Acurel LLC Economy Activated Filter Carbon Pellets, 3 Pound

The total price for these two packages, is less than the price of one smaller package at most retail pet stores. Great deal for people with larger (55gal+) fish tanks.

This is a super carbon filter media for aquarium filters. The pellets are about 1/8 inch in diameter and vary from 1/4 to 1 inch in length. The pellets are hard and resist breaking down into dust the way others I have tried did. This is the least expensive carbon I've found for my filters, and at the same time the best I've found. That is a deal that cannot be beat. I use it for a biological filtration media rather than as a chemical absorbent media. I've found that it works better than bio balls or the ceramic rings, and costs less than most of the ceramic rings. The beneficial bacteria get some of the nutrients they need from the carbon, which allows them to grow faster and consume more of the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates from the water. Some people warn that old carbon media will leach chemicals into your tank's water unless it is regularly replaced. This is not exactly the case. Once it has been used for some time, the carbon will no longer absorb chemicals from the water, but it will not increase the amount of those chemicals in the water. If you are using it to absorb unwanted chemicals from a tank's water, then you will need to periodically replace the carbon. How long it lasts between changes will vary depending upon how "dirty" the tank's water is and how "clean" you need to keep it. Most freshwater fish are more adaptive to varying conditions, while saltwater tanks require conditions be near perfect. When replacing carbon filter media, the old carbon is great to add to the soil of your houseplants.

Using this in combination with Seachem Purigen 250ml In my turtle tank filter. This carbon is not as dusty as most I have used and only requires minor amount of rinsing before it is ready to use. It comes as sticks but as another reviewer noted it seems to work even better when it is a little broken up. I just crush it up a little before adding it into a nylon bag. Purigen is a good replacement for carbon but I have been using both together because I used this carbon long before I started using purigen and I was very happy with how well this worked on its own. Combined with purigen, in separate bags and in separate layers in the filter my water is crystal clear. At this price there is no reason for me not to use both.

The performance of extruded is not as good as granulated activated charcoal, so it has less filtration ability and has to be replaced more frequently. However, it is a bit cheaper. This stuff is very dense, and some pieces are up to 2 cm long. A consistent, smaller pellet size would have been much better. Though it says it is pre washed, it does have a lot of dust and needs to be rinsed before use. 6lb of this stuff is equal to about 40oz of granulated which weighs far less. I am using this in pet water fountains. The benefit of this type of charcoal is that the pieces are large/heavy and won't seep through filter media over time like granulated can. I am able to pack the filters with less charcoal, and just replace it more frequently. This cuts down on bacteria growth and keeps the water clear of charcoal bits.

It's perfect if you use a little. It has 3 effects. Clear chemicals from waste in the water, clear chemicals from hard water like chlorine and keep algae from booming. By making the water darker it shields sun light from helping algae growth. I'm using a little bag 1 1/2 inch diameter for my 4,000 gallon pond. I would recommend 1 pellet to aquarium. Than if needs more you can add depending on size of your tank. If it's getting too dark just take off the ones you put in the water.

Actually turned out to be a good product. Didn't show up all crushed with power. So having solid pieces made set up easy.

Saves me money by refilling the filter and it worked and cleaned the tank the same as the pre-made filters.This is my second bag and the first one lasted quite a long time. My fish tank filter is not refillable so I carefully peeled the blue felt filter to about half way so I can empty the carbon inside and refill it. I have several of them (about 4) so I always have a fresh filter replacements. When dirty, i just use an old toothbrush and clean them under the faucet being careful not to spill the charcoal inside. I just dump it outside on my fruit trees as fertilizer then let it sun dried before refilling. I also purchased a trim to fit filter pad after a while to put on top but not really necessary.

This is the worst product I ever purchased. It is not for aquatic usage. After rinsing under water for over 15 minutes, it continue to release dark muddy substance. It is like charcoal for barbequing and not for aquarium use. Do not buy this product for your aquarium. I wish I could give negative star.