how long can fish tank go without carbon?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Breana T
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Breana T

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i have a 20 gallon tank and my water is very very cloudy and algae growth is out of control (no my tank is not getting any sunlight and is not by a window). so i went to the store and bought No More Algae by Tank Buddies. the instructions say to remove carbon during treatment but i'm confused on how long should i remove the carbon. plz be specific w/ your answer (ex. 2 days, 1 week, 1hour, etc.)

PS: i put the carbon back in the tank for 3 hours because i didn't want to harm or stress my fish so did that neutralize the product? if so when should i add more?
 
You don't need it at all it is just for chemical filtering that means it takes some of the stuff that is in the water
 
First off, there are other ways to tackle algae. Best way is to look at the cause first. (Excess food, brand of food, high nitrates, etc.)

Carbon removes treatments and will continue to do so as long as its in the tank/filter.

I think the best thing to do would be to wait and see what effect the algae-cure has on the algae, whether it kills/binds it or not, and then put the carbon back in (give it a rinse, or put fresh carbon in. Remember carbon leeches contaminants back into the aquarium.)

I've seen algae-cures turn water instantly acid too so keep an eye on your pH.
 
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