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Activated carbon possesses a strong capacity for both \"physical adsorption\" and \"chemical adsorption\", allowing it to absorb certain organic compounds and thereby remove them. By utilizing this principle, it is possible to quickly and effectively eliminate harmful substances, odors, and pigments from the water in an aquarium, resulting in an immediate and significant improvement in water quality. Aquarium stores offer a variety of activated carbon products, and it is difficult for many aquarium enthusiasts to distinguish between good and bad ones. Some products are nothing but charcoal and cannot effectively remove harmful substances; such products that appear to be charcoal on the surface usually have a glossy finish, and it is best not to purchase them. Good activated carbon products have undergone \"activation treatment.\" By \"activation treatment,\" it is meant that during the manufacturing process, the porosity of the activated carbon is significantly increased, thereby enhancing its adsorption capacity. However, it is very difficult to tell with the naked eye whether a product has undergone “activation treatment”; usually, one can only make a judgment based on the product’s specifications. Furthermore, remember that the smaller the particles, the better the effect. Because the greater its total surface area, the more pores it has. However, the particles should not be too fine and turn into powder, as this could cause inconvenience in use and affect the filtering flow rate of the filter. A particle size of about 1 mm in diameter is generally preferred. Although activated carbon can be used to remove suspended solids from water, its pores are quickly blocked by these solids, causing it to lose its original effectiveness. Therefore, it should be placed below the filter media, so that the filter media can first remove the suspended particles from the water. The soluble harmful substances that cannot be removed by the filter media are then dealt with by the activated carbon. To prevent the activated carbon, with its very small particles, from entering the aquarium at the end of the water filtration process, and also to facilitate replacement in the future, it is best to use it as the second layer of filtering material, with other filtering materials such as biological filter balls and ceramic rings placed beneath it. When using activated carbon, the following points should be kept in mind: 1. Clean it to remove dust before use, otherwise this black dust may temporarily affect the purity of the water quality. However, it is recommended not to rinse it directly with fresh tap water, as the porous structure of activated carbon, once it absorbs large amounts of chlorine and bleach from the tap water, will cause damage to water quality when used in a filter later on; I doubt there’s any need to explain further. 2. Simple regular cleaning is not sufficient to remove the debris that clogs the porous spaces of activated carbon. Therefore, it is essential to replace the activated carbon regularly to prevent it from losing its effectiveness due to \"adsorption saturation\". Moreover, it is best not to wait until it stops working before replacing it; this ensures that the activated carbon can continuously remove harmful substances from the water quality in the aquarium. It is recommended to replace it 1-2 times per month! 3. The efficiency of activated carbon in treating water quality is related to its dosage; generally, \"the greater the dosage, the better the effect on water treatment.\" 4. After quantitatively specified activated carbon is put into use, water quality changes should be monitored frequently in the initial period, and the observation results should be noted as a basis for determining how long it takes before the activated carbon becomes ineffective and needs to be replaced. 5. When using agents to treat fish diseases, activated carbon should be removed temporarily and its use suspended. To prevent the medication from being absorbed by activated carbon and thereby reducing its therapeutic effect.