repurpose home air cleaner spare charcoal filter?

[HelplessNewbie]

Is it safe to use spare activated charcoal prefilters for home air cleaner, and wrap it around the sponge filter and use in my tank? I am hoping to remove any possible chemical impurities...if there are any.

Tank not yet cycled, so will this just impede the cycling?

Edited June 3, 2023 by HelplessNewbie

[Lennie]

Where does the  potential chemical impurities come from? I think you shouldn't worry. Did you use soap or sth? Is the tank used before? Did you pour in sth by a mistake, or dive in with a hand lotion, etc?

If not, just treat your water with something like prime and that's it.

I understand you to ask and try to understand, and as a newbie it is amazing.

But I feel like some people cause you to worry out of nowhere. You don't need active carbon in a new tank really. If you happen to face some accidents or medicine applications in the future, you can use carbon.

 

I have no clue about home air cleaners, not sure what they are or if aquarium safe.

But relax and try to enjoy your hobby. By asking questions and researching, you are doing much better than most people already 🙂

Edited June 4, 2023 by Lennie

[HelplessNewbie]

Lennie, nothing I know of... I was thinking of the soap or ammonia based glass cleaner (wiped a bathroom mirror) residue that could have been on my skin when I forgot to rinse my hands before reaching into the tank. This may have happened 3 times. Tank is brand new, no animals, just newly bought plants. Had applied water conditioner, denitrifying bacteria, easy green. Am only on day 4.

What is sth?