Carbon Filtration

[gregzz4]

Originally Posted by HL649

I was in Home Depot today and saw a "whole house carbon filter". It was a large filter which took carbon filter cartridges. I was wondering if anyone is running carbon cartridges on their tank instead of loose carbon? Is there a reason why I shouldn't go this route? There had to be at least a kg of carbon in the filter.

I could be wrong, but I think what you are looking at is an air quality filter and will not have any use for us reefers, unless you own an HVAC system
It's not meant for our uses ...

What did you think you could use it for ?

[hillegom]

He might be thinking of the same kind of carbon filters we use in our RO systems, but the one that takes a 20 in cartridge instead of the 10 in that we are used to.

[gregzz4]

Originally Posted by hillegom

He might be thinking of the same kind of carbon filters we use in our RO systems, but the one that takes a 20 in cartridge instead of the 10 in that we are used to.

Dietmar, your PM box is full buddy

[HL649]

It is a 10 micron filter intended for water filtration, not air. It is a big honking filter. I never thought of the phosphate issue.

[sphelps]

It wouldn't be cheaper than buying bulk carbon and not all carbon is equal, some believe there is good carbon and there is bad carbon. Good carbon is awesome, bad carbon kills everything. What kind of carbon is in the home depot filter?

I assume this is what you're referring to:
http://www.homedepot.ca/product/filt...-500361/923082

3500ml of Rox carbon weights about 1.4 kg and costs under $40, many other types of carbon is available for half that.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by sphelps

Good carbon is awesome, bad carbon kills everything.

I knew you'd come around to this eventually

[HL649]

Originally Posted by sphelps

It wouldn't be cheaper than buying bulk carbon and not all carbon is equal, some believe there is good carbon and there is bad carbon. Good carbon is awesome, bad carbon kills everything. What kind of carbon is in the home depot filter?

I assume this is what you're referring to:
http://www.homedepot.ca/product/filt...-500361/923082

3500ml of Rox carbon weights about 1.4 kg and costs under $40, many other types of carbon is available for half that.

That is a smaller filter that they had there. The one I was talking about is probably 3 - 4 times the size of that.

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by HL649

That is a smaller filter that they had there. The one I was talking about is probably 3 - 4 times the size of that.

So it was 30-40" long?

[hillegom]

The carbon we use is in small grains or pebbles if you will. the HD carbon is probably one big extruded block. Ten micron you said.
So in our filters, smaller particles will go right through the carbon filter with a low pressure pump.
In a 10 micron carbon block these particles will plug the filter quite quickly.
You would never get the water volume through the block that they are designed to be used for. As well they are designed to be used with house pressure water so you would need a high pressure pump.
Good idea, but I would not use the HD carbon block in the aquarium. As also stated already, we don't know the quality of the carbon.