Acurel LLC Premium Activated Filter Carbon, 40-Ounce

This is my first purchase of carbon for our tank, so I'll update as we try other brands as this behemoth of a container gets used up. Normally we've purchased the pre-made filters you just slide in, but we had the opportunity to use the filters you put together ( Tetra 26164 Whisper Bio-Bag Cartridge, Unassembled, Large, 12-Pack ) and as I mention in that review, you really need to buy more carbon and A\ammonia neutralizing crystals ( Marineland PA0382 White Diamond Ammonia Neutralizing Crystals, 50-Ounce, 1417-Gram ) to make these filters shine.My initial reaction to this carbon is it was dirty - took quite a bit of washing before it was ready to put in the tank. Again, I'd say I'm an amateur here, but in comparison to the other filters we've used, I felt like I was washing forever. I purchased based on the other reviewers that mentioned how clean this product is, and I have to disagree, at least with the container we received. Once the filter is filled and clean, it seems to do a really nice job of filtering the water and removing contaminants. Others have posted that this gets "used up" quickly, but we change our filter about ever 3 weeks and I would say it does a fine job of filtration in that time. Perhaps others ask more of the filter, and see a rapid decline, but in our case it seems to filter just as it should.The last word: I would buy again, it seems to work as advertised, even if I think it was a bit "dirty" to begin with. Even though this is an excellent value for the volume you receive, I'll probably try another brand on the next purchase so I have something to compare it to.

This stuff is the bomb! I just read about using activated carbon in litter boxes to absorb odor and it works great! We keep a litter box in the living room, the den, and the laundry room. Sometimes I can really smell the one in the living room after a cat has used it, even though I use catit litter boxes that have a door and a filter in the top of the box. Since I started using activated carbon in the boxes, I have not smelled a thing! I just sprinkled a few tablespoons of it in the box with the litter. Other people suggest making a pouch and attaching it to the side or top of the litter box, but one of our cats likes to play with anything like that in the litter box. That is why we switched from Booda boxes that had a filter inside the box, the cat kept breaking open the plastic section in the box and pulling out the insert. Just sprinkling the carbon in with the litter works great, and it also helps keep down any odor in the litter genies (I have one by each litter box). This size box of activated carbon should last me several years!

I have used 3 different kinds of carbon recently as I am getting back into my aquarium hobby and both of the other brands had lots of small grit with the carbon that gets through the bags and the filter containers that I use. This carbon works much better for me because the chunks are a little larger and there is not as much fine grit that can get loose.I will be buying this carbon exclusively in the future.Update 8/3/2013 - After using this product for a while, I still like it, but I have noticed that sometimes I get some kind of orange stains from this product as if it has some iron or something in it that is rusting. It is not that big of a deal for me, but thought I would let people know. I plan to still use it and will buy it again, but if this would matter to someone, I figured they should know.

Keeps my fish tank clean, it saves me money by allowing me to reuse the outer filter parts, and allows me to be less wasteful. A win all around! My smaller filter has a little pocket cover that I can remove and empty/refill quick. The other one, I had to take apart and drill holes in the plastic so I could resew the filter pad on with fishing line. One container of this will last me months and months and costs the same amount as a new package of filters that would be good for three weeks. As long as you're willing to put in the effort (which depending on the style of filter, it might not be much), this product is a million times worth buying! I highly recommend!

There were several things I liked about the product. First of all, it was affordable. I use the bio-bags for our aquarium, but oftentimes, there isn't enough carbon provided since I put 2 of the carbon bags in a single bio-bag. I find it helps the aquarium stay cleaner longer. Secondly, with Amazon prime, the shipping was free. The product arrived quickly & undamaged.I would recommend this product to people who use bio-bags or just want to get aquarium products that are a good deal for their money.

I gave this a four because when I opened the package it had a piece of lightly charred grass inside it, it leads me to question what kind of wood or operation is supplying this product. I'm a little nervous to use it considering my finding as well as the lack of sealing this jar. I like the handle on it, I just need a little more securtiy myself when adding something like this to an aquarium that is very expensive and fragile (Nature Aquarium).

I use this in the kittens litter box and it is perfect. Doesn't take much to work, so good. Hubby took some up to the lake a placed in a bowl to help keep the air a little fresher over the winter. I can't speak for fish takes but works very nicely for deodorizing other things. You can put in a stocking and place in shoes to help with odor also. ...Not while wearing ;)

I have purchased this product and Marineland activated carbon. The (90 oz)acurel and Marineland (40 oz) take about the same amount of volume. marineland is $18. Marineland was a better deal because in the end the carbon is smaller, weighs less, and can absorb more contaminates. I regret purchasing this product but I am very glad I have compared it to another one of its main amazon competitors. I will be purchasing the other brand in the future.

I use this product for a rather unconventional purpose, I filter vacuum pump oil with it. It's primary purpose for me is to eliminate acids in the oil which come from the food processed in the freeze dryer. Vacuum pump oil isn't cheap so being able to reuse it is a big bonus for me. When used with layers of filter material to eliminate particulate matter the charcoal nicely removes the acids and extends the oils life by months.Two items of note here, there is a lot of dust which when the oil passes through it remains in the oil so I need another cycle of filtration to remove the dust but this is charcoal, you can’t really expect it to be dust free as that's part of the nature of the product. Secondly, the kernel size can vary widely, there is no real consistency.I'm using it for a purpose the manufacturer probably never imagined it would be used for, and it performs adequately. If I can find a product with a more consistent kernel size I would be happy but otherwise I will buy again.

I use this for my fish filters, as it’s much less expensive than buying the carbon filters themselves. I find it best to use old nylons as the filter bag, because they don’t degrade and are essentially free (if you know someone who uses them).It’s important to wash the carbon before use use it, because there’s a lot of dust in it. It also gives off a strong iron scent, but nothing seemed to bother my fish.

I can't figure if it works or not. I repurposed it to use as part of an air filter to filter out pet smells. It works for light smells but not well for heavily soiled areas. Maybe it is great for water only. I don't know. May be user error. :)

Price quite reasonable for the quality. But very, very dusty, lots of small gritty pieces in my sump. It works very well, water is crystal clear in the display, but the carbon needs LOTS of rinsing. I will probably buy a pellet form next time.

Not as good compared to fluval activated carbon. I did a test with red dye and fluval adsorbed more of the dye compared to acurel brand. I have both acurel premium and extreme pellets.