Hi my friend told me that if you put already used activated carbon in the sun and let it dry for a couple of hours you can reuse it.has anyone ever tried this before and if they did is it effective like it brand new.
Thanxs fort the help
Full Version: Reusing Carbon
In my opinion
I've always been told that activated carbon cannot be reused. However I have heard that some people do dry their sacs of carbon in the sun and reuse them.
After a while though... it doesn't work. But there is no telling when that will take effect. The carbon can be rinsed off and may prolong it's use as rinsing removes some larger debris and other thing like poop and dead plant scum for example
. This will just allow the carbon to continue working, but there is a point at which this will no longer work as well.
Activated carbon cleans your water through chemical reactions between charged ions in the carbon attracting charged ions that are dissolved, such as fish poop and other stuff. The bonds are strong and cannot be broken apart easily. (I feel like a biology teacher all of a sudden. haha) Once a bond is used... it's used.
The only other way to break the bonds is with a very temperature of something crazy high like 800F.
I would by fresh carbon. It's not really that expensive.
What are you using Carbon for? The only time I ever use it is to remove medication from the tank if I've used a treatment recently or discolouration from medications or driftwood.
I've always been told that activated carbon cannot be reused. However I have heard that some people do dry their sacs of carbon in the sun and reuse them.
After a while though... it doesn't work. But there is no telling when that will take effect. The carbon can be rinsed off and may prolong it's use as rinsing removes some larger debris and other thing like poop and dead plant scum for example
. This will just allow the carbon to continue working, but there is a point at which this will no longer work as well. Activated carbon cleans your water through chemical reactions between charged ions in the carbon attracting charged ions that are dissolved, such as fish poop and other stuff. The bonds are strong and cannot be broken apart easily. (I feel like a biology teacher all of a sudden. haha) Once a bond is used... it's used.
The only other way to break the bonds is with a very temperature of something crazy high like 800F.
I would by fresh carbon. It's not really that expensive.
What are you using Carbon for? The only time I ever use it is to remove medication from the tank if I've used a treatment recently or discolouration from medications or driftwood.
Can you use salt? like with zeolite etc.?
No, it's not practical to reactivate carbon at home.
Reactivating carbon is a two step process. first the carbon is heated to 1400-1700 degrees Fahrenheit, which oxidizes any volatile organics into CO2 and water, and the non-volatile organics are burned up. Then the carbon is reheated to 1800 degrees using steam which reactivates the carbon.
Carbon can be cleaned by washing it thoroughly, then boiling it in water for 30 minutes, and finally spreading it out on a baking sheet and heating in a 320 degree oven until dry.
I don't recommend trying this... The steam that come off the carbon STINKS REAL BAD.
Reactivating carbon is a two step process. first the carbon is heated to 1400-1700 degrees Fahrenheit, which oxidizes any volatile organics into CO2 and water, and the non-volatile organics are burned up. Then the carbon is reheated to 1800 degrees using steam which reactivates the carbon.
Carbon can be cleaned by washing it thoroughly, then boiling it in water for 30 minutes, and finally spreading it out on a baking sheet and heating in a 320 degree oven until dry.
I don't recommend trying this... The steam that come off the carbon STINKS REAL BAD.
i know for some filters and at some stores you can buy the carbon for filters in packages so you can refill the carbon in your filter. so you don't actually have to buy a new filter cartridge with carbon, just buy the carbon itself, and cut the filter open and replace it. if that made any sense.
if that made any sense.
yea mine can do that, i was hoping i didnt have to keep buying carbon.. i think im just gunna replace the carbon with ceramic rings, since i dont really need it
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