Do I need activated carbon in my fish tank filter?

Do I need activated carbon in my aquarium filter? & what are the benefits of chemical filter media?

Activated carbon is non-reusable & needs to be disposed of after use, therefore, aquarists prefer saving it for specific periods when they have dissolved organic compounds or tannins that they want to get rid of. If somebody wants to take photos of their aquarium, then they might decide to use activated carbon to make sure that water is crystal clear. Nevertheless, most aquarists do not prefer using activated carbon every day as their performance is reduced very quickly when they are saturated with impurities. Hence, they can work for temporary periods, & then need to be replaced with fresh carbon.

Do I need activated carbon in my aquarium filter?

Is chemical filter media necessary?

Chemical filtration is not necessary unless you have tannins, medications, & odour in your aquarium water. Usually aquarists do not prefer chemical filtration because they work for limited instances. In order to check whether your chemical filter media is working, it is recommended to check if it is still getting rid of the dissolved organic compounds. If chemical filter media is no longer removing the tannins or dissolved organic compounds, then it means that your chemical media needs to be disposed of.

 

Benefits of chemical filtration media:

Chemical filtration media is popular for removing the following impurities:

• It can wipe out heavy metals like copper from the water.
• Chemical filter media can remove compounds like salt (NaCL).
• If you use medicines for treating ill fish, then it is recommended to remove them otherwise it will foul water. Chemical filtration media is used for wiping out the leftover medications.
• Tannins leached from driftwood will change the colour of water. Chemical filter media is used for wiping out tannins.
• Chemical filtration media is used to treat bad smell of aquarium water
• Use chemical filter media to get crystal clear water before taking photos of aquariums.
• Chemical filter media is used for quickly stabilizing the water conditions when certain parameters change. In case of ammonia spike, you can use chemical filter media to remove ammonia from the water, & bring back the water conditions to normal.