# Activated charcoal.



## Veektoor (Oct 14, 2015)

So I keep seeing people talking about activated charcoal but it's all small pebles "bb sized". I was just wondering if I could add some to my abg mix, that's as fine as flour. I'm worried it could get into the pores of my future frogs although once mixed with the other substrate ingredients and moist this may not be a problem.

Any thoughts would be great. Broke my post virginity was it as good for me as it was for you!

V.


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## spider107 (Apr 1, 2008)

One of the main reasons for charcoal in the mix is to provide drainage, so in my opinion that would defeat the the purpose.


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## CronicdenDro (Jun 27, 2015)

What are you trying to gain by adding activated charcoal? Any filtering capacity it has would be used within the first month and then serve no other purpose but leaking phosphates into the soil which may act like fertilizer of some sort but no more so than animals would add.


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## cam1941 (Jan 16, 2014)

Activated charcoal is for fish tank filters... Its not the same as the charcoal you put in ABG substrate. 

The perfect charcoal to use is the charcoal that they sell for orchids. Its the right stuff plus it comes in the perfect size. The only problem is that its expensive. 

If you want to save some cash by organic real wood charcoal that hasn't been turned into brickets. You can put it in an old pillow case and break it up into smaller pieces yourself that way.


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## Jjl (Feb 2, 2014)

Doesn't ABG already have charcoal in it?


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## aspidites73 (Oct 2, 2012)

Jjl said:


> Doesn't ABG already have charcoal in it?


It has Horticultural charcoal not activated carbon


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## Veektoor (Oct 14, 2015)

Ok well Im making my own abg mix as I live in England and can't find any for sale pre made. I'm not particularly bothered about putting the activated charcoal in I just had some spare at home and kept reading recipes including it.

Thanks for the advice just trying to get everything perfect before I invest in some froggies!


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## aspidites73 (Oct 2, 2012)

Veektoor said:


> Ok well Im making my own abg mix as I live in England and can't find any for sale pre made. I'm not particularly bothered about putting the activated charcoal in I just had some spare at home and kept reading recipes including it.
> 
> Thanks for the advice just trying to get everything perfect before I invest in some froggies!


taken from NEHERP website here: New England Herpetoculture LLC - Horticultural Substrates


In an effort to dispel a myth; aquarium "activated carbon" is not charcoal, and it's not more beneficial than charcoal as a soil additive. (If it was, we'd offer it! ) Neither active carbon nor charcoal can "absorb harmful bacteria", or "keep the soil cleaner" as advertised by certain soil manufacturers. Charcoal is used as a horticultural soil additive due to it's beneficial ability to retain oxygen in the soil.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

CronicdenDro said:


> What are you trying to gain by adding activated charcoal? Any filtering capacity it has would be used within the first month and then serve no other purpose but leaking phosphates into the soil which may act like fertilizer of some sort but no more so than animals would add.


Google "Terra Preta", if you'd like to learn something new.


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## CronicdenDro (Jun 27, 2015)

Pumilo said:


> Google "Terra Preta", if you'd like to learn something new.


I googled it. Terra Preta has nothing to do with activated carbon. It instead is a farming practice and has to do with natives burning large swathes of land, mixing it into the soil and creating fertile land. This is the exact process that occurs after forest fires (minus the humans mixing the charcoal into the soil). When the steel axe was introduced by the Spanish it stopped as it was easier, faster, and safer to clear land with the axe than by burning. Terra Preta has also been discovered all over the world not making this a unique to one area practice either.


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

CronicdenDro said:


> I googled it. Terra Preta has nothing to do with activated carbon. It instead is a farming practice and has to do with natives burning large swathes of land, mixing it into the soil and creating fertile land. This is the exact process that occurs after forest fires (minus the humans mixing the charcoal into the soil). When the steel axe was introduced by the Spanish it stopped as it was easier, faster, and safer to clear land with the axe than by burning. Terra Preta has also been discovered all over the world not making this a unique to one area practice either.


Chris B is right on this--anthropologically and horticulturally. What, exactly, are people trying to do introducing charcoal into substrates? I usually get some combo of aeration and purification. Well--uh-uh...

Aeration comes from having different sized pieces that create tiny air spaces. depending on one's goal, this could be with an amendment such as bark, treefern, clay balls, coir chunks, etc. (Depending, because for an swamp, water edge, one might not use anything, because you want a dense substrate.)

There is no purification--keeping the substrate healthy is accomplished by healthy plant roots and tiny soil organisms (bacteria, springtails, isopods, etc.) Personally, I like to seed my tanks with a bit of leaf litter, but that's just me--some people fear introducing parasites (or snails!). 

But the point is, Chris and NE Herp are telling you the real deal--the idea that fish carbon helps terrarium substrate is simply not correct.


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## Veektoor (Oct 14, 2015)

aspidites73 said:


> Veektoor said:
> 
> 
> > Ok well Im making my own abg mix as I live in England and can't find any for sale pre made. I'm not particularly bothered about putting the activated charcoal in I just had some spare at home and kept reading recipes including it.
> ...


Thanks for the advice people!

England as in UK lol.


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## aspidites73 (Oct 2, 2012)

Veektoor said:


> Thanks for the advice people!
> 
> England as in UK lol.


You're welcome! Keep that aquarium carbon in the aquarium!

New England is in the USA lol


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## JPP (Mar 25, 2015)

Veektoor said:


> England as in UK lol.


NEHERP's information doesn't change just because you live across the pond, lol. 

Speaking of NEHERP, I see MeiKVR6 liked that post. What are you guys doing browsing the forum when you haven't even had time to update your newsletter in 4 months?  
What happened to the July 'Bakhuis' contest?


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## MeiKVR6 (Sep 16, 2008)

JPP said:


> NEHERP's information doesn't change just because you live across the pond, lol.
> 
> Speaking of NEHERP, I see MeiKVR6 liked that post. What are you guys doing browsing the forum when you haven't even had time to update your newsletter in 4 months?
> What happened to the July 'Bakhuis' contest?


^^^  My apologies for the delayed newsletter! (Winners of that contest have already received their awards, and we'll have an update for the upcoming newsletter.) 

We've had some recent family news which has kept us all incredibly busy over the past few months, but I promise we'll get back on track as soon as we can. It's nice knowing you are looking forward to the next newsletter though... Thank you!  As for me reading the forum... I've got to read something with the morning coffee, and it sure beats the news. 

Apologies for the thread hijack!


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