Question about media, carbon, and using brick type media in HOB

[MoshJosh]

Running a Tidal 35 on my nano (15 gallon). I am wondering if it is worth upgrading to a Tidal 55 for more room in the media basket. . . but is it needed? I was thinking about getting a Marinepure brick and cutting it to shape, but is it any better than the standard Seachem Matrix that comes with these filters?

Also, I currently have Chemipure blue in my tidal 35, but the media seems sort of crammed into the back, and definitely had to be crammed into the filter. . . is that effecting waters ability to flow through it, and will it effect the medias. . . effectiveness?

 

[LeftyReefer]

I use the Tidal 110 on one of my tanks.
I run (2) coarse blue sponges, on bottom.
(2) pinky filter floss (cut to size), in the middle.
(1) bag of seachem matrix on top of the sponges.
(1) bag of carbon (occasionally)

I don't think you will notice any difference between having matrix or marine pure block in the filter. both work fine and I don't think one or the other is going to matter or be better than the other one. I would not bother swapping them out, you won't notice any difference.