Alternative to BRS Rox .8 carbon

[Hallowhead]

I am sick and tired of overpaying for BRS price jacks. It's convenient to get everything at one spot, but the hobby is expensive as it is.

Does anyone else have any alternatives?

 

[Rueric]

https://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Premium-Activated-300gram-Aquarium/dp/B06W2PJ1ZJ/ref=asc_df_B06W2PJ1ZJ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198072615033&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15468920069201861429&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003772&hvtargid=pla-541812077712&mcid=123940b95cf73045bc4fd4747b73880a&gclid=Cj0KCQiAnfmsBhDfARIsAM7MKi3DbdwKnh_zUddavAs46gi0AmgQQiTww_UrWFsJ7VLcLXapON8BSqAaAo5tEALw_wcB&th=1

 

[DangerDave]

I used the brs rox for a long time, but the quality went down some years ago and I switched to Seachem's Matrix carbon. It's little tiny spheres, it's easy to work with and rinses fast. The largest size they sell is 1 gallon buckets.

Seachem - MatrixCarbon

www.seachem.com

https://www.amazon.com/Matrix-4-L-1-gal/dp/B0006JLVU8/ref=asc_df_B0006JLVU8/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198088359792&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6028531112182535555&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1015116&hvtargid=pla-350071900523&psc=1&mcid=094fdfe5f15e3b9aa72baf2714a5ac36&gclid=Cj0KCQiAwP6sBhDAARIsAPfK_wYHPYTpzbwM9-crFwlSZn85U6PNFgmQdO2f4JQVYCh8mvJVQ24qf6MaAmDzEALw_wcB

 

[kabal2]

lets try to get a bulk supplier and try to do a group buy?

 

[Hallowhead]

I used the brs rox for a long time, but the quality went down some years ago and I switched to Seachem's Matrix carbon. It's little tiny spheres, it's easy to work with and rinses fast. The largest size they sell is 1 gallon buckets.

Seachem - MatrixCarbon

www.seachem.com

https://www.amazon.com/Matrix-4-L-1-gal/dp/B0006JLVU8/ref=asc_df_B0006JLVU8/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198088359792&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6028531112182535555&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1015116&hvtargid=pla-350071900523&psc=1&mcid=094fdfe5f15e3b9aa72baf2714a5ac36&gclid=Cj0KCQiAwP6sBhDAARIsAPfK_wYHPYTpzbwM9-crFwlSZn85U6PNFgmQdO2f4JQVYCh8mvJVQ24qf6MaAmDzEALw_wcB

Does this work in a reactor

 

[radiata]

Reading this thread brought back an old chuckle to me. Many, many years ago (when the group was more northerly-NJ-centric than it is today) we engineered a Group Carbon Buy. Each buyer purchased a 40-lb bag of the no-commercial-name stuff. I was involved with the pre-purchase testing as I had two expensive colorimeters at the time. (The testing might have involved using an known copper (?) solution and using assorted carbon samples to remove it from the known solution. But that was a long time ago and I no longer remember the event especially clearly.) Anyway, the 40 pounds lasted a long time and I tossed maybe half of it a few years back after it dawned on me that it might have lost usability after absorbing who-knows-what from the air in my basement. I recollect The Tiler was the point man on the effort.

 

[Hallowhead]

I'd be down for a group buy, but I would also be down for someone to replace my carbon for me more frequently too

 

[DangerDave]

Does this work in a reactor

Yes, that is how I use it.

 

[horseplay]

What is the scenario that requires regular use of carbon? No water change?

 

[amado]

I don’t like paying the high price for carbon. I have used almost every carbon in the market and BRS rox is very clean.
The BRS allows me to use less in the reactor.

I also use the marine land premium carbon I get it cheap from Amazon.
But it needs a lot of cleaning.

I use carbon in every tank I have owned fresh/salt/pond
Carbon cleans the water and I like that. I also have a mixed reef and I believe it helps with coral warfare.

I replace it every month. I have two reactors on my system.
I change one on the 1st of the month and the other one on the 15th

 

[Hallowhead]

I am also once a month replacement type of guy.

BRS is just out of control

 

[paintman27]

I remember back in the day (circa 2010) when NJReefers was a real and functioning club, we had a carbon group buy. Some how through one of the club members we were able to obtain 2-3 pallets of 50 lbs. burlap bags of carbon. Can't remember the exact price we paid, but I want to say something like $25 per bag. Those were the days!

 

[paintman27]

Reading this thread brought back an old chuckle to me. Many, many years ago (when the group was more northerly-NJ-centric than it is today) we engineered a Group Carbon Buy. Each buyer purchased a 40-lb bag of the no-commercial-name stuff. I was involved with the pre-purchase testing as I had two expensive colorimeters at the time. (The testing might have involved using an known copper (?) solution and using assorted carbon samples to remove it from the known solution. But that was a long time ago and I no longer remember the event especially clearly.) Anyway, the 40 pounds lasted a long time and I tossed maybe half of it a few years back after it dawned on me that it might have lost usability after absorbing who-knows-what from the air in my basement. I recollect The Tiler was the point man on the effort.

That's it! The tiler. He lived in Tewksbury just off RT.78 I think he is long gone as a reefer though. Hav'nt seen him in years.

 

[radiata]

I used the brs rox for a long time, but the quality went down some years ago and I switched to Seachem's Matrix carbon. It's little tiny spheres, it's easy to work with and rinses fast. The largest size they sell is 1 gallon buckets.

I'm a bit befuddled by any loss in the quality of the ROX .8 carbon. The stuff is mostly used by people in higher places than us (i.e. scientists!). If scientists found their ROX .8 source was of dubious quality, I think that would have filtered down to us low life types by now. Of course if BRS is cutting corners and is using an alternate extruded pelletized carbon and claiming it was ROX .8, that would be another story. But I think that BRS is too smart than that...

 

[radiata]

I remember back in the day (circa 2010) when NJReefers was a real and functioning club, we had a carbon group buy. Some how through one of the club members we were able to obtain 2-3 pallets of 50 lbs. burlap bags of carbon. Can't remember the exact price we paid, but I want to say something like $25 per bag. Those were the days!

I think it was more like 2012. (I did a search for "Tiler" on the our whole site.) I correctly remembered that his name was Jason. I also remember that his wife had a liking for Chardonnay, and so I brought a bottle of it to the meetings at his home. The most impressive meeting I recollect at his place was a demo he did in his driveway, drilling a hole in a 55G tank totally freehand, using a tile bit in a Rotozip tool and a small flow of cold water. I think Jason had some health problems with one or both of his knees (which can almost be expected for someone who lays tiles for a living) that caused him to cut back on his activities... Thank you Jason for that demo, wherever you may be! I've done many freehand glass holes since...

And, bravo paintman27! it's nice to see someone else in the club who goes back as far as I do...

 

[paintman27]

I think it was more like 2012. (I did a search for "Tiler" on the our whole site.) I correctly remembered that his name was Jason. I also remember that his wife had a liking for Chardonnay, and so I brought a bottle of it to the meetings at his home. The most impressive meeting I recollect at his place was a demo he did in his driveway, drilling a hole in a 55G tank totally freehand, using a tile bit in a Rotozip tool and a small flow of cold water. I think Jason had some health problems with one or both of his knees (which can almost be expected for someone who lays tiles for a living) that caused him to cut back on his activities... Thank you Jason for that demo, wherever you may be! I've done many freehand glass holes since...

And, bravo paintman27! it's nice to see someone else in the club who goes back as far as I do...

Actually, I think the reason Jason got out of reefing was because of the whole laundry detergent incident. Just to get everyone caught up to speed......Jason had this beautiful 200 galloonish tank in his living room packed with all kinds of SPS and LPS. He also had a huge sump and frag room in his basement. He had a laundry room on the first floor that was not directly over his sump, but was 15-20 feet towards the other end of the house. Some how, some way, a bottle of laundry detergent either fell or got knocked off a shelf and landed on the floor. I guess when it hit the floor the lid came off and the contents emptied onto the floor. Now heres the crazy part. The detergent seeped through a crack in the floor and onto a floor joist in the basement. From there the detergent traveled across the floor joist and decided the best place to jump off was directly over jason's sump. I think it was when Jason got home from work he found his tank and sump completely frothed over like you car at a carwash. Pretty much wiped out everything he had as it would of been impossible to get the detergent out of all his live rock, sand and equipment. I think after that he just decided to throw in the towel.

 

[DangerDave]

I'm a bit befuddled by any loss in the quality of the ROX .8 carbon. The stuff is mostly used by people in higher places than us (i.e. scientists!). If scientists found their ROX .8 source was of dubious quality, I think that would have filtered down to us low life types by now. Of course if BRS is cutting corners and is using an alternate extruded pelletized carbon and claiming it was ROX .8, that would be another story. But I think that BRS is too smart than that...

Just my experience, sorry if I offended you somehow.

 

[kabal2]

i got 2 of those 5 gallon buckets and last me into a throwed one of those away because they last it like 1 year each, lol and i was 25 bucks per bucket

 

[kabal2]

ohhh Jason the Tiler, he was the first person I knew with a system with over 1000 gallons, he had 2 tanks in the first floor, a 220 gallons and a 180 fowlr, he was a great member of our community

 

[Boehmtown]

I hated the rox carbon. Could have been it worked too well and my corals got a sudden burst of light. But my tank just never looked good after. Ryan made a comment on their black Friday live stream that a lot of reefers this year were ordering the standard carbon which he found weird