I was wondering if you could help me out with your expertise and knowledge.
Can I put anthracite coal,-’hard coal’ into a fish aquarium? The reason I ask is that I’m worried that it may cause a chemical or biological problem. Does coal have any impurities in with the carbon that will be released and affect water that fish are kept in? Will coal release any toxins in water that could be removed by soaking it in a bucket of water before adding to a fish tank, to get solubles out of it? The fish I wish to keep in the aquarium are African Cichlids that have to be kept in a high PH water hardness (about 8). I’ve come to this forum to ask this question as I’ve had very little comment or feed back on tropical fish forums, I was hoping that a chemist or geologist may be able to shed some light on this burning matter of mine.
In a nut shell, what toxins will coal release when submerged in water?? i.e. acid, sulphur, arsenic, ( or none as it is inert)???
I can give more detail to the aquarium size/set up, and amount of coal to be present in the tank if needed. The reason for wanting to use coal is that it is relatively cheap, light weight, not razor sharp, and black and shiny.
Also, will there be an easy way for testing for toxins?
carbon filters are even used to help clean the water in fish tanks as part of the filtering process (however, it maybe a certain type of carbon??). i'm interested in knowing wheather it will release toxins into the water. i have read an evironmental article about how abandened coal mines get build ups of water which then finds it way in to rivers creating high acidity levels which is obviously devastating for wild life. i'm wondering wheather that if the coal begins to break down after sometime in the tank that something like sulphur could be released from it??
to be honest i have not got a clue really! thought it would be worthwhile throwing the idea towards geologists.
obsidian. where to find it is the only problem, there's no volcanos near my house! lol. you wouldn't believe the prices they charge in the local pet stores for rocks.
i'm in Wales in the U.K. theres plenty of Anhtrasite in this region, and slate which could also be a good bet.
Yes, slate is very good and completely non-reactive.
There might be some obsidian in Wales, there are plenty of ancient volcanoes....I've never been to Wales looking at geology there, maybe other members can help though
I think I may have seen you on one of those fish forums!
The problem you would have is that anthracite would act pretty much as activated carbon does in a filter. Soaking up pollutants to a point and then leaching them back into the water. In effect you would need to keep changing it all the time!
yep i think that the overall feeling is it would be a bad idea! it would look great on the eye, but expensive on the pocket when having to replace the fish all the time! perhaps i'll do it an not add any fish!
Sorry about the above, feel free to remove them - I would have done it myself except that I can't find a "delete post" button anywhere. Dan [my cousin] was being a "Trotters Independent Trader"!
To be honest I was having trouble seeing all of the posts for this thread; I could only see al's first reply which is why my first post was a bit redundant. Although, that may be because the computers at work are still running on something like Windows '86!
Even now I'm at home though, and logged in I still can't edit the post which says something like "Ben.i love" - there is no edit button like there is on the other posts?
To be honest I was having trouble seeing all of the posts for this thread; I could only see al's first reply which is why my first post was a bit redundant. Although, that may be because the computers at work are still running on something like Windows '86!
Even now I'm at home though, and logged in I still can't edit the post which says something like "Ben.i love" - there is no edit button like there is on the other posts?
Strange...there are a few oddities with this forum, which I will investigate over the weekend. I can't delete the posts because of the way the forums works, you reply to another post, so if I delete the post, it will also delete any comments that are a reply to it. There should be an edit button though...could you tell me your browser, OS, etc?
Rank: Gypsum
Joined: 14/09/2006
Points: 54
I had a meal at Strada recently and the water they give you is apparently 'anthracite filtered' but I'm not dead yet!!
I'm afraid I don't know much about fish - except what they taste like!
Rank: Talc
Joined: 22/02/2007
Points: 5
carbon filters are even used to help clean the water in fish tanks as part of the filtering process (however, it maybe a certain type of carbon??). i'm interested in knowing wheather it will release toxins into the water. i have read an evironmental article about how abandened coal mines get build ups of water which then finds it way in to rivers creating high acidity levels which is obviously devastating for wild life. i'm wondering wheather that if the coal begins to break down after sometime in the tank that something like sulphur could be released from it??
to be honest i have not got a clue really! thought it would be worthwhile throwing the idea towards geologists.
Rank: Topaz
Joined: 18/12/2006
Points: 2980
Coal contains sulphur and other impurities. It's likely to change your water chemistry, so probably not the best thing to put in.
If you want a lump of black rock, try some obsidian, that'll look very good!
Geologists are gneiss!!
Rank: Talc
Joined: 22/02/2007
Points: 5
obsidian. where to find it is the only problem, there's no volcanos near my house! lol. you wouldn't believe the prices they charge in the local pet stores for rocks.
i'm in Wales in the U.K. theres plenty of Anhtrasite in this region, and slate which could also be a good bet.
Rank: Topaz
Joined: 18/12/2006
Points: 2980
Yes, slate is very good and completely non-reactive.
There might be some obsidian in Wales, there are plenty of ancient volcanoes....I've never been to Wales looking at geology there, maybe other members can help though
Geologists are gneiss!!
Rank: Talc
Joined: 22/02/2007
Points: 5
thanks very much jon for the information. yep, sulphur would not be good in an aquarium!
Rank: Fluorite
Joined: 31/12/2004
Points: 303
Hi Andrew,
I think I may have seen you on one of those fish forums!
The problem you would have is that anthracite would act pretty much as activated carbon does in a filter. Soaking up pollutants to a point and then leaching them back into the water. In effect you would need to keep changing it all the time!
Ben.
Rank: Fluorite
Joined: 31/12/2004
Points: 303
Ben.i love
Ben.
Rank: Fluorite
Joined: 31/12/2004
Points: 303
Same again! Sorry!
Ben.
Rank: Fluorite
Joined: 31/12/2004
Points: 303
My cousin posting rubbish now amended.
Ben.
Rank: Topaz
Joined: 18/12/2006
Points: 2980
Keep control of your cousin
Geologists are gneiss!!
Rank: Talc
Joined: 22/02/2007
Points: 5
yep i think that the overall feeling is it would be a bad idea! it would look great on the eye, but expensive on the pocket when having to replace the fish all the time! perhaps i'll do it an not add any fish!
thanks again.
Rank: Fluorite
Joined: 31/12/2004
Points: 303
Hi Jon,
Sorry about the above, feel free to remove them - I would have done it myself except that I can't find a "delete post" button anywhere. Dan [my cousin] was being a "Trotters Independent Trader"!
To be honest I was having trouble seeing all of the posts for this thread; I could only see al's first reply which is why my first post was a bit redundant. Although, that may be because the computers at work are still running on something like Windows '86!
Even now I'm at home though, and logged in I still can't edit the post which says something like "Ben.i love" - there is no edit button like there is on the other posts?
Ben.
Rank: Topaz
Joined: 18/12/2006
Points: 2980
To be honest I was having trouble seeing all of the posts for this thread; I could only see al's first reply which is why my first post was a bit redundant. Although, that may be because the computers at work are still running on something like Windows '86!
Even now I'm at home though, and logged in I still can't edit the post which says something like "Ben.i love" - there is no edit button like there is on the other posts?
Strange...there are a few oddities with this forum, which I will investigate over the weekend. I can't delete the posts because of the way the forums works, you reply to another post, so if I delete the post, it will also delete any comments that are a reply to it. There should be an edit button though...could you tell me your browser, OS, etc?
Geologists are gneiss!!
Rank: Fluorite
Joined: 31/12/2004
Points: 303
Sure, I'm using Internet Explorer 6, running on Windows XP Home Edition, version 5.1.2600.
Ben.