How to Replenish Charcoal in a Fiberglass Carbon Filter Tank

Charcoal is used as a chemical filtration medium in aquariums. Due to the substantial number of microscopic holes and passages within the charcoal's structure, these black granular chips trap fish waste. This organic waste material is removed from the aquarium when the charcoal is replenished. Charcoal is normally placed in a filter so that water which passes through this piece of equipment can carry fish waste to the charcoal. Material such as filter wool should be used to keep the charcoal free of large pieces of waste, but the filtering capacity of charcoal eventually becomes exhausted and it needs to be replaced.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquarium
  • Charcoal filter
  • New charcoal
  • 5-gallon bucket
  • Warm water
  • Running water from a tap
  • Toothbrush
  • Small nylon bag
  • 1 plastic cable tie
  • Filter wool
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Instructions

    • 1

      Unplug the power supply to the charcoal filter.

    • 2

      Remove the filter from the aquarium and place it into the five-gallon bucket. The filter will be wet, and the bucket will keep the water from dripping onto the floor.

    • 3

      Remove the nylon bag that contains the used charcoal and discard the old bag and charcoal. Remove the loose filter wool and discard it.

    • 4

      Fill half of the five-gallon bucket with warm water and soak the charcoal filter for 15 minutes. Using the toothbrush, clean off any algae that has accumulated on the body of the filter. Push the toothbrush inside the filter to remove any encrusted debris. Place the filter under a running tap and flush out the loose debris that had accumulated inside the filter.

    • 5

      Place the new charcoal in a nylon bag purchased from an aquarium dealer and rinse thoroughly under running water. Ensure that all the dust has been washed away. Continue to run water over the charcoal until the water runs clear after passing through the charcoal.

    • 6

      Secure the nylon bag with the cable tie.

    • 7

      Place the nylon bag into the designated filter compartment.

    • 8

      Place the filter wool into the filter so aquarium water flows over through the wool before it passes over the charcoal. This is to prevent dead and decaying aquatic plant material and other large pieces of debris from clogging the charcoal and reducing its life expectancy.

    • 9

      Return the filter to the aquarium and secure it in position against the inside tank glass with its associated stickers.

    • 10

      Plug the filter into a wall power supply and turn on.