Modified activated carbon can provide a high efficiency of nitrate ion removal at 30 min contact time. At this contact period, the efficiency of 1 g of modified activated carbon is 2.5 and 2.0 times higher than unmodified activated carbon in the removal of 200 and 100 mg L−1 nitrate, respectively.
The quickest and easiest way to get nitrates down in your setup is to change the water. As long as your tap water has a lower nitrate level than your tank water, by replacing it, your nitrate level will go down. Test the nitrate level in both your freshwater tank and your tap, to ensure that this is the case.
Contaminants Not Removed by Activated Carbon Filtration
AC filters will not remove microbial contaminants (such as bacteria and viruses), calcium and magnesium (hard water minerals), fluoride, nitrate, and many other compounds.
Pros of Carbon Dosing:
Effectively removes excess nutrients in the tank, mainly phosphate and nitrate. Low cost. Ease of use. No Additional Equipment Needed.
This study shows that the removal of nitrogen by using modified activated carbon treated with sulfuric acid is very effective over a large range of concentrations.
Carbon does not remove ammonia, nitrite or nitrate from water. It also does not have an effect on water hardness or alkalinity. Some carbons will leach phosphate into the aquarium water.
Today, carbon filters are a leading player in water filtration. It is possible that activated carbon block filters have unique properties that can effectively remove up to 99 percent of total suspended solids, volatile organic compounds, sediment, heavy metals, chloramines, and other contaminants from drinking water.
Granular Activated Carbon or "GAC" filters are often used as "polishing filters" in the RO process. GAC filters can remove VOCs, pesticides, nitrates, hydrogen sulfide, and much more. Learn more about GAC vs. Carbon Block Filters.
Vodka is more popular as it contains roughly 8 times more carbon per mL than vinegar. However, this means that you are able to have finer control with vinegar as compared to vodka. Most lower cost automatic dosing pumps (such as the Jebao DP-4 Dosing Pump) have an accuracy around 1mL.
The major fraction of nitrifying bacteria in activated sludge plants are autotrophs that require an inorganic carbon (IC) source for biosynthesis (Bitton, 2005).
Disadvantages of Activated Carbon Filtration
Short lifespan: An activated carbon filter has a maximum filter capacity (the maximum amount of contaminants that can be trapped in the media until the media is eventually fully clogged).
Activated charcoal is likely safe for most people if you only use it for a short time. There are some possible side effects, like constipation. In rare cases, it can cause blockages and dehydration. It also can stop your body from absorbing some drugs.
Activated Carbon (AC) filtration, as with any water treatment method, is not capable of removing every possible type of contaminant. For example, sodium, microbes, fluoride, and nitrates cannot be removed with AC filtration.
Ion exchange units, reverse osmosis, or distillation all remove nitrate from drinking water. Note that boiling water does not remove nitrates and is not a treatment alternative. In fact, it increases nitrate concentrations as water evaporates. An ion exchange unit operates much like a household water softener.
The simplest solution is a water change. When you remove a volume of water from your aquarium, you remove all the nitrate in that volume. So, change half the water and you've removed 50 percent of the nitrate.
This process normally takes anywhere from 2-6 weeks. At temperatures below 70F, it takes even longer to cycle a tank.
Isopropyl alcohol (CAS #67-63-0) is also referred to as IPA, isopropanol, and 2-propanol. It dissolves a wide range of polar and non-polar soils, is it is often used to dissolve and remove light oils, fingerprints, cutting fluids, flux residues, carbon deposits, and mold release.
Normally, the consumption of activated carbon is high, and the decolorizing process may require doses of 10-20 g/L of activated carbon, which increase the production costs and vinegar losses, and cause a significant generation of residues (Achaerandio et al., 2002a,b; López et al., 2003) . ...
Vinegar promotes such processes in bacterial biofilms (masses) and other low oxygen areas. These process further reduce nitrate beyond their ordinary needs for nitrogen.
Carbon does not remove nitrates; although the use of carbon has its supporters and detractors, one aspect of activated carbon that is clear is that it cannot remove nitrates.
Activated carbon is most commonly used to filter water. It improves water quality, eliminates unpleasant odors, and removes chlorine and other pollutants. However, it's not sufficient for eliminating certain toxic organic compounds, significant levels of metals, fluoride, or pathogens.
Reverse osmosis can remove anywhere from 83-92% of nitrates. Reverse osmosis is popularly used to purify water used for drinking, cooking, and ice-making. RO systems are somewhat complex, requiring several stages of pre-filtration, storage tanks, and sometimes a pressure booster pump to increase feed line pressure.
It is important to understand that activated carbon does not remove several important toxins. Most notably, it does not remove ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate.
Aside from activated carbon, you can use other carbonized materials such as wood, bamboo, or coconut husk. They might not be able to soak up as much, but they can work wonders in some filtration scenarios. Zeolite, an exceptionally effective absorbent, is a mineral that occurs naturally.
If regeneration is not used, the carbon can be disposed of in an approved landfill.