RODI Carbon block, in carbon reactor?

[cocojakes]

So, I recently upgraded to a 75 gallon tank, which, isn't really that nano anymore, but I love this forum. Anyway, I added a BRS dual media reactor to the tank, to run carbon and GFO, I noticed the reactor is pretty much just 2 RODI canisters. Is there any advantage, or disadvantage, to using a carbon block meant for an RODI system, in the filter, instead of just filling the cartridge with loose granular carbon? Is one better than the other, will one last longer than the other, is one more expensive than the other (yes, carbon blocks seem to be more expensive). Any ideas people?

[JavaJacketOC]

I think you'd just have to make sure there is not too much water pressure going through the block, I assume they could be damaged if there is too much water pressure on them where as with actual free carbon you just lose some efficiency if the water is moving over it too quickly.

 

You can buy refillable cartridges for those containers (for example use with the DI cartridge), is that what it came with?

[GlassHouse]

Most people want more water flowing through their reactors than a carbon block will permit. You'd be limited to a slow trickle similar to what comes out of your RODI filter. Also, the carbon block is likely to get clogged with continuous use unless you add a pre-filter, which would then be the thing that would get clogged continuously. I think you'd find it wasn't very economical.

[AZDesertRat]

No. The billions of tiny microscopic pores in the carbon block would plug and foul in a matter of minutes stopping all flow. This is why it is critical you have a low micron absolute or near absolute rated sediment filter in front of the carbon in a RO or RO/DI situation.

[cocojakes]

No. The billions of tiny microscopic pores in the carbon block would plug and foul in a matter of minutes stopping all flow. This is why it is critical you have a low micron absolute or near absolute rated sediment filter in front of the carbon in a RO or RO/DI situation.

Okay, so then would it be beneficial to add a sediment filter before the carbon in our tanks? To do a similar job as a filter sock, and then also all the use of a better carbon block, instead of loose carbon?

[JavaJacketOC]

Okay, so then would it be beneficial to add a sediment filter before the carbon in our tanks? To do a similar job as a filter sock, and then also all the use of a better carbon block, instead of loose carbon?

 

You're still going to run into the issue of too much flow, it would have to be a relatively low flow so you'd still want a filter sock

[AZDesertRat]

No. RO and whole house type filters are way too fine and you would be changing them daily if not hourly. They are designed to trap very very small suspended solids not the floaties you see in an aquarium. Most sediment filters are rated at 10, 5 or 1 microns with really good ones in the 0.5, 0.3 and 0.2 micron ranges. The average person can barely see around 40 microns with the unaided eye and what you see in a tank is probably in the hundreds to thousands of microns in size.

[cocojakes]

okay, so basicly, for anyone interested, the TL/DR seems to be, no, stick with granular carbon in a refillable canister, because our tanks are too dirty to benefit from the extreme cleaning power of a carbon block.

[AZDesertRat]

Its not that the tank wouldn't benefit from it, its that carbon blocks are not designed for that purpose. For the few minutes the carbon would last it would be providing some benefit but it would get very expensive very quick trying to keep up with replacements since they would plug so rapidly.