Boiling carbon?

[mr.wilson]

Originally Posted by shrimpchips

+2. I'll boil just as a pre-rinse if in fact it does do a better job of cleaning the powdered carbon out than a simple pre-soak.

Yeah, by all means I agree it's the right way to wash new carbon. You are supposed to use RO/DI water but I don't think there are enough impurities in the small amount of water it takes to initially wash it to worry about it. The impurities taken up in tap water are much smaller in size than what we pull out of our tanks.

[shrimpchips]

yeah, I that's true. I always use RO to soak/wash since I have it on hand anyways. Force of habit from the lab too.

[Oceanic]

Originally Posted by lastlight

Yeah I'm not going to boil my carbon thinking it's recharged. I'm tossing mine. Like Oceanic stated it seems to clean it before it's used at all a little.

You are correct my friend, I have no interest in recharging carbon at all. I just simply urge everyone to try this once and then comment back to this thread with your observations.

All I do is put my 2 cups of KZ carbon in a tuperware container into the microwave. I nuke it on high for 2-3 minutes then remove the carbon and pour off all the dust and crap that floats to the surface. I let it stand for a few minutes then spoon it into my passive filter bag!

Just do it!!

[lastlight]

Originally Posted by shrimpchips

Force of habit from the lab too.

I hear those 'labs' are always blowing up dude. Please be careful.

[shrimpchips]

They only blow up if you're stupid. Or careless.

Both of which I can accuse myself of being, unfortunately more often than not.

[lastlight]

Hmm. I think my methlab joke went under the radar. What sort of lab do you really work in?

[Myka]

Originally Posted by shrimpchips

Right back at you.

You were been doltish to me. You could have chosen to use some tact in your reply no matter how stupid you think my post was.

Seeing as you're obviously much more brilliant than I, please do explain why (cooled) microwaved water has a different effect on plants than non-microwaved.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by Myka

You were been doltish to me. You could have chosen to use some tact in your reply no matter how stupid you think my post was.

Seeing as you're obviously much more brilliant than I, please do explain why (cooled) microwaved water has a different effect on plants than non-microwaved.

Can you start a new thread please?

This whole microwave thing is getting really silly.

I was just curious about the darn carbon!

Maybe start "Myka's guide to microwaving"?

[Canadian]

Originally Posted by Myka

You were been doltish to me. You could have chosen to use some tact in your reply no matter how stupid you think my post was.

Seeing as you're obviously much more brilliant than I, please do explain why (cooled) microwaved water has a different effect on plants than non-microwaved.

[rant]

It doesn't. Plain and simple. The whole concept is totally baseless and so completely stupid no scientist would waste their time even attempting to refute it. Stupid people say so many stupid things that the scientific community has to ignore them until they start to threaten people's health, well-being, etc. This urban legend is tantamount to the cell phone signal causing popcorn to pop internet urban legend/myth. Lots of stupid people passed that on like it was fact also. When the baseless claims start to be adopted en masse and they cause health concerns then the scientific community has to step in and perform the necessary research to save people from themselves (think the dangers of vaccines nonsense and the link to autism). And yet, you can't stop stupidity because they keep grasping at new straws.

Unfortunately (or perhaps I should say fortunately) I can't provide you with an RCT to disprove this damaged water stupidity because, as noted above, no self respecting scientist would even bother to test the hypothesis unless maybe their misinformed child believed this nonsense and they were so worried that their child would reiterate this nonsense in public that they'd be a total embarrassment. Then, maybe they'd perform a quasi experimental test in the home just to appease the poor child and lay the issue to rest.

Here's some information on this urban legend and an additional "experiment" that refutes the claim: http://www.snopes.com/science/microwave/plants.asp

Why is it that people can make scientifically baseless claims and statements (and then support them with pseudoscience) and expect people to pat them on the head and be nice and "tactful" while dealing with the barrage of stupidity?

[/rant]

[mr.wilson]

Originally Posted by Canadian

[rant]

It doesn't. Plain and simple. The whole concept is totally baseless and so completely stupid no scientist would waste their time even attempting to refute it. Stupid people say so many stupid things that the scientific community has to ignore them until they start to threaten people's health, well-being, etc. This urban legend is tantamount to the cell phone signal causing popcorn to pop internet urban legend/myth. Lots of stupid people passed that on like it was fact also. When the baseless claims start to be adopted en masse and they cause health concerns then the scientific community has to step in and perform the necessary research to save people from themselves (think the dangers of vaccines nonsense and the link to autism). And yet, you can't stop stupidity because they keep grasping at new straws.

Unfortunately (or perhaps I should say fortunately) I can't provide you with an RCT to disprove this damaged water stupidity because, as noted above, no self respecting scientist would even bother to test the hypothesis unless maybe their misinformed child believed this nonsense and they were so worried that their child would reiterate this nonsense in public that they'd be a total embarrassment. Then, maybe they'd perform a quasi experimental test in the home just to appease the poor child and lay the issue to rest.

Here's some information on this urban legend and an additional experiment that refutes the claim: http://www.snopes.com/science/microwave/plants.asp

Why is it that people can make scientifically baseless claims and statements (and then support them with pseudoscience) and expect people to pat them on the head and be nice and "tactful" while dealing with the barrage of stupidity?

[/rant]

Well I have to commend you on editing last nights comment, but I have to admit it was even funnier than the video you posted I see you got sucked into the vortex again here. The edit function has saved me more than a few times.

There really is no such thing as a stupid question or idea, only the way one purports it. One of my pet peeves in the aquarium forum world is when someone throws out a one line comment with absolutely no support then asks others to spend an hour double checking facts, and providing references and links to refute it or support their own claim. These hit and run, one-liners, usually follow up with an "I've never heard of that", or some other comment to show their continued disbelief and redoubled conviction.

A scientific mind is always willing to admit that we are wrong because we know we are. As he said in the video you posted "if science knew all the answers it would stop".... well some of the people on these forums have stopped. We just need to work around them and their counterproductive "contributions".

BTW, boiling water will cause calcium to fall out of solution (take a look at the bottom of your kettle), so it would actually be better for your plants. Nothing to do with microwaves though. This is why we never dissolve calcium hydroxide or other calcium supplements or salt mixes in hot water.