Some people advise not to use activated carbon in your filter ,because it will suck up the nutrients which the plants need to grow.Is that true or just a myth?
Myth or truth? - Activated Carbon in filter play any role on plant growth?
- Thread starter wildgreenyonder
- Start date
I think that this is something I used to banter around a few years ago. The truth for those who add fertilizers is that the nutrients we add are salts and not adsorbed by AC filters. What's more, AC filters do not adsorb ammonia, nitrite or nitrate. Calcium, magnesium (GH) and heavy metals, such as iron, are also not removed. AC filters are most effective in removing organic contaminants from water and AC filtration will also remove chlorine. As I see it now, AC filters might be beneficial for planted tanks by removing DOC (dissolved organic carbon). You can read about that here, http://www.prirodni-akvarium.cz/en/index.php?id=en_algaeTOC but frequent water changes do as much if not more. IMO, the answer to your question is are they necessary in planted tanks. In which case the answer is most often no. But to answer your question directly. Yes, it's a myth.
