What's the most dust free carbon?

[scolley]

IMO cleaning carbon is one of the biggest PITA's in this hobby. Can anyone tell me which carbon is the most dust free?

I've got a small tank, so I don't really care what it cost (relatively speaking). And I don't really care if it's not the most absorbent. I'll use more (again, small tank). I'd just like to spend less of my life rinsing the stuff.

Thanks.

[bugs713]

I use BRS ROX 0.8 and and get very very little when I rinse; don't really need to rinse it but I still do. Good stuff!

[scolley]

Thanks. But that's exactly what I use, and my experience is quite different. I the first few seconds of rinsing, there is a HUGE amount of dust rinsed out. But very quickly it becomes just light residual dust. I would not see it if I were not rinsing with the bag on a white surface so I can see the run-off. And it takes many minutes - maybe 10 - of rinsing before the run-off is truely, visibly, clear.

Wow. I'm hoping something else out there is less dusty.

[marty9876]

Try a synthetic chemical export media instead, Poly fiber/Purigen and such.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Originally Posted by scolley

Thanks. But that's exactly what I use, and my experience is quite different. I the first few seconds of rinsing, there is a HUGE amount of dust rinsed out. But very quickly it becomes just light residual dust. I would not see it if I were not rinsing with the bag on a white surface so I can see the run-off. And it takes many minutes - maybe 10 - of rinsing before the run-off is truely, visibly, clear.

Wow. I'm hoping something else out there is less dusty.

I never rinse my ROX from BRS either because it is so clean. It used to take a lot of effort to clean Marineland Black Diamond.

Where do you buy your ROX?

[Bigcefa]

Ya rox is very clean, if you try to rinse it too much you will start to disintegrate it and will be trying to get it clean for hours. The next best I've found for dust is chemi pure but it sounds like your just over thinking this rinsing thing don't lose sleep over it bud, rinse it for 30-60 secs put it in the tank you'll be ok

[scolley]

Originally Posted by marty9876

Try a synthetic chemical export media instead, Poly fiber/Purigen and such.

Sounds like a reasonable suggestion on the surface... I've got a nano, so I don't need to buy too much. But in my ignorance, I know that this community commonly uses carbon as a 24x7 filtration method. And synthetics are generally used to rectifiy some form of problem. So I don't know what the differences are in terms of what one absorbs vs. the other. And I DO know that Poly and Purigen absorb stuff that I want to remain in system for my ATS. But I didn't mention that previously. Thanks.

Originally Posted by Randy Holmes-Farley

I never rinse my ROX from BRS either because it is so clean. It used to take a lot of effort to clean Marineland Black Diamond.

Where do you buy your ROX?

BRS! But I'm putting it in a filter bag and running it under tap until clean. You've likely got a reactor, and clean it through that. My nano has no room for a reactor. So filter bags is the only real alternative.

I may be taking my rinsing to the extreme however. I'm rinsing until CLEAR. With the unassailable association of carbon with HITH and our growing body of knowledge that very small particulate matter (as in asbestos or even nanocarbons like buckyballs) are highly detrimental to the health of all cellular biology, I'm concerned about the dangerous crap that the carbon "fines" are putting in my tank water.

Originally Posted by Bigcefa

Ya rox is very clean, if you try to rinse it too much you will start to disintegrate it and will be trying to get it clean for hours. The next best I've found for dust is chemi pure but it sounds like your just over thinking this rinsing thing don't lose sleep over it bud, rinse it for 30-60 secs put it in the tank you'll be ok

Assuming you think my previous post is a little too "Chicken Little", then you may be onto something.

Thanks!

[James77]

Are you blasting the carbon with water or swishing it around in any way? Just curious if you could be abrading it against itself causing more dust?

Ive only ever used BRS rox and lignite, and the Lignite is substantially more dusty.

[tkeracer619]

Should use a media reactor instead of a bag. If your moving the bag around it will grind the carbon and create more dust.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Originally Posted by scolley

BRS! But I'm putting it in a filter bag and running it under tap until clean. You've likely got a reactor, and clean it through that. My nano has no room for a reactor. So filter bags is the only real alternative.

Thanks!

I used to rinse it in tap water in a gallon plastic pitcher that I also use for GFO. I saw little enough dust that I no longer bother. I may not be as anal about it, however.

The Black Diamond smokes with dust just pouring it out.

[marty9876]

Stay away from the mid grade BRS carbon, dusty and really didn't seem very "active" as took a few days to pull the odor from a tank I had even in a reactor.

[scolley]

Originally Posted by marty9876

Stay away from the mid grade BRS...

Thanks. With such a little tank, I'm cool with buying whatever quality product does the job. If I had a 500g, Im sure I'd be singing a different song.

Originally Posted by tkeracer619

Should use a media reactor instead of a bag. If your moving the bag around it will grind the carbon and create more dust.

Makes sense. But with my nano, adding a reactor is a MAJOR factor. It's not like I've got a stand with extra room to add a reactor into. My tiny footprint stand is maxed out now with equipment. A reactor is not onion the equation. Sorry.

Originally Posted by James77

Are you blasting the carbon with water or swishing it around in any way? Just curious if you could be abrading it against itself causing more dust.

That is probably the whole problem IMO. While others are rinsing, and seeing little dust, I'm probably creating dust with my blasting under high pressure nozzles.

Originally Posted by Randy Holmes-Farley

I used to rinse it in tap water in a gallon plastic pitcher that I also use for GFO. I saw little enough dust that I no longer bother. I may not be as anal about it, however.

Thanks Randy. I think that's m problem, bad technique. I've been boasting carbon Ina bag. What I should be doing is rinsing the carbon n a large container and THEN putting it in a bag. No more bag blasting.

[jagr200]

Ive used walmart carbon with pretty good success.