How often should you....

[jgoal55]

change your carbon?

thanks.

 

[dakota9]

If my tank is healthy, I go a month or so before changing it....


Oh, guess now is as good a time as any to fess up, but not sure you're supposed to do this, but I bleach my carbon and reuse it.

 

[jgoal55]

ok good...thats about how much ive been changing and I am pretty sure I overdose my carbon too.....the jug i use doesnt have instructions so I just fill up the the media bag about 3/4 of the way but i also am not sure what size media bag it is.....(its the bigger size that sammy sells).

Dakota, Im too lazy to do that kind of stuff....but from what Ive heard it can be doen with quite a few medias....I have never heard it done with carbon though?????

 

[glxtrix]

bleach carbon??? Interesting. cant say I've heard of that. I thought once carbon was exhausted thats that for it. Hmmm.

 

[cameron]

I think glxtrix is correct. You can reactivate Purigen this way, but I think carbon can't be reactivated as it looses its surface area absorbing crap but I have been wrong before.

 

[glxtrix]

if anything it might be hurting the tank....doesnt carbon leach phosphates back into the tank if left in too long? Or am I wrong saying that? I'd imagine if bleached there is no active anything to it anymore and its just mainly acting as a nitrate house...kinda like those ceramic rings you use in FW tanks. Just my thoughts tho.

 

[dakota]

Two weeks, but I run it 50/50 with Seachem Renew.

3 Tbs. of each for a lightly stocked 30.