acivated carbon in a freshwater planted aquarium

Question
hi chris..

i have a 30 gallon tank that's been up for about a year but i just added the plants about a 4 months ago.. i have 1 archerfish (about 3 inches)and 2 black mollies (about 1 1/2 inches).. im using 2 hob filters without activated carbon both rated 150GPH, i use sera filter wool sandwiched between 2 aquaclear foam blocks, i have never used carbon in this aquarium.. ammonia, nitrite and pH levels are all normal.. i change 20% of my water every sunday and i wash my filter media alternately every month..

i put in some driftwood about 6 months ago, i washed it and soaked it before i put it in my tank but still after several months, my water is still tea colored.. even after a 50% water change it still wouldn't clear up.. would it be ok if i use activated carbon to remove the tannins from my water? wouldn't it affect my plants?

Answer
Hi Paolo;

The carbon would help remove the color but since I'm not a plant expert I don't know how if affects them. Tannic acid is what causes the color and it can leach out of the wood for several months. Change the carbon once a week if you decide to use it. Once it's been in use for more than about 5 to 7 days it's little micro-pores get full and can't absorb anything more.

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins