USING BIO PELLETS

[Funky_Fish14]

Originally Posted by Renegade

I believe you need to do more research with regards to carbon use.

Speak for yourself...

Yes, some carbon has phosphates in it from manufacturing, but not all carbon types available are made like this.

Activated Carbon has gotten a reputation of adding or leaching phosphates back into the water. This is only partially true. Activated Carbon can be made in two ways, either by Physical Activation or Chemical Activation. Physical activation used CO2, oxygen, or steam, and contains no phosphates. Chemical activation uses phosphoric acid and zinc for activation. If you buy the latter, then adding carbon will also add phosphates to your water. You are better off not using carbon at all then using a phosphate washed product. - Source: http://joejaworski.wordpress.com/200...k-need-carbon/

Also... when i said what I said... I was under the impression that you were suggesting carbon will leach phosphates back out after capturing organics. I assumed you weren't using phosphate-washed carbon in the first place. If your getting phosphates from the carbon, get a better carbon.

Activated Carbon Myths and Misconceptions

....Carbon will leach organics back into the water False. Once all the carbon pores are saturated, bacteria slime and detritus will accumulate on the carbon grains, turning it into a weak biological filter with the organics locked in the deeper layers. - source: http://joejaworski.wordpress.com/200...k-need-carbon/

Thats what I assumed you were talking about.

Originally Posted by Renegade

Carbon to pick up anything the pellet leach back into the water

Originally Posted by Funky_Fish14

Neither the bio-pellets nor the carbon 'leach' anything 'back into the water'.

"Leach" - New Oxford American Dictionary:
- make (a soluble chemical or mineral) drain away from soil, ash, or similar material by the action of percolating liquid, esp. rainwater : the nutrient is quickly leached away.
(Can be adapted to describe nutrients being 'dissolved away' by/within water)


Globaldesigns is right about the bacteria... it is harmless to your tank.

Cheers,

Chris