Carbon Aquarium
An Introduction To The Planted Aquarium
Many aquarium keepers think that a planted aquarium is much more difficult to maintain than an unplanted one, but live plants will actually help the aquarium owner with the maintenance work by having a beneficial influence on the water quality.
A well-planted aquarium can also reduce stress in fishes and make them more prone to spawning. Many common fish diseases will primarily attack stressed fish, and providing your aquarium inhabitants with a safe and restful environment that is similar to their native home is therefore a very wise decision.
There are however many fish species that should not be kept with plants since they will destroy them. There are also many fish species that will feel more at home in an aquarium decorated with rocks and caves, or empty sea shells, than with plants. (You can of course combine live plants, rocks and empty sea shells in the same setup.)
If you are a beginner aquarium keeper, or have not kept live plants before, you should ideally begin with sturdy plant species such as Java Fern or Amazon sword. These plants can adapt to a wide range of different water conditions, which means that you can place them in most aquariums regardless of exact temperature, pH and hardiness.
They are also sturdy enough to withstand nibbling fishes, and if a plant becomes uprooted by a digging fish it is usually not a catastrophe for the plant. If your fishes are very fond of digging, you can instead opt for floating plants or plants that can be attached to aquarium decoration instead of being planted in the substrate.
All plants will need light, carbon dioxide and nutrition to survive, but some plants are more demanding than others. The sturdy plant species mentioned above can be kept in an ordinary aquarium with only standard aquarium light, no added carbon dioxide and no fertilization.
If you choose plants that are native to clear waters or plants that grow close to the surface in very sunny regions of the world, they can require very powerful lights, such as fluorescent bulbs or metal halide. Between these two extremes you will find the moderately demanding plant species that need roughly twice as much light as the standard light in an aquarium.
A common recommendation for moderately light demanding plant species is 20W for each square foot of tank surface area, or 2W per gallon of water. These recommendations are however quite vague and the only way to find out exactly how much your particular plants need is of course to research each plant species.
The necessary amount of light will also be affected by other factors, such as how densely planted your aquarium is and how far down the light has to penetrate.
As mentioned above, all plants need light, carbon dioxide and nutrition to survive and if you adjust one of these three factors you will often need to adjust the other two as well. Never add extra light without first finding out if you need to add more nutrients and/or carbon dioxide to the water as well.
Carbon dioxide and nutrients are naturally produced by your fish, but for some plants species this is not enough and they will need additional carbon dioxide and/or fertilizers to be able to fully benefit from the increased light.
About the Author
Allen Jesson writes for several sites including
http://www.seapets.co.uk
, the UK’s leading retailer of
aquariums and fish tanks
and
http://www.saltwaterfreshwateraquarium.com
, an excellent information resource for any owner of a
salt water or fresh water aquarium
.
New, improved design of carbon dioxide generator (for aquariums)
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Acurel LLC Premium Activated Filter Carbon Aquarium and Pond Filter Accessory, 1 $11.79 |
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8.0″ x 5.5″ Nylon Aquarium Carbon Media Filter Bag (3) $6.99 |
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AQUA-TECH 20-40 30-60 EZ-Change FILTER CARTRIDGE #3 Aquarium Water Carbon NEW $21.75 |
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0.5 micron Carbon Block RO Aquarium-20 Filters-10x 2.5 $179.95 |
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Aqua Medic Carbon/Chemical reactor for Fresh or Salt Water Aquariums NEW! $59.99 |
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Black Diamond Aquarium Carbon Media Marineland 3.65L $25.95 |
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Black Diamond Aquarium Carbon Media Marineland 900ml $9.95 |
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Black Diamond Aquarium Carbon Media Marineland 1.87L $15.95 |
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Black Diamond Aquarium Carbon Media Marineland 440ml $5.95 |
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AQUA-TECH ACTIVATED CARBON for ALL Aquarium Filters NEW $11.99 |
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Magnum 220 and 350 Carbon Container for Aquariums $7.50 |
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Reptile/Aquarium Heat Mat – Safe Carbon Fiber Design $13.50 |
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1.4L Pura Granular Activated Carbon/Filter Bag Aquarium $18.95 |
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Bulk Aquarium Activated Carbon 15 pounds $46.99 |
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Bulk Aquarium Fish Activated Carbon 12 pounds $39.99 |
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Bulk Aquarium Highly Activated Cocont Shell Carbon Gold 5 pounds $25.00 |
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Carbon Block Revers Osmosis Water Filters RO Aquarium 1 Micron 10pc $50.00 |
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Reverse Osmosis System Carbon Block Water Filters RO Aquarium 1 Micron 10pc $50.00 |
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★★★ HOT SALE US ★★★ Aquarium Super Activated Carbon Filter Sponge for FishTank $0.99 |
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Multioutlet Carbon Dioxide Diffuser Green for Aquarium $14.65 |
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Fish Tank Aquarium Filter Sponge Carbon Biochemical $4.51 |
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Aquarium Fish Tank Bio-sponge Active Carbon Octagon Filter $10.88 |
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2.2 Pounds or 1000 Grams of Aquarium Activated Carbon And 1 Filter Zip Net Bag $8.25 |
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AQUA-TECH 20-40 30-60 EZ-Change FILTER CARTRIDGE #3 Aquarium Water Carbon NEW $21.75 |
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Sub micron 0.5 micron Carbon Block Water Filter 4 ea. Aquarium RO Giardia Cyst $44.95 |
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Carbon Dioxide Multi-direction Aquarium Diffuser Reactor Green $14.66 |
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STAR REEF AQUARIUM ACTIVATED CARBON CHARCOAL FILTER MEDIA $10.00 |
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PENN PLAX 28 OZ. PRO-CARB ACTIVATED CARBON for the aquarium removes toxins $6.00 |
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Carbon Dioxide Multi-direction Aquarium Diffuser Reactor Green $14.81 |
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2.5 lbs Activated Carbon – Aquarium, Pond, Water Filter – NEW and unused! $13.99 |
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HIGH ACTIVATED CARBON* FOR HOUSE, ALCOHOL, AQUARIUM FILTERS! PICK A SIZE!! $8.79 |
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AQUA-TECH 20-40 30-60 EZ-Change FILTER CARTRIDGE #3 Aquarium Water Carbon NEW $21.75 |
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STAR AQUARIUM POND FISH TANK FILTER MEDIA ACTIVATED CARBON $10.00 |
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20″ Sediment/Carbon Water Filter(7)RO/Aquarium/Home $46.95 |
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STAR AQUARIUM POND FISH TANK ACTIVATED CARBON 1 YEAR SUPPLY $40.00 |
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STAR 4X REEF AQUARIUM ACTIVATED CARBON CHARCOAL FILTER MEDIA $26.00 |
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2x Aquarium Fish Tank Biochemical Carbon Filter Sponges $1.90 |
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Activated Carbon Aquarium Pond PHOSPHATE FREE 5 pounds 4mm Pellets $22.95 |
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C-500 500g Activated Carbon Filter Fish Aquarium Tank $8.00 |
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Nylon Aquarium / pond Carbon Media Filter Bag 15″x10″ $7.99 |
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Nylon Aquarium / pond Carbon Media Filter Bag 7″x10″ $6.99 |
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Fluval 2 “Plus” Carbon Filter Pads for Fish Aquarium $10.19 |
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Fluval 3 “Plus” Carbon Filter Pads for Fish Aquarium $12.71 |
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InLine GAC Post Carbon Water Filter 10″, RO , Aquarium $5.65 |
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10″ Sediment/Carbon Water Filter(1)RO/Aquarium/Drinking $9.95 |
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Sediment/Carbon Water Filter(6)Replacement/Aquarium/RO $49.95 |
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6 PACK POLY/CARBON FLUVAL U U4 INTERNAL AQUARIUM FILTER $22.30 |
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Sediment/Carbon Water Filter(6)RO/Replacement/Aquarium $28.95 |
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Sediment/Carbon Water Filter(10)RO/Aquarium/Replacement $37.95 |
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Sediment/Carbon Water Filter(5)Reverse Osmosis/Aquarium $26.95 |
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Reptile/Aquarium Heat Mat – Safe Carbon Fiber Design $13.50 |
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20 lb BEST quality Activated Carbon Aquarium Pond $49.99 |
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10 lb BEST quality Activated Carbon Aquarium Pond $29.99 |
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15 lb BEST quality Activated Carbon Aquarium Pond $39.99 |
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Inline Carbon Water Filter(10″)Reverse Osmosis/Aquarium $31.95 |
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Inline Carbon Water Filter(10″)Reverse Osmosis/Aquarium $15.95 |
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Reef Aquarium Activated Carbon Charcoal Live Coral 1Lb $4.99 |
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Fluval Carbon 375g Box Activated Carbon For Aquarium Filters. $14.21 |
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sera SUPER CARBON 8.8oz Aquarium Filter Media $5.57 |
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20 LBS Premier Activated Carbon For Aquarium Pond Reef $49.99 |
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1 x Box of Juwel Aquarium Compact Super Rekord 60 & 80 Filter Pads & Carbon $8.68 |
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2pc Biochemical Aquarium Fish Tank Carbon Filter Sponge !!! Free Sample Offer !! $1.00 |
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W21.8-14 Precise CO2 Carbon Dioxide Regulator Aquarium $129.99 |
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DEEP BLUE CARBON FILTER PAD AQUARIUM 18 ” X 10 ” NEW FREE SHIPPING $8.99 |
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Elite Carbon Cartridge for Hush 5 Power Aquarium Filter, 2-Pack $9.74 |
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Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Activated Filter Carbon 22oz. $10.49 |
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Lee`s Aquarium Disposable Carbon Cart For Premium $4.67 |
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Aqua Clear Carbon insert 3 pk for aquariums $4.79 |
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Aqua Clear Carbon insert 3 pk for aquariums $5.25 |
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Aqua Clear Carbon insert 3 pk for aquariums $6.49 |
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Aqua Clear Carbon insert 3 pk for aquariums $9.89 |
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NEW Bulk Aqua Tech ACTIVATED Carbon For Aquarium Pump Filters and Filtration $14.25 |
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Fish Tank Aquarium Filter Sponge Carbon Biochemical $4.51 |
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Biochemical Aquarium Sponge Fish Tank Carbon Filter $7.77 |
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Reptile/Aquarium Heat Mat – Safe Carbon Fiber Design $13.50 |
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FIN’S ACTIVATED CARBON FOR FRESH-WATER AND SALT-WATER AQUARIUMS PH-STABLE $5.99 |
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Reef Aquarium Reverse Osmosis AutoTop Off Dual Carbon Block 75GPD Water Filter $169.00 |
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Fluval 4 “Plus” Carbon Filter Pads for Fish Aquarium $15.47 |
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Fish Aquarium Blue Sponge Biochemical Carbon Filter $7.77 |
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FLUVAL U2 2 PACK POLY CARBON AQUARIUM FILTER CARTRIDGE NEW IN BOX $9.99 |
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5pcs Nylon Mesh Aquarium Pond Filter Media Bag Net Bag w/ Zip for Carbon Ceramic $0.99 |
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S5 CO2 Diffuser Aquarium Glass Carbon Dioxide Reactor New $6.99 |
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Efficient Practical Pond Reef Aquarium Filter 500g Activated Carbon Filtration $9.69 |
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Pond Reef Aquarium Filter 500g Activated Carbon Charcoal Water Odor Filtration $9.69 |
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500g Pond Reef Aquarium Filter Activated Carbon Charcoal Water Odor Filtration $9.69 |
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Bulk 500g Premium Activated Carbon For Pond Reef Aquarium Water Odor Filtration $9.69 |
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500g Premium Activated Carbon Charcoal Aquarium Pond Canister Filter Phosphate $9.69 |
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Carbon Shrimp Net – Live Cherry Crystal Red Aquarium $9.49 |
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Pond Reef Aquarium Filter 500g Activated Carbon Combo Air Water Odor Filtration $9.69 |
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Practical Useful Aquarium Fish Tank Biochemical Carbon Filter Sponges Foam Pad $1.23 |
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500g Premium Activated Carbon For Pond Reef Aquarium Air Water Odor Filtration $9.69 |
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500g Premium Pond Reef Aquarium Filter Activated Carbon Water Odor Filtration $9.69 |
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Activated Carbon Charcoal Air Scrubber Refill 500g Pond Reef Aquarium Filter E $9.69 |
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300g Premium Activated Carbon Filter Media – Aquarium External Filters $7.88 |
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5 Stage Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System With Storage Tank Removes Fluoride $122.99 Five Stage Residential Reverse Osmosis System Fifty Gallons Per Day produces pure water fast Most RO’s sold in stores locally have only 25 GPD membranes or less! This system will refill your tank more than twice as fast., system features 5-stages of treatment, STAGE 1 – 5 micron sediment pre-filtration for mechanical reduction of rust and particulate, and provides membrane protection STAGE 2 – gra… |
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SodaStream 60-Litre Carbonators Spare Cylinders $29.99 1 Cylinder… |
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Water Distiller, Countertop, White Enamel, Glass Collection $199.00 Nutriteam’s counter top white distiller is stainless steel inside with a durable white outside. Now includes glass nozzle (pictured above) so that your filter sits in glass instead of plastic. Included in the package is: You can be sure that you are drinking the freshest and purest water by dis… |
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Pondmaster PMK1250 Pond Filter with 250gph Pump and Bonus Fountain Head $81.95 For ponds up to 600 gallons, 250 gph flow, pumps seven feet high. The complete garden pond filter system includes Pondmaster 1000 with 12″ x 12″ dual filter elements, Supreme Mag-Drive Pump, two free Fountain Kits, and all the connectors, fittings, and filter media. Mag-Drive Pump draws water through the filter and creates fountain effects…. |
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Tetra 26160 Whisper Bio-Bag Cartridge, Unassembled, Medium, 12-Pack $8.02 Tetra Whisper Bio-Bag Cartridge – Unassembled – 12 packWhisper Bio-Bag Cartridges complete the Whisper Power Filter package for a clean, easy-to-maintain aquarium. Filled with Ultra-Activated carbon, the ready-to-use disposable single packs remove waste particles, odors and discoloration, and are easily changed once a month…. |
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Betta Foods Activated Charcoal Powder, 18-ounce Can $19.99 Activated Charcoal powder which is odorless and tasteless.Used in hydroponic systems, fishtanks, swimming pools, air conditioners and filtration systems to filter organic impurities out of water, air and fluids. Charcoal is carbon. Activated charcoal is charcoal that has been treated with oxygen to open up millions of tiny pores between the carbon atoms…. |
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55 Lb Bulk Ultra – carb Pellets (Catalog Category: Aquarium / Novelty Rawhide-bulk) $518.05 55 Lb Bulk Ultra – carb Pellets. Loving Pets – 55 Bulk Ultra Carb PelletsFOR FRESH AND Salt Water AquariumS Because of its greater absorption capacity, Ultra Carb is effective many times longer than other carbonsThe most effective medium to clear aquariums of toxic organic substances, discoloration and foul odor Helps keep aquarium water clear This highly activated carbon is many times more effic… |
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Sunforce 82328 80W Solar Submersible Water Pump Kit $715.28 This Sunforce submersible water pump is powered by an 80 Watt, 24V monocrystalline solar panel. Ideal for areas with high sun exposure, providing an 8-hour continuous duty cycle on average. Can be used for flood control, sump pump applications, drainage, industrial applications and more. GPM: 1/50, Volts: 24, Amps: 4, Watts: 80, Duty Cycle (hrs.): 8… |
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Sera 8400 / 8405 Super Carbon Aquarium Filter Media Size: 1000 g Sera 8400 / 8405 Sera Super Carbon quickly and reliably absorbs toxic substances and colorants from the aquarium water. The yellowish tint of the aquarium water disappears. The water becomes crystal clear. Sera Super Carbon does not affect the pH value. Sera Super Carbon is free from phosphate and nitrate. You should for a short while increase the amount of sera super carbon in the filter after a … |
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Sera 8400 / 8405 Super Carbon Aquarium Filter Media Size: 250 g Sera 8400 / 8405 Sera Super Carbon quickly and reliably absorbs toxic substances and colorants from the aquarium water. The yellowish tint of the aquarium water disappears. The water becomes crystal clear. Sera Super Carbon does not affect the pH value. Sera Super Carbon is free from phosphate and nitrate. You should for a short while increase the amount of sera super carbon in the filter after a … |