Calling all aquarium owners

[kenny]

One large expense for some of us aquarists is activated carbon for our filters.
Pet shops really price-gouge on this product.
I just found a economical source.
You can buy it directly from a company that makes/imports it.

http://www.activatedcarbon.com/

There are different kinds and the pelletized coal 4 x 10 mm is the one usually used for aquaria.
The 1.375-pound box I'm holding costs $13 at the cheapest pet shop I could find. That's $9.45/lb.
The 55-pound bag cost $72.60. That's only $1.32/lb.
That's 1/7th the price for the same fricking thing.
Even with shipping it will be much cheaper than the pet shops.

Google around to see if activated carbon is manufactured in your area.
Another source is companies that sell supplies for residential or commercial water filtration.

Granted, not everyone has a garage to store such a big bag.
I've just always hated throwing money away, and I try to keep an eye out for rip offs.

 

[VapidLapid]

Kenny I dont think you should store that in the garage. activated carbon doesnt know when it has been deployed so sitting in the garage it will be absorbing automotive vapors and effluvia as if they were fish poo. Keeping it inside the house in a large tin can with a tight fitting lid might extend its useful life and keep it from absorbing toxins that could migrate into the fish tank. I wouldnt use a plastic pail because those off-gas continuously and would contaminate or use up the carbon.

 

[kenny]

Thanks.
Good idea!
Maybe I'll transfer it to a bunch of large ziplock bags or those heavy duty bags used to store clothing in that you suck the air out of with a vacuum.

 

[manderz]

Good idea, Vapid and Kenny! I actually don't use carbon though, it (seemed to) cause cyanobacteria As soon as I took it out, it all went away. Do you have saltwater or freshwater? You should post some pictures

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Good idea, Vapid and Kenny! I actually don't use carbon though, it (seemed to) cause cyanobacteria As soon as I took it out, it all went away. Do you have saltwater or freshwater? You should post some pictures

I don't use charcoal either. The only time I put it in is if medicine needs to be removed from one of my tanks or if there is a slight odor (and then I leave the charcoal in for just a few days). Mine are fresh water.

 

[dragonfly411]

I miss my aquariums.

I wonder how this would work in a turtle tank.

 

[Demon]

I haven't used carbon for years. As long as you keep up good maintanence, it isn't necessary.

 

[atroop711]

thanks for the info. I will show this to my husband who's in charge of our aquarium

 

[rhbgirl24]

Kenny -

I do the same, however my husband's company work with huge amounts of carbon (environmental disaster clean up agency) and he just brings a bucket home for me. It can be kept up to a year in one of the air sealed plastic buckets. Longer if you vacuum seal in something.

Then just use the mesh bags and you're own filter sponge/medium. For fresh water of course, you don't have to worry about the contaminants as much. For my reef tanks I tend not to use carbon.

I also use for the cat water fountain as well.

 

[ericad]

Kenny, what kind of tank(s) do you keep?

I have a 46g guppy tank and a 120g that houses an Oscar, an electric blue Jack Dempsey, a firemouth and 3 clown loaches. I have been debating carbon, but recently stopped using it. Overfiltration and weekly water changes is working well so far, I'm relying on just mechanical and bio filtration, no chemical.

Just curious what the other fishkeepers have - I'm pretty new to the hobby.

 

[manderz]

I have a 55 gallon saltwater reef tank. I've been in the hobby for around a year, and love it I can't wait til we move into a larger house, so I can upgrade the fish tank too. Right now, we're limited on space because FI and I bought a duplex as our starter home.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I have a 46g guppy tank and a 120g that houses an Oscar, an electric blue Jack Dempsey, a firemouth and 3 clown loaches. I have been debating carbon, but recently stopped using it. Overfiltration and weekly water changes is working well so far, I'm relying on just mechanical and bio filtration, no chemical.

Erica - how long have you had your tanks? Have they cycled yet? Are you checking ammonia levels/nitrite/nitrate?

 

[kenny]

I have a 30 gal with 3 fantail goldfish and a pleco.
The 10-gal has 20 neons and some shrimpies.
Nothing fancy.

I'm afraid I don't bother monitoring anything.
I just do weekly 25% water changes and change the carbon.
It just made me sick to pay ten bucks a pound fro the carbon.

It must be working since the goldfish tank is crystal clear and I hear that goldfish are heavy poopers.
Also I never find dead fish, they all look quite healthy.

 

[Dancing Fire]

I have a 46g guppy tank and a 120g that houses an Oscar, an electric blue Jack Dempsey, a firemouth and 3 clown loaches. I have been debating carbon, but recently stopped using it. Overfiltration and weekly water changes is working well so far, I'm relying on just mechanical and bio filtration, no chemical.

Erica - how long have you had your tanks? Have they cycled yet? Are you checking ammonia levels/nitrite/nitrate?

i check my koi pond water 2X a yr...

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I have a 46g guppy tank and a 120g that houses an Oscar, an electric blue Jack Dempsey, a firemouth and 3 clown loaches. I have been debating carbon, but recently stopped using it. Overfiltration and weekly water changes is working well so far, I'm relying on just mechanical and bio filtration, no chemical.

Erica - how long have you had your tanks? Have they cycled yet? Are you checking ammonia levels/nitrite/nitrate?

i check my koi pond water 2X a yr...

hahaha Well, how many gallons is your "tank?" lol

I use to check mine every week, but began flaking out last summer and now I think only my Nitrate solution is valid (the rest may be expired...probably should check).

 

[ericad]

I have a 46g guppy tank and a 120g that houses an Oscar, an electric blue Jack Dempsey, a firemouth and 3 clown loaches. I have been debating carbon, but recently stopped using it. Overfiltration and weekly water changes is working well so far, I'm relying on just mechanical and bio filtration, no chemical.

Erica - how long have you had your tanks? Have they cycled yet? Are you checking ammonia levels/nitrite/nitrate?

Yes and yes! I've had the 46 gallon for 6+ months, which I cycled using filter media from DD's established 10 gallon (then the guppies got an upgrade, lol). I then used media from the fully cycled 46 to set up and cycle the 120, which I've had for a couple of months now. I was testing water parameters daily until I saw the ammonia drop off and the nitrates were where I wanted them, and now I test weekly. I do big weekly water changes with my beloved python, and run a Fluval FX5 on my 120. The 46 runs an Emperor 400 HOB.

 

[Dancing Fire]

I have a 46g guppy tank and a 120g that houses an Oscar, an electric blue Jack Dempsey, a firemouth and 3 clown loaches. I have been debating carbon, but recently stopped using it. Overfiltration and weekly water changes is working well so far, I'm relying on just mechanical and bio filtration, no chemical.

Erica - how long have you had your tanks? Have they cycled yet? Are you checking ammonia levels/nitrite/nitrate?

i check my koi pond water 2X a yr...

hahaha Well, how many gallons is your "tank?" lol

I use to check mine every week, but began flaking out last summer and now I think only my Nitrate solution is valid (the rest may be expired...probably should check).

a complete AP test kit will cost about $18.

 

[VapidLapid]

you could send the spent carbon to one of those diamond synthesis places where they make diamonds from anything you want, even peanut butter (including your dead pet named peanut) and have it made into a fcd!