Boiling carbon?

[shrimpchips]

Originally Posted by GreenSpottedPuffer

I think if you pour hot water on a plant, heated in any way, its going to start to wither away.

I boiled my carbon yesterday before using it and a lot of crap came out of it. I didn't test to see if phosphates had leached out but I assume they may have. In any case, I will always boil carbon first. After boiling, I rinsed it in RO and I was impressed with how little the RO water washed out of the carbon, it was relatively clean.

Hmm, I just soak it overnight now, but may go to boiling. Did you boil it in the microwave?

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by shrimpchips

Hmm, I just soak it overnight now, but may go to boiling. Did you boil it in the microwave?

No I don't have a microwave. So just boiled it on the stovetop for a few minutes. Right away, a lot of crap started coming to the top.

What I like is how "clean" it seemed when I put it in the tank.

Im sure microwaving would do the exact same thing as boiling. I would just use the microwave if I had one.

[shrimpchips]

out of curiosity - how much carbon and how much water did you use?

I'll have to try this next week when I swap my carbon out.

[Oceanic]

Originally Posted by GreenSpottedPuffer

No I don't have a microwave. So just boiled it on the stovetop for a few minutes. Right away, a lot of crap started coming to the top.

What I like is how "clean" it seemed when I put it in the tank.

Im sure microwaving would do the exact same thing as boiling. I would just use the microwave if I had one.

It really is a simple observation and I am happy you like the results!

Cold rinsed carbon has a tendency to float = trapped air/dust

Very hot water soaked carbon sinks like a rock and all dust and impurities float to the surface = better prepared carbon!

[lastlight]

Originally Posted by shrimpchips

Lots of stuff is documented on the internet - unless it's peer reviewed by experts in the field, it's only as good as the next site about ninjas swallowing frisbees when they get really ****ed.

I have a long day of work ahead of me and that just made me snort thank-you! I'm going to be boiling my carbon as well when I get around to getting a reactor.

[shrimpchips]

I'm glad someone thought it was funny

My carbon doesn't float after a cold soak overnight (BRS ROX carbon), but I do find it's still silty.

Do you guys let it cool naturally or do you quench it in cold/RT RO/DI water?

[Oceanic]

Originally Posted by shrimpchips

I'm glad someone thought it was funny

My carbon doesn't float after a cold soak overnight (BRS ROX carbon), but I do find it's still silty.

Do you guys let it cool naturally or do you quench it in cold/RT RO/DI water?

Soaking it overnight gives the air time to escape I suppose. I quench the carbon with some cool R/O before it goes in my filter bag.

[mr.wilson]

Carbon is activated at a temperature of 900 C in the presence of an oxidizing gas. It can also be activated with strong acid, often leaving phosphates behind.

Anything you do in your microwave or BBQ with used carbon will only release the absorbed carbon back into your tank at a greater rate then it was originally absorbed.

There was one study done in Russia in the 50's that claimed microwaves change the molecular structure of food, but it has been discredited.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by Oceanic

It really is a simple observation and I am happy you like the results!

Cold rinsed carbon has a tendency to float = trapped air/dust

Very hot water soaked carbon sinks like a rock and all dust and impurities float to the surface = better prepared carbon!

Exactly what he said

[Myka]

Originally Posted by shrimpchips

Microwaving water does nothing to the molecular structure or composition of water - it will add heat (energy) to the bonds within the molecule, but it won't make it into anything else besides H2O.

Saying it damages it on the molecular level is a load of crap. While it is true that microwaves can damage things like proteins and DNA (due to conformational changes, breakdown of COMPLEX molecular structures, etc), it will NOT cause a molecular change in H2O. Last time I microwaved water it didn't turn into anything else, if I recall correctly.

Documented on the internet? Lots of stuff is documented on the internet - unless it's peer reviewed by experts in the field, it's only as good as the next site about ninjas swallowing frisbees when they get really ****ed.


Maybe the water needs to be cooled first?

What a doltish comment.