Will Activated Carbon remove Cloudy Water?

[neutronics]

I was wondering if using activated carbon can actually remove the cloudiness of my 75g tank in particular (it had been set up for about 15 days already.......no skimmer but lotsa LR, 4" sand and 1 Eheim Pro II Filter).
And how long will activated carbon lasts before it starts pouring back the harmful chemicals/elements back again from your experience using it? Will turning on the activated carbon for 1 month be just nice (or too long/too short a time to use?)

 

[broomer5]

Using activated carbon is a form of "chemical" filtration. Usually cloudy water is more associated with a need for "mechanical" filtration - but not always.
Your tanks 2 weeks old - a newborn still - and it's not uncommon at all for a new tank to have some cloudy water.
Could be small dust particles and fine sediments from your substrate, or a visual indicator that your bacteria are becoming more prolific.
Neither of which should cause you too much worry.
The fine sediments normally will settle out, and if the water is sort of hazy due to bacteria bloom, it too will eventually clear up, providing your tank water parameters are in check.
Activated carbon is typically more helpful with removing some of the organic compounds associated with saltwater tanks. If will remove that "yellowish" tinge of the water .... that can accumulate over time. Many feel that a good protein skimmer will help in that regards as well.
I like to run some carbon in my sump trickle plate or in a power filter for 2-3 days a month. Just make sure it's in an area of high flow, and the water moves through it - not around it.
HTH
Brian

 

[jlem]

If your carbon is of high quality, then it won't leach back into the tank. The deep pores of the carbon are great for bacteria growth. Try changing out half of your carbon monthly to keep the old carbon acting as a biological filter. I run a mangnum 350 on my 90 and I change out half the carbon every month and it is doing great I change out my polyfilter pad once every 3 months.

 

[neutronics]

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate that a lot...
I have another activated carbon-related question....can the carbon be RECYCLED in any way for use again (perhaps soaking it in boiling water? I'm guessing it is not possible which means I have to buy a new activated carbon after a period of time to replace the old ones....am I right to say this??

 

[jlem]

I have never heard of recharging activated charcoal. I use magnum charcoal. I get a 64oz jug for 14.00,and that will last me almost a year. A low ph can cause cloudy water to. The very few times that I have forgot to put in buffer at night my tank was cloudy the next morning when the ph dropped to 7.9. As soon as I bumped it up to 8.2 the water cleared up within a day.

 

[volitan]

Yes you can reactivate carbon. My lfs told me how to do it when I first set up my tank. I decided it was going to be easier to just buy a container of it and replace it each month. The process was to rinse the carbon, and bake it in the oven on a cookie sheet for a while. I don't remember the exact ammount of time to leave it in the oven, or the oven temperature though. Tomorrow is fish day for me, so I'll ask while I'm up there.

 

[broomer5]

Yes I've heard that too .... but my girlfriend would go totally ballistic and have a domestic meltdown if she came home and found me roasting my organic waste ridden carbon on her favorite cookie sheet <img src="graemlins//eek.gif" border="0" alt="[eek]" />
Ummmmmmmmm smells good honey ... what ya doin ?
I'm with you Volitan !
Just buy some new carbon and stay out of trouble with the lady of the house.