# Does carbon remove Flourish?



## ggsteve (Feb 3, 2013)

I have started a regimen of adding a dose of Sea Chem Flourish twice a week. It occurs to me that I have two canister filters on my 150 that run carbon. Am I just wasting my time? Is the carbon taking the beneficial compounds out of the water, thus removing the Flourish and using up my carbon faster?


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## boosted23 (Mar 3, 2013)

Yes carbon will absorb your nutrients. You should try switching to purigen. It will keep your water pristine.


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## abc (May 18, 2004)

I don't think carbon absorbs fertilizer. it absorbs naturally waste but not the chemical-based fertz. I asked this question before and many said you can use carbon. actually purigen is stronger so it has more chance of affecting a fertz routine than carbon does


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## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

Purigen is not 'stronger' than carbon- it is just a different type of clarifier/purifier, and more effective than carbon in removing certain unwanted compounds and impurities.
Seachem emphatically claims it will have little or no effect on removing fertilizers, and, having used Purigen 24/7 for several years in planted tanks, I can attest to that. You will not see any brand of carbon being sold claim it has no effect on removing fertilizers.
Boosted23's comments above are correct, imo.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

Carbon will adsorb chelated metals, but not inorganic salts.


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## abc (May 18, 2004)

Ok, so carbon is bad for micro-fertz and iron. Got it.


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## jhays79 (Mar 28, 2012)

I was under the impression that the carbon in your filter pretty much only lasts a few weeks before its absorbed everything it can? After that its more or less inactive?


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## Jeff5614 (Dec 29, 2005)

jhays79 said:


> I was under the impression that the carbon in your filter pretty much only lasts a few weeks before its absorbed everything it can? After that its more or less inactive?


That is correct other than some report that it will begin to release what it has adsorbed. True or not I don't know.

The opinions on this whole topic are just like elbows, everyone has one. I've yet to see anyone furnish anything other than anecdotal evidence either way that carbon removes trace elements. My suggestion is if you want to use carbon then use it. If you notice some sort of micro deficiency in your tank then remove the carbon and see if the supposed deficiency disappears. I used carbon for a few years in planted tanks before switching to Purigen and the only deficiency I ever noticed, which had nothing to do with carbon or Purigen was a CO2 deficiency. Like most things on the internet, the effect of carbon on trace elements has grown over time. IMO, any effect carbon has on traces is insignificant.


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## alipper (Nov 6, 2012)

discuspaul said:


> Purigen is not 'stronger' than carbon- it is just a different type of clarifier/purifier, and *more effective than carbon* in removing certain unwanted compounds and impurities.
> Seachem emphatically claims it will have little or no effect on removing fertilizers, and, having used Purigen 24/7 for several years in planted tanks, I can attest to that. You will not see any brand of carbon being sold claim it has no effect on removing fertilizers.
> Boosted23's comments above are correct, imo.


Good to know.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Activated carbon removes large molecules. The larger the molecule the more likely the carbon will adsorb it. Large molecules are almost all organic compounds, but most fertilizer compounds are inorganics, like KNO3, KH2PO4, K2SO4, etc. But, chelators are organic compounds, for example one is C14H23N3O10, a much bigger molecule. That might be adsorbed by activated carbon, but it also might not, depending on how the activated carbon is treated - what range of molecule sizes it is intended to adsorb.

Disclaimer: I am not a chemist.


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## ggsteve (Feb 3, 2013)

Thanks for the varying opinions! I run the carbon because I have about 100-150 lbs (wet) of natural driftwood in my 150 gal and the tanins stain the water. I think the carbon helps with that. I imagine the tank would look like a large glass of iced tea otherwise! 

I added the Flourish because my Amazon swords are just kind of sitting there. I tried root feeding with fert tabs but it's a real chore in the deep tank and I didn't see any improvement. I've only been using the Flourish for about two weeks, but I think I'm seeing some better growth. I have a DIY CO2 generator but I think it is pretty ineffective. The tank has been set up for 9 months.

I believe that carbon only has a strong effect for a few weeks, maybe even less, that's why I run two canisters and alternate changing them every month.


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## BBradbury (Nov 8, 2010)

*Chemical Medium*



ggsteve said:


> I have started a regimen of adding a dose of Sea Chem Flourish twice a week. It occurs to me that I have two canister filters on my 150 that run carbon. Am I just wasting my time? Is the carbon taking the beneficial compounds out of the water, thus removing the Flourish and using up my carbon faster?


Hello gg...

Everything you put into the tank will eventually dissolve in the water. Carbon attracts chemicals in the water because it's very porous. Depending on the type of chemical medium you have, it will absorb dissolved ferts in the water.

But, you don't need to use carbon at all. Just make a habit of removing and replacing a large volume of tank water every week. Water changes do much more than carbon to maintain healthy water properties and have no drawbacks. Just dose your ferts when you do your weekly water change. 

Just a thought.

B


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## RickRS (Dec 31, 2010)

ggsteve said:


> Thanks for the varying opinions! I run the carbon because I have about 100-150 lbs (wet) of natural driftwood in my 150 gal and the tanins stain the water. I think the carbon helps with that. I imagine the tank would look like a large glass of iced tea otherwise!


You really need to try Purigen, it's the best thing for removing tannins. Plus, you can reenergize the Purigen with a bleach bath after it has absorbed up to its capacity and reuse several times.


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## GraphicGr8s (Apr 4, 2011)

Carbon doesn't aBsorb a darn thing. It aDsorbs. It isn't a sponge. 



> Adsorption is the adhesion of atoms, ions, or molecules from a gas, liquid, or dissolved solid to a surface.[1] This process creates a film of the adsorbate on the surface of the adsorbent. This process differs from absorption, in which a fluid (the absorbate) permeates or is dissolved by a liquid or solid (the absorbent).[2] Note that adsorption is a surface-based process while absorption involves the whole volume of the material. The term sorption encompasses both processes, while desorption is the reverse of adsorption. It is a surface phenomenon.
> 
> Similar to surface tension, adsorption is a consequence of surface energy. In a bulk material, all the bonding requirements (be they ionic, covalent, or metallic) of the constituent atoms of the material are filled by other atoms in the material. However, atoms on the surface of the adsorbent are not wholly surrounded by other adsorbent atoms and therefore can attract adsorbates. The exact nature of the bonding depends on the details of the species involved, but the adsorption process is generally classified as physisorption (characteristic of weak van der Waals forces) or chemisorption (characteristic of covalent bonding). It may also occur due to electrostatic attraction.[3]





> In chemistry, absorption is a physical or chemical phenomenon or a process in which atoms, molecules, or ions enter some bulk phase – gas, liquid, or solid material. *This is a different process from adsorption, since molecules undergoing absorption are taken up by the volume, not by the surface (as in the case for adsorption)*. A more general term is sorption, which covers absorption, adsorption, and ion exchange. Absorption is a condition in which something takes in another substance.[1]


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## darthmilmo (Feb 19, 2013)

I think that any fertilizer regime would require water changes to keep parameters in check. Instead of removing a large percentage of water, some of the fertilizers will be absorbed by the carbon. I don't personally use carbon, but after a green algae water bloom in one tank I have began using purigen. Any residual fertilizer loss will be offset by decreasing the water changes. In other words, it's really not a big deal as long as you continue the fertilizing regimen.


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