EvolutionZ's new 2ft planted tank journal.

[ahloy]

is it same as those we use in bbq?

[EvolutionZ]

nope they are not, i bought them quite expensive as they are high quality charcoal bamboo.

Originally Posted by EvolutionZ

nope they are not, i bought them quite expensive as they are high quality charcoal bamboo.

are these the same type as the dasio 1?

[globalcookie]

Originally Posted by EvolutionZ

alanng, no, it will be placed under the substate so that there are more areation in the soil.. it also provide a slow release of nutrients it had sucked in(used for 3 mth in previous tank)

I'm very puzzled... there's a saying that carbon helps reduce toxic but than it is only good for about 3mths. After that, it may just release the toxic back into the water. By burying your charcoil, wouldn't it means, Long Term??

Are you having any life in the tank? Or is it purely plants and no life? If there is life, wouldn't the release of toxic months later, be harmful to the lifes? Unless your expensive charcoil is life time zero harm type (does it exist?)

If it will give you future problem, than isn't it that you are taking a short cut for short term? Or you planning to redo the tank again in 3mths?

Another option which you could use (not sure if that bro of yours who said charcoil provides aeration mentioned) is bio-balls isn't it? There are so many option of things you could use isn't it? I don't know, I also need to understand more b'cos I intend to setup a tank in a few months.

[ahloy]

Originally Posted by EvolutionZ

nope they are not, i bought them quite expensive as they are high quality charcoal bamboo.

thank bro.. but can explain more.. like wad bro globalcookie have brough up.. since it have been use for 3 months and wad he said is true wun it start to release harmful stuff into the water rather then releasing nutrients into the water?

*blur blur*

[EvolutionZ]

Originally Posted by globalcookie

I'm very puzzled... there's a saying that carbon helps reduce toxic but than it is only good for about 3mths. After that, it may just release the toxic back into the water. By burying your charcoil, wouldn't it means, Long Term??

Are you having any life in the tank? Or is it purely plants and no life? If there is life, wouldn't the release of toxic months later, be harmful to the lifes? Unless your expensive charcoil is life time zero harm type (does it exist?)

If it will give you future problem, than isn't it that you are taking a short cut for short term? Or you planning to redo the tank again in 3mths?

Another option which you could use (not sure if that bro of yours who said charcoil provides aeration mentioned) is bio-balls isn't it? There are so many option of things you could use isn't it? I don't know, I also need to understand more b'cos I intend to setup a tank in a few months.

good question bro, i used this question on that particular bro who told me. and this is what he told me :
the charcoal you placed in your tank, sucks any ammonia,nitrite or nitrate in your tank, and will give back what ever it sucked in back to the tank, weather a one shot all release or a slow releasing process im not too sure, but i believe it will not release all the things it sucked at one go, i have seen and have friends who kept mosses on charcoal bamboo in their CRS tank for over 6 - 9 months, my uncle tank is another example, if there is a sudden spike of ammonia, i believe shrimps like CRS would be the first to die.

i have heard that daiso's charcoal lasts only 1 month, but some say thicker charcoal lasts 3 months, how do one judge? i believe none have complained on a sudden death due to ammonia spike by charcoal bamboos, so i rather believe it releases back its toxics at a pace whereby the filter media is able to cope with. when it is underground, the plants MAY take in the released nutrients easily and may not even leaked out to the water. so why not give it a go? afterall im pretty sure charcoal bamboo will not kill any live form.. i do have daiso's charcoal in my tank tied with moss for over 3 - 6 mths when i was keeping shrimps and nothing much happen. i believe the amount of toxics it sucks in and released is not enough to spike anything at all. since i have spare charcoal bamboo, i decided to try this interesting method my friend taught me, who knows foreground plant may grow better.. as for bioballs, im not too sure about that, isn't bioball too big? well you could give it a try.


edit: forgeting to add, if you dose nutrients in your tank, or nutirents like nitrate and nitrite, it will only release back what ever nutrients it sucks.. if you happen to use charcoal bamboo for removing medication after fish treated, it should not be reused just incase it release back the medication it sucks in. so if i happen to dose NPK via water, or simply the GEX soil released nutrients, the charcoal will be ready to suck it in and provide readily nutrients in the future. im not entirely sure it will work though. but its worth the try.

I don't think the charcoal will release the so called goodness out in one go, cause based on what I read from ADA Japan's website, the NA carbon or the bamboo charcoal will act as biological filtration in their Super Jet series overtime. Hence I feel what member Evo is doing, is perfectly fine. Amano also state that there need to exist circulation in the subtrate for the plants to grow well, thats why he had come out with the Power Sand Series.

[globalcookie]

Evo bro, good that you have considered those. I just highlighted it so that you are conscious of the consequences if any. I use active carbon in my shrimp tank once in awhile, when I felt the water is a concern (eg when i'm loosing shrimps continously,etc).

Bio-balls can be cut up to smaller pieces. Else can also use ceremic rings (which helps cultivate BB too), or other media. There are many options to create 'ventilation' in the base. Anyway best wishes for a successful tank.

[alanng]

Originally Posted by EvolutionZ

alanng, no, it will be placed under the substate so that there are more areation in the soil.. it also provide a slow release of nutrients it had sucked in(used for 3 mth in previous tank)

oh.. so that means a newly set up planted is adviseable to have some chopped charcoal bamboo place as a fine layer below the soil?

[alanng]

Originally Posted by EvolutionZ

nope they are not, i bought them quite expensive as they are high quality charcoal bamboo.

how about those very finely compressed charcoal found in LFS?