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2014 8:51 am
by RTR
I get most of my plants from other hobbyists, and they do not use copper treatments.
I have no knowledge of the aquatic plant industries in the UK, but in this country most aquatics are commercially grown emerse - not under water but with mist/fog and only the pots in water w/nutrients. When you bring the plants home you remove the pots and the inert rooting medium, rinse/soak the bare plantlets and then rinse again and plant in your tank substrate. That should remove any gross copper if such was used in the production greenhouses.
Are you aware that shrimp, like fish and people, do have a requirement for copper? Too much is certainly toxic, but traces are absolutely required for most animal life forms.