So I have just learned from this site that carbon in the filter is not necessary unless you have medicated the tank. So I'm willing to remove it but since the aquaclear is a 3 stage HOB foam/carbon/bio, should I lust leave the filter with an empty space in the top or do a foam/foam/bio thing or foam/bio/bio?
Lastly, right now my water is clouded up because of one of the two things that happened in the same day. I bought a nice piece of driftwood that I didn't soak for long enough I don't think (too big to boil) and later after adding it to the tank the older of my two filters (cheap old aquatech) died and released some brown gunk into the water. I quickly netted the large chunks out but afterwards the water went cloudy brownish and smelly. A month later and the smell has pretty much gone as with the color but the cloudiness is still clearing up. should I leave the carbon in until the water is pristine again (I do change my carbon every month on the day) or remove it now?
Thank you in advance.

I would remove it, Carbon as you said has no use unless your medicating the tank... And I would do a foam, bio, bio thing! LOL

Thanks, and such a fast response. I love this site!

i would agree with nickie, remove it and keep for future use. you may opt
to use synthetic fiber being used in quilt or a foam as your additional
media. it will catch and collect dust particles in water and could also
host beneficial bacteria in it.

remove the carbon and put bio media in instead

The colouring in your tank is from the wood. Water changes and time will eventually remove the colour but it could take many months

Wahhh!!! Went to the LFS and was buying more bio and they asked me why I was removing the carbon they looked at me like I was the stupidest person they ever seen. God I hate that store! Always have but it's closer then my favorite one so I go in sometimes. In the end tho they said "so your filter is going to be strictly biological then, you know this, right? Well I guess it could work... all our tanks filters are like that here." What the heck!?!? Was the conversation really worth their time? Anyway, just venting. Thank you for the info.

to be honest, carbon filter has its purpose but requires regular changes
after reaching their maximum useful life. it also means steady flow of lfs'
revenues. since we could survive with out it, so why spend for something
that we can do without. plus the fact that most people in the field, except the
one that sells the product, believe that if you forgot to replace it after
long use, it will leach back the toxin to the tank.

so welcome to this carbonless world of fish keeping.

delboybully wrote:



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PAUL wrote:


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