Activated Carbon

[FishFanMan]

Which is better, pellets or granular? I've been using pellets but now thinking granular is better? Seems like for the same volume granular would have more surface area?

Where do you buy good, economical bulk activated carbon?

[fljones3]

I think that you will find most of us do not use carbon at all. I fill my canister with as much bio-media as possible.

[FishFanMan]

My wife told me I can have a big tank in the family room only if it doesn't smell at all like a fish tank. In order to comply, I use copious amount of AC! In both my discus tank and my anemone tank.

[danotaylor]

Since it is porous I am not certain 1 would have any benefit over the other...

[FishFanMan]

Well it just seems the granular would have more surface area for the same volume? That's my non expert opinion? Do pores go deep in the pellets? Seems like water really won't flow into the core of the pellets?

123414

[danotaylor]

I'm no expert either to be sure, but water doesn't flow through AC, it grabs stuff & holds it...basically it absorbs stuff...i hope it works for your odor eating desires...

[pitdogg2]

Pellets are slower to grab than granulated. This coming from a test years ago with methylene blue. I like granulated myself and yes it does have much more surface area. The saltwater community seems to prefer pelleted because of its ability to grab slower.
My .02 I've used both. Like many others here i only use it in my aging tank and not in my main fish tank. If you are changing as much water as most of us do there is never a fishy smell to begin with.

[brewmaster15]

My wife told me I can have a big tank in the family room only if it doesn't smell at all like a fish tank. In order to comply, I use copious amount of AC! In both my discus tank and my anemone tank.


I would use GAC over pellets but in a fish tank thats geting fed heavy and really stocked neither one is really worth using.. The adsorption sites get blocked up so quickly its not uncommon for it to last as little as a week or two. Then it just becomes biological media. Thenyou change it and your biofilter in the tank can take a hit. If you do change it enough to keep it active you probably are spending a fortune on Carbon.

If you are committed to using a filtration media like this, Id look into purigen as its rechargeable where as carbon is not.

hth,
Al