Aquarium Adviser

Your Best Resource for Aquarium Supplies

  • Aquarium Filter
    • Canister Filter
    • Power Filter
    • HOB Filter
    • Turtle Tank Filter
    • Betta Filter
  • Led Aquarium Light
    • LED Lighting for Reef Tanks
    • LED Lights for Planted Tank
    • Aquarium Light Timer
  • Protein Skimmer
    • HOB Protein Skimmer
    • Nano Protein Skimmer
  • Pump
  • Fish Tank
    • Betta Fish Tanks
    • Nano Reef Tank
    • 20 Gallon Aquarium Kit
    • Fish Tank Guide
  • Reviews
    • Aquarium Filter Reviews
      • Fluval FX4 Review
      • Fluval FX6 Aquarium Canister Filter Review
      • Fluval 306 Canister Filter Review
      • Fluval External Filter 406 Review
      • Penn Plax Cascade Canister Aquarium Filter Review
      • SunSun HW304B 370GPH Pro Canister Filter Kit Review
      • EHEIM Classic External Canister Filter Review
      • Hydor Professional External Canister Filter Review
      • Cascade 1000 Canister Filter Review
    • LED Aquarium Lights Review
      • Current USA Orbit Marine Aquarium LED Light Review
      • Current USA Satellite Freshwater LED Plus Light Review
      • Current USA Orbit Marine Pro LED Review
      • Finnex Planted+ 24/7 Fully Automated Aquarium LED Review
      • Finnex FugeRay Planted Aquarium LED Light Plus Moonlights Review
      • Galaxyhydro LED 55x3w Dimmable 165w Full Spectrum LED Review
      • Beamswork EA Timer FSPEC LED Aquarium Light Review
      • Koval 156 LED Aquarium Light Review
    • Protein Skimmer Reviews
      • SCA 302 Skimmer Review
    • Aquarium Heater Reviews
      • Hydor External Heater Review
    • Aquarium Air Pump Reviews
      • Tetra Whisper Air Pump Review
    • Reef Salt – Salt for Reef Tank
    • Coral Food
    • Turtle Food
    • Betta Fish Food
    • Cichlid Food
    • Tropical Fish Food
    • Aquarium Sand
    • Aquarium Water Conditioner
    • Substrate for Planted Tank
    • Substrate for Betta Tank
    • Sand for Reef Tank
    • Aquarium Gravel
    • Aquarium Plant Fertilizer
  • Equipment
    • Aquarium Heater
    • Aquarium Thermometer
    • Auto Top Off System
    • Aquarium Wave Maker
    • Aquarium Powerhead
    • Automatic Fish Feeder
    • Aquarium Chiller
    • UV Sterilizer
    • Aquarium CO2 Regulator
    • Aquarium Air Stone
    • Aquarium Filter Media
    • Aquarium Vacuum Cleaner
    • Aqueon & Python Water Changer
  • Blog
Home » Fish Tank Guide » How Often to Change Carbon Filter in Fish Tank?

How Often to Change Carbon Filter in Fish Tank?

October 19, 2021 Leave a Comment

Share this...Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
Share on Reddit
Reddit
Share on Tumblr
Tumblr

Do you have a fish tank with a carbon filter? If so, you might be wondering how often you should change the carbon filter in your tank. We will get into that question, of course, but first, let’s discuss what carbon in your tank actually is.

How often to change carbon filter in fish tank?

Table of Contents

  • Understanding AC, or Activated Carbon
  • What is AC, or Activated Carbon?
  • Is Activated Carbon Necessary in an Aquarium Filter?
  • How Long Does Activated Carbon Last?
  • Changing Your Activated Carbon

Understanding AC, or Activated Carbon

Using activated carbon, known as AC, or even activated charcoal, is an extremely popular method to keep home aquariums clean and healthy.

The activated carbon is placed in your filter, and as water moved through, the carbon cleans it.

However, the carbon, or charcoal, doesn’t last forever. Once it is done absorbing the impurities in your tank, it simply stops working.

Ideally, you should be changing your activated carbon every two to four weeks, but if you notice that your water is getting dirty before that, you might want to start changing it weekly, instead.

What is AC, or Activated Carbon?

Activated carbon can be made of a number of materials, like wood, or materials that have been turned into charcoal.

When treated at extremely high temperatures, the carbon is considered to be “charged.” If you look at the surface, you will see teeny holes, or pores, in the carbon.

This allows the carbon to act just like a sponge would. In other words, it absorbs elements and odors from the tank as long as the carbon is “charged.”

There are a number of different types of activated charcoal on the market, but only one type is appropriate to use in an aquarium. It’s called bituminous charcoal.

This carbon is available in a granule form, and it might also be called GAC, or granule activated charcoal.

Is Activated Carbon Necessary in an Aquarium Filter?

First, you might be wondering if activated carbon is even necessary in your tank. To let you know why you should have AC in the filter, we are going to tell you what it does.

If you ever have looked at the water in the aquarium, you might notice that there are small particles floating around. But, you can’t see everything in the water.

Some of the things you can’t see include phenols, which cause odor from your tank, and tannins, which can change the color of the water. There are also elements like chlorine and chloromines in the water.

However, you have to be aware that there are some things in the water that are not absorbed by activated charcoal. For example, it doesn’t remove any toxins like nitrate, nitrite, or ammonia.

Additionally, activated charcoal doesn’t absorb iron or other heavy metals. If you have these in your water, you need to treat the water chemically.

Another thing that activated charcoal will absorb is medication. However, you want to keep your medication in the tank if the fish need it.

So, if you are treating an ill fish, you should remove the carbon from the filter.

How Long Does Activated Carbon Last?

Some people falsely believe that they can keep activated charcoal in the filter for months. This just isn’t the case.

The truth is, depending on the type of tank you have, and the environment, this could determine how long the activated carbon lasts.

There is also the fact that different brands of activated carbon lasts longer than others. Some might last only two weeks; other brands might last three or four weeks.

You also have to consider how dirty your tank is. In a tank that gets dirty pretty quickly, you might only want to keep your activated carbon in for one to two weeks before changing it out.

If you have corals that release biochemicals into the water, you might also have to change the AC more often.

Also, if you have animals like snails in your tank, they might help to keep your water clean; if you have turtles, it’s very likely that your tank will get dirty, faster.

Though activated carbon is really great at filtering the water, once the small pores are full of contaminants, it stops being effective.

Changing Your Activated Carbon

Finally, let’s talk about how to change your activated carbon.

In order to be used correctly, it is placed in a mesh bag. A good rule of thumb is to put a half cup of activated carbon in the bag for every 10 gallons of water is in your tank.

It’s best to run the filter bag under water to remove any dust, and then set it aside.

Next, take out the old activated carbon and filter back from the filter system and discard it. That leaves space for the new filter bag to be inserted into the filter.

Once it’s in place, make sure the filter is working correctly, and then breathe a sigh of relief! You have made your fish tank a nice, clean home for your aquatic creatures.

More From Aquarium Adviser:
  • Where to Place Powerheads in Freshwater Aquarium
    Where to Place Powerheads in Freshwater Aquarium
  • Where to Place Wavemaker in Freshwater Aquarium
    Where to Place Wavemaker in Freshwater Aquarium
  • How to Raise pH in a Reef Tank?
    How to Raise pH in a Reef Tank?
  • How to Get Rid of Green Hair Algae in Your Aquarium
    How to Get Rid of Green Hair Algae in Your Aquarium
  • Benefits of Live Plants in Aquarium
    Benefits of Live Plants in Aquarium
  • Why Are My Aquarium Plants Turning Brown?
    Why Are My Aquarium Plants Turning Brown?
  • The Best Bass Fishing Rods in 2022- Selecting The Right Rod For Beginners
    The Best Bass Fishing Rods in 2022- Selecting The Right Rod…
  • The 10 Live Saltwater Aquarium Plants - Guide & Care
    The 10 Live Saltwater Aquarium Plants - Guide & Care
  • The Best Aquarium Starter Kits For Beginners in 2022
    The Best Aquarium Starter Kits For Beginners in 2022

Blog, Fish Tank Guide

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Popular Articles

What Fish Can Live With Goldfish? – 8 Goldfish Tank Mates List

62 Comments

How Often Should You Feed a Betta Fish?

59 Comments

How Often Should You Feed Goldfish? How Much?

40 Comments

10 Best Nano Saltwater Fish For Your Nano Reef Tank

39 Comments

The 10 Best Plants for Freshwater Aquarium

34 Comments

Recent Posts

  • How Often to Change Carbon Filter in Fish Tank?
  • Preparing RO Water for Freshwater Aquarium
  • Where to Place Wavemaker in Freshwater Aquarium
  • How Long Should You Wait to Put Betta Fish in a New Tank?
  • Where to Place Air Stone in an Aquarium?

Recent Comments

  • Margot Anderson on 15 Best Freshwater Fish for Aquarium
  • cichlid on The Best Aquarium Plant Fertilizer for Plant Growth & Safe for Fish in 2022
  • Leeanne Lewis on The Truth About UV Sterilizers in Aquariums
  • Julian Frost on How to Clean Sand in Aquarium?
  • Athur on The Best Aquarium Vacuum Cleaner for Sand and Gravel Cleaning in 2022

Aquariumadviser.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.
We do not specifically market to children under 13.

About | Contact | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Terms | Amazon Affiliate Disclosure

DMCA.com Protection Status

© Copyright 2016-2022, Aquarium Adviser · All Rights Reserved