Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Standard 3 tray canister....

A filter needing replaceable parts that strips everything from the water...

Lose the carbon you're softening your water. The fish might adjust but your water chemistry could become a nightmare of chasing pH that wont stay put.

Carbon is good for removal of medicines, and boosting Aquarium profits.

AA,

The carbon came with the filter, so i used it. It is also good for removing colour and the tank had a very yellowy look. i wanted a nice clear tnak.

I have never heard of carbon removing KH (or GH), as far i know the only way to lower KH is by waterchanges. Gh can be lowered by ion exchange pillows (pearlite also i think) or peatmoss, all of which function by exchanging the Ca and Mg ions with Na.

Have googled on the web but found no ref to carbon having these effects.

I'm not a "carbon head" by any means, the only time i used it in the tropical tank was to remove medication, but as the perch tank was off colour and i also smoke HEAVILY in the "office" i thought since i had it i would use it.

What makes you have that oppinion about the carbon? (Not knocking, i'm curious)

I do know that some aquariums sell "combined" filter material impregnated with a range of carbon and/or ammonia reducers, GH reducers and the like...........

Steve

Ah ok.

I was wrong on carbon stripping hardness in that, it only cleans the water itself not the beds and surfaces harbouring most of the buffering capacity.

Never liked carbon, always seem to have pH swings after using it. Yes, it cleans well.

Just age your water for 1 day. Flouride dissipates by itself. I never allow tap water in with fish till it's aged.

I think dishwashing liquid will be fine with hot water. Doubt you'll lose the smell though.

At least the fish will have strong healthy teeth

AA,

IMHO flouride will most certainly NOT dissapate by itself.

It is added to the water a floride salt (sodium flouride or any number of variants) hence can not dissipate, evaporation will only increase the concentration. Much the same way that a "table salt" solution will increase in concentration if it is evaporated.

Infact flouride is one of the most difficult contaminants (and i do not use that word lightly) to remove from drinking water. only specialized resin fliters, distallation and RO filters will do it.

Are you sure you weren't thinking about chlorine?

Chlorine is usually added as sodium hypochlorite, which releases free chlorine until it is only sodium chloride, hence by leaving water out or better still by agitating or airating it all of the chlorine can be "gassed off"

Monya: That's a matter of opinion ..................

lol chlorine yes. thats twice today hee hee.

flouride the tooth stuff supposedly. Hadn't even considered it wonder if we have it?

Yep. We even had to have it reduced.

We also get iron & manganese though the water is soft.

Here's a thing. The flouride, from 4 seperate sources, is already in the water, they top it up.

point taken

Need 2 come and live in Brissy - no fluoride here

Man if any one want to have a floride discussion i'm all up for it, we can start a new topic under general banter.

I believe brisbane was the last state to succumb to flouridation.......they put up a brave fight...........but the aluminium industry must go on

Funny thing is, all the "scientific" studies conducted that first concluded that flouride would be good for our teeth was from ground water that naturally contained CALCIUM FLOURIDE.............now, i ask you, out of the calcium and the flouride, which do you think was the teeth strengthening component? Yet the flouride salt added to the drinking water is NOT calcium floride.

One more point (just let me get it all out then i'll stop.....) ALL medications (and toxic levels of chemicals)are measured on a mg per KG of body weight, yet a child that has formula milk will ingest the same 1mg/L as a 120Kg adult.........doesn't seem right...........

AA sorry to have corrected you on that one. I'm a bit passionate on the subject. I always have respect for some-one that is happy to put their hand up when they have made a mistake.
(the flouride industry can't seem to )

I wonder if there has ever been any research comparing dental health between the states. I always just thought that flouride was a good thing.

Will leave this topic alone. Prefer to talk about aqua - but will say that fluoride helps to prevent cavities IMHO. I have no fillings and nor do a number of other people I know who all took fluoride tablets when young. Problem with it being in water is you cannot get the correct dosage (ie depends on how much water you drink). This is the last I will say.

Stu, it would have to be one of the most passionatly (non-religious) argued topics.

http://www.fluoridedebate.com/question02.html

The major by-product of the aluminium industry is flouride..........it is STRICTLY monitored by the EPA............so how does the industry filter tonnes of floruide? by selling it to the water board and putting it through our kidneys.

The whole debate is fraought with inconsistancies and general illogical statements that just don't add up to me. The MSDS for sofium flouride is trully scary, yet it contains statements like this





should we move to a general banter thread with this?

VB, fair enough, every one is entiltled to have their opinion respected.

For the record i have not used flouridated toothpaste (yes there are alternatives) for the past 5 years and have brilliantly white teeth and no new cavaties, my GF's niece has never used Flouridated toothpaste or drunk floridated water and she had all of her first teeth by 14 months (her current age), her whole family gets comments on the good conmdition of their teeth from the dentist UNTIL they ask not to have the super-concentrated flouride treatment as part of the visit........then the dentists are not so nice anymore.

google osteoflourosis and mottled teeth
http://bruha.com/pfpc/html/dental_fluorosis.html

Back to aqua it is

I should just go and eat my dinner, but when posts are happening, I love being in on it!! It's pretty funny when we're posting at the same time. I miss posts, and it can get pretty disjointed!!