Which Activated Carbon Do You Use?

[Dr.Xipoles]

Not all carbon is the same, BRS proved it. I use red sea. I used to use the pellet stuff and when i changed to red sea i could see and SMELL the difference in the tank. I also have an open concept sump and prefer it in a reactor over a filter bag. Its kind of hard to put it in the reactor since i built it myself, but it stays cleaner and last longer and doesn't tumble. I have a good amount of filter floss inside the reactor just in case so the carbon doesn't get prematurely clogged.

 

[furyofthegnomes]

I recently switched to Red Sea from BRS, like just last week recently, so no real long term comparison. So far though I'm very happy with it. I used to use rox in a reactor but I could see the flow output slow a little every day, so much so that after ten days it was pretty much a trickle. It just kept clogging up. This past summer I sat through a lecture at my lfs by Red Sea and the guy mentioned that you could put their carbon in a filter but he recommended just putting it in the bag it came with, I think it was so that it didn't clog because it's pretty much the same size as rox but don't fully remember. Anyways, I put it in a bag and shoved it between baffles and for the last ten days my water has been nice. Also if you want to go with a reactor for outside your tank Aquamaxx makes some that can hang from the rim of your sump. That's what I was using as I had no room in my sump.

 

[CCK_8814]

Thanks for all the input guys. I did look into the reactors that hang on the outside of the sump but my sump only has about 1/2” clearance around it inside my cabinet stand. I had it built to give me the largest volume I could but still be able to fit in and out of my stand without too much hassle. I’m considering switching from a 7” filter sock to a 4” since that will give me a little extra room and possibly allow for me to add a reactor.

 

[HB AL]

My current tank is filled with all kinds of different corals so i run kent marine carbon in the sump 24/7.Ive been using it for the last 15+years in all my tanks fresh and salt. I also run purigen in my sump 24/7 and phosgaurd in my sump. I have alot of beautiful fish and corals thus i have a high bioload thus the reason for the purigen and phosgaurd 24/7 in bags in the sump.

 

[spllbnd2]

BRS Rox 0.8

 

[ajm83]

Anyone used fluval carbon? I'm using it and it seems fine but always looking for gains!

 

[Water Dog]

In a media bag, I use ROX carbon. In a reactor, I use Seachem Matrix carbon with the sponges sitting right on top of the carbon (no tumbling), as the spherical shape of the Matrix carbon allows water to flow evenly through all of the carbon without clogging or channeling.

 

[CCK_8814]

In a media bag, I use ROX carbon. In a reactor, I use Seachem Matrix carbon with the sponges sitting right on top of the carbon (no tumbling), as the spherical shape of the Matrix carbon allows water to flow evenly through all of the carbon without clogging or channeling.

When using the rox .8 in a media bag where do you place it?

 

[Water Dog]

I have a Trigger 26 sump. There’s an egg crate media tray between the baffles / bubble trap between the refugium and return sections.

 

[Pntbll687]

I use this carbon from aquatop.

The company I work for sells it, so I get it at stupid low price. I mainly use it to take the little bit of color or of the water.
It does it's job, it's cheap, and comes with two media bags!!

 

[|sCRIBe|]

I use carbon by KZ

 

[CCK_8814]

I have a Trigger 26 sump. There’s an egg crate media tray between the baffles / bubble trap between the refugium and return sections.

Ya I think I’m going to look into a new sump with chambers. I like the open concept of my current sump because it makes it easy to throw livestock or coral down there for whatever reason if needed. But I’m seeing more pros to switching over to something like a trigger crystal cube sump or similar.

 

[CCK_8814]

My current tank is filled with all kinds of different corals so i run kent marine carbon in the sump 24/7.Ive been using it for the last 15+years in all my tanks fresh and salt. I also run purigen in my sump 24/7 and phosgaurd in my sump. I have alot of beautiful fish and corals thus i have a high bioload thus the reason for the purigen and phosgaurd 24/7 in bags in the sump.

I just picked up a bag of the Kent marine carbon. Hard to say anything about it really just yet, only added it Sunday but so far seems to work as it should.

 

[CCK_8814]

I use this carbon from aquatop.

The company I work for sells it, so I get it at stupid low price. I mainly use it to take the little bit of color or of the water.
It does it's job, it's cheap, and comes with two media bags!!

Hmm I’ll have to look into it. Thanks for the info!

 

[HB AL]

I just picked up a bag of the Kent marine carbon. Hard to say anything about it really just yet, only added it Sunday but so far seems to work as it should.

It will be fine, it’s always in stock at my lfs’s but I buy the 1.9lb containers off amazon because of the huge savings, it’s really good carbon, always available and the price isn’t out of control.

 

[CCK_8814]

It will be fine, it’s always in stock at my lfs’s but I buy the 1.9lb containers off amazon because of the huge savings, it’s really good carbon, always available and the price isn’t out of control.

Ya one of my LFS sells it in bulk packaging, 2.5lbs for $24.99. Seemed decent for in store pricing. Still debating on which carbon to switch to permanently. Most likely will come down to if and where I can fit a carbon reactor.

 

[Pntbll687]

Hmm I’ll have to look into it. Thanks for the info!

its relatively new from aquatop. The 53oz is the largest they sell, and a fare price at an lfs would be in the $17-$19 with normal margins on dry goods.

 

[CCK_8814]

its relatively new from aquatop. The 53oz is the largest they sell, and a fare price at an lfs would be in the $17-$19 with normal margins on dry goods.

Oh wow that’s really cheap. I’ll have to look for it.

 

[jda]

I will use any of it that is phosphate free. I do not need it to do much, though. The last time that I bought, I got a 55 pound sack on eBay for like $75 shipped in the larger pelleted size.

I HATE the .8 stuff... way too small and likes to escape in small numbers from my media reactors. I usually buy a larger size and I still have about half of a 5g bucket of the .8 that I walk past.

 

[reef4u]

So sounds like rox.8 is the general consensus. I’m guessing none of my LFS will have it in stock so now I’ll ask what would you recommend I use for the time being? I have water changes tomorrow so need something to get me by for that. As I mentioned I have to change carbon every 3-4 days due to warfare but changing tomorrow should get me through till some rox 8 comes in.

Well i would use the api for the time being you can find that everywhere