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Reefboy4life 
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 Topic: Best carbon for your $
Posted: January 13 2017 at 11:31pm |
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I was just wondering which carbon you guys run in your systems, and what's the best bang for your buck? I am using the cheap stuff from Walmart and don't like how dusty it is. Anyways thanks for your input!
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90 gallon mixed reef
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phys
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Posted: January 14 2017 at 4:56am |
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Acurel extreme or premium works really well. Premium has very little dust. Its not bad in price either.... But compared to Wal-Mart, it may seem a bit Benz-y.
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Krazie4Acans
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Posted: January 14 2017 at 3:54pm |
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I prefer the Rox .08 from BRS. Almost no dust, very effective, and has great capacity to remove organics.
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My ocean. 90g (yup, won it!), 40g, 28g, & 10g Systems PADI Advanced Open Water Tank Thread:
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Reefboy4life
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Posted: January 14 2017 at 4:49pm |
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Thanks for your input guys, I have been thinking about the brs carbon, what does it run you Krazie?
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90 gallon mixed reef
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: January 14 2017 at 8:30pm |
 Reefboy4life wrote:
...what's the best bang for your buck? |
If you are serious about what you asked, the Acurel standard AC(Activated Carbon) does the job for the lowest cost. I've used it for about 5 years, since I first tried it. I like the AC so well that I buy it in 50 lb. bulk bags and use it in all my client tanks and personal tanks. If Acurel wasn't good AC I would not trust it in my client tanks. I also make no secret that I make it available to anyone for just $3/lb. A pound of AC fills a pint container. The Aquatech Carbon at Walmart is $6.52/9oz (online price). That's twice as much as the AC I have. 
I know that BRS makes a big deal out of their ROX AC product but it comes at a high price. Yes, there is a difference in AC. Both products remove toxins from the water. More expensive AC removes toxins somewhat faster and may have more capacity, so with Acurel I simply use more and/or change it more often than the expensive stuff. I use about 1-2 cups of Accurel AC per 50 gals and change it every 2-4 weeks. This ensures it does the job right.
I drive whatever car gets me from point A to point B at a great price.
Aloha, Mark 
Edited by Mark Peterson - January 14 2017 at 8:46pm
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Reefboy4life
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Posted: January 14 2017 at 10:27pm |
I've only been using a half cup and changing once a month  where do you buy your acurel AC in bulk?
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90 gallon mixed reef
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Electro4112
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Posted: January 14 2017 at 10:31pm |
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Acurel AC can be bought of amazon in bulk. I used it for a while but like brs rox in a reactor better.
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phys
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Posted: January 15 2017 at 4:29am |
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acurel can be found at a few different LFS also
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: January 15 2017 at 8:54am |
Reefboy4life wrote:
I've only been using a half cup and changing once a month where do you buy your acurel AC in bulk? |
I don't know about BRS ROX AC but all the AC I have ever used, even the expensive stuff becomes spent by the end of 4 weeks. Partly because it can't hold any more toxins and partly because it gets clogged up. The normal bacterial slime that grows over everything in a functioning reef clogs the pores preventing AC from adsorbing any more organics.
How does AC work? Activated Carbon works when organic molecules stick or adsorb to it's surface.
The standard Acurel AC is formed into pellets. The pellets are porous so there is surface area within the pellet as well. When using AC as I do, in a media bag at/near the return pump intake, pellets are great because the bag can be the same bridal veil material as fish nets. During my checking of the sump I turn over the media bag to expose less used portions of the pellets. That's what I do to get the most from the AC before emptying the media bag, massaging and rinsing it off really well. Then I pour new AC into the bag and rinse it in the sink before returning it to the tank/sump.
Last I checked, a 52 pound bag of Acurel AC can be purchased for $64 with free shipping at Amazon. 
BTW, another media I use in the same place as the bag of AC is a bag of AA (Activated Alumina). AA helps control algae growth and makes coral and anemones grow better by removing excess PO4 (Phosphate) from the water. I buy it in bulk too. It works so well that I place only 1/8 - 1/4 cup in the media bag for 50 gals of tank capacity. Using more than that would remove so much PO4 that coral would not grow and could die. AA typically lasts more than twice as long as AC, that's why it's in it's own media bag. It's actually better than GFO(granulated iron rust) for several reasons. Along with AC, I also make it available to hobbyists for a bargain price.
Anyone interested in buying this AC and/or AA can text/call me at 808-345-1049
Aloha, Mark
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Reefboy4life
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Posted: January 15 2017 at 2:21pm |
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What brand is the activated alumina? I'm interested
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Reefboy4life
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Posted: January 16 2017 at 2:47am |
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Just ordered some Acurel Carbon we will see how it goes
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90 gallon mixed reef
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Reefboy4life
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Posted: February 15 2017 at 7:44pm |
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This Acurel carbon is horrible, I rinsed and rinsed and it still was producing dust, after I put it in the sump you could see it giving off a black cloud into the water column for a good 5 minutes, 2 weeks later I pull it out to change it and it looks to be disintegrating. I definitely prefer Walmart carbon but I have read good reviews on the marineland carbon and it is a bit cheaper than the Walmart carbon so I order some and we will see how it goes.
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90 gallon mixed reef
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kmtfishchannel
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Posted: February 15 2017 at 8:30pm |
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I've been using the marineland carbon. It cleans fast for me (using a reactor) and you can get a large bottle of it on Amazing for not a high cost. Granted I only use about 1-2 cups so it last me a long time. I've also thought about using BRS carbon but such a high price for me when the marineland has been working so great for me for years (not just on my saltwater)
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Reefboy4life
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Posted: February 15 2017 at 9:32pm |
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That's good to hear, what kind of reactor are you using?
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kmtfishchannel
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Posted: February 15 2017 at 10:51pm |
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Bulk Reef Supply carbon and gfo reactor works great
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: February 16 2017 at 11:56am |
Reefboy4life wrote:
This Acurel carbon is horrible... 2 weeks later I pull it out to change it and it looks to be disintegrating. |
That's horrible and definitely surprising. It must have been a bad batch. I would return it for a refund/replacement. BTW, assuming it wasn't the 50# bag, which Acurel carbon was it?
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