# Random thought regarding beginner tanks..



## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

Just a random thought as I was testing my water...

Most beginners of the hobby purchase a power filter as their filter correct?

Most of them would buy everything that comes in a set or new from the store correct?

All of those new power filters comes with media correct?

Included in the media is fresh activated carbon correct?

Activated carbon removes contaminants such as ammonia and nitrite correct?

So assuming the person doesnt heavily stock the tank right away.....wont the carbon take care of the ammonia/nitrite (since no biofiltration is established) for the 2-3 weeks that its active? 

Just a thought...lol


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

Hitch said:


> Just a random thought as I was testing my water...
> 
> Most beginners of the hobby purchase a power filter as their filter correct?


Sure.



Hitch said:


> Most of them would buy everything that comes in a set or new from the store correct?


Sure.



Hitch said:


> All of those new power filters comes with media correct?


Some do, some don't, but OK.



Hitch said:


> Included in the media is fresh activated carbon correct?


Sometimes, yes.



Hitch said:


> Activated carbon removes contaminants such as ammonia and nitrite correct?


*No.*



Hitch said:


> So assuming the person doesnt heavily stock the tank right away.....wont the carbon take care of the ammonia/nitrite (since no biofiltration is established) for the 2-3 weeks that its active?


Since carbon does not remove ammonia and nitrite, this cannot be done.


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

hmmmm...your right...it doesnt have good affinity for ammonia...


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## Byronicle (Apr 18, 2009)

i thought carbon was meant to get rid of smell and make the water look clearer


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

carbon removes organic molecules/compounds dissolved in the water.


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## Byronicle (Apr 18, 2009)

Hitch said:


> carbon removes organic molecules/compounds dissolved in the water.


which would contribute to the smell?


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

yap....and contribute to the discolour of the water (which is caused by compounds like tannin and others...)


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

Hitch said:


> yap....and contribute to the discolour of the water (which is caused by compounds like tannin and others...)


Unfortunately, it doesn't take long before the carbon is full up and can't adsorb any more. There's no way to reactivate it at home -- it's an industrial process involving IIRC very high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. Carbon is really pretty useless in a filter unless you are using it as a one-shot to remove drugs or tannins. Water changes are much cheaper and more effective.

If there's a bad smell, as opposed to an earthy smell like garden soil or lake water, you've got a real problem, probably something dead and rotting, or your substrate going anaerobic, and the smell is the least of your problems then!


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

yap yap


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## Byronicle (Apr 18, 2009)

whoa hold the phone..how does your bacteria go anaerobic?


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

many of them are anaerobic.


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## Byronicle (Apr 18, 2009)

but would it just go anaerobic?


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

what do you mean? some bacteria are just anaerobic....they dont just randomly decide to go anaerobic


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## Byronicle (Apr 18, 2009)

what i mean is that you have some bacteria that is anaerobic. So what would make that specific population of bacteria reproduce and multiply to become the dominant bacteria in your aquarium because bae was saying how if your tank smells it could be that the bacteria on your substrate is going anaerobic


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

hmm.....no that wouldnt happen...

the term anaerobic means that they either prefer places with no oxygen or very little oxygen...so that would only happen if yout entire tank is lacking in oxygen...in which case bacteria is the least of your worries.


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## dchow (Oct 30, 2009)

A lack of oxygen in water will allow anaerobic bacteria to get a foothold. Some bacteria can live in both environments though (oxygenated, and no oxygen).

Example: Canister filter substrate will go anaerobic if water flow is blocked through the filter.


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## characinfan (Dec 24, 2008)

Just to specify: there are some bacteria that need aerobic conditions to survive, and there are some bacteria that need anaerobic conditions to survive. A lot of bacteria can thrive in either condition, but prefer one or the other. If the place where the bacteria are living becomes deprived of oxygen, most of the bacteria that can switch to anaerobic mode will do so, and the bacteria that need oxygen to live will die. Among the less-picky bacteria, the ones that do better in anaerobic environments than aerobic environments will start to proliferate at the expense of bacteria that prefer aerobic environments. Basically you can start out with the same mix of bacteria, but when the oxygen level is changed, the relative proportion of each kind changes as well.

Anaerobic metabolism often involves the breakdown of sulfur compounds, such as certain amino acids. Some of the anaerobic bacteria in the tank are probably breaking down detritus and releasing disgusting-smelling compounds as a result.


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

Byronicle said:


> what i mean is that you have some bacteria that is anaerobic. So what would make that specific population of bacteria reproduce and multiply to become the dominant bacteria in your aquarium because bae was saying how if your tank smells it could be that the bacteria on your substrate is going anaerobic


No, I said the substrate can go anaerobic. If there's a lot of stuff rotting in it, and it isn't being aerated by plant roots or MTS burrowing in it or gravel vacuuming, the lower levels will have a very low level of oxygen, so the processes going on in it will be anaerobic, and produce bad-smelling stuff including toxins like H2S (hydrogen sulfide), the gas that smells like rotten eggs. If your substrate gets black on the bottom, and you see bubbles forming, it's in a bad way.

Some bacteria are obligate anaerobes (can't grow in the presence of oxygen) but many are facultative anaerobes -- they can switch their metabolism to work under either aerobic or anaerobic conditions. Anaerobic decomposition is generally not complete, i.e. the end products aren't CO2 and water. A lot of the stuff in anaerobic sludge smells really foul, unlike the mulm you get under aerobic conditions which is more or less finished compost and smells earthy, or like lake water.


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

also....a thinner layer of substrate (especially with the finer substrate like fine gravel and sand) would avoid creating an anaerobic environment under there...Well unless having a anaerobic substrate is your goal.


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