Difference in Carbon?

[CBehr]

I was about to order a large jug of carbon from BRS but after looking around I can't decide what to do... Is there really a huge difference in Carbon? My LFS, TFP(sponser on here) has about 30 kinds of carbon... what the heck do I buy :) Will be used in a reactor for a 200g system. Probably run phosphatre remover seperatly and have a MSX250 skimmer. Decent bioload.

[reef_doug]

The BRS large size Lignite is great stuff and at a great price. It is a tad soft though and I'm going to try The Filter Guys Catalytic GAC next.

The BRS large size isn't really large, it's about the same size as Marineland Black Diamond.

[Boomer]

Any of these are good good enough, it just depends on how good you want to go. In order of best to OK. ROX is also very expensive.

1. ROX 0.8

2. TFG

3. SeaChem Labs Matrix

4. TLF Hydrocarbon or BRS Lignite

5. Black Diamond

and there are other good GAC's

My LFS, TFP(sponser on here) has about 30 kinds of carbon

I doubt they are selling 30 kinds ;)

I will add that the smaller the grain size the better it is but when you get to small it becomes user unfriendly for many.

For reactors I usually recommend Matrix, as it has less issue with impact energy, thus less of a grinding down effect if it gets a little fluidized. Meaning, there will be less surface to surface contact with individual grains. It is also round for better fluid dynamics and is also quite hard. However, it can not out compete ROX by far or even the TFG for removing TOC. What this all means is that you need either more of the other or less of the other. ROX, for example, will adsorb about 1.7 times more than any of the others but is 2x the price of some of them.

[CBehr]

Thanks for the responses! I'm sure this question is a common one and I'm sure this will help in people's searches! To add onto this topic, why are some carbons sold by weight and some by volume?

Could you possibly rate your favorite GFO's as you did carbon? And yes you are correct my LFS doesn't sell 30 kinds..that may have been a slight stretch on my part :)

[CBehr]

Thanks for the responses! I'm sure this question is a common one and I'm sure this will help in people's searches! To add onto this topic, why are some carbons sold by weight and some by volume?

Could you possibly rate your favorite GFO's as you did carbon? And yes you are correct my LFS doesn't sell 30 kinds..that may have been a slight stretch on my part :)

[Boomer]

why are some carbons sold by weight and some by volume?

There is no reason, they should list both. If one it should be vol. IMHO, as that is what most of us go by when measuring it out. What they should also be listing is the GAC's data sheet and only BRS and SeaChem do that and SeaChem has a major error on one of theirs.

GFO see this thread just up the other day

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1425084