Activated filter carbon

D

Dallas

I have a 75 gallon Fowlr with a good amount of rock along with roughly a 12 gallon sump.
I use the Berlin method and have no real mechanical filtration so
I bought some Activated filter carbon and put it at the bottom of my overflow.
they say to use half a cup per 10 gallons. I found I could only fit about a cup in the overflow line (In a panty hose bag) . any more and the overflow gets backed up.
So, is this wholly inadequate and I'm wasting my time?

Am I correct in my assumption Activated filter carbon is mechanical filtration media? or is it more used strictly in an absorption capacity ?
should this be inline before ? or after the skimmer?

Also, I rinsed way more than I was able to use. Is that wet carbon still useable if I let it dry?

any help would be greatly appreciated. It ain't cheap and I guess I'm stupid for not knowing more about it before using it.
 
I think of carbon as being chemical filtration, whereas a filter sock, or floss is mechanical. I use carbon at times, such as when the tank smells fishy, or after a chemiclean treatment, and in my smaller tanks I use chemipure elite all the time. You can place it in the sump instead of the overflow in a paint strainer bag, or whatever. I would place it near where the tank drains into the sump. Yes, the carbon is still good after being wet. Don't let it mildew. I figure carbon is good until it smells fishy, but I use it mainly to remove odors from the water, and don't run it all the time. It can absorb some of the things that you want to stay in the water if you use too much of it, too often.
 
@fishyjoe24 wrote:
if it was me said:
My understanding is also to use about 1/2 cup per 50 gallons. I bought a reactor for my 50g tank and had to double check that amount because half a cup hardly looks like anything at all in the reactor. [smilie=smile.gif]

And yes, carbon is used as chemical filtration. It shouldn't be catching detritus and acting like a filter in that way.
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@Grant wrote:
[I]@fishyjoe24 wrote:[/I][quote="if it was me said:
My understanding is also to use about 1/2 cup per 50 gallons. I bought a reactor for my 50g tank and had to double check that amount because half a cup hardly looks like anything at all in the reactor. [smilie=smile.gif]

And yes, carbon is used as chemical filtration. It shouldn't be catching detritus and acting like a filter in that way."]


yes 1/2 a cup. is what I meant to say. only time I didn't use a reactor was when I put it in my canister filter, and use it on freshwater tanks.
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