In my short amount of experience I initially removed my carbon from my canister thinking it was an
ammonia magnet and warehouse that had few benefits other than removing toxins for only a short period. But my experience revealed that without carbon as part of the pressurized or water flow filter media, water cristal clarity could not be archived in my aquarium. Also in my research I found out that carbon's incredible surface area (1 gram = 5382 sqFt). This means that 1 cup is equal to the surface area of 13 acres or city blocks. I found out that Carbon is in fact a magnet for decaying debris and as a result houses tremendous numbers colonies of bacteria many more times then fiber filter media and entire aquarium alone. I now place all my carbon in 3 inch by 1 inch pantry hose sausages that I fit mold into my
canister filter without having to deal with the messy loose carbon. Now when I clean my filter I simply rise, rub and squeeze the carbon in clean aquarium water inside the pantry hose sausage until clean and reuse it with its tremendous colonies of bacteria or exchange just one sausage for a new one. I believe that carbon aside from removing toxins and polishing water is a force multiplier when it comes to good bacteria colonies, perhaps a hundred times over what fiber filter media and the entire surface areas of the aquarium and ornaments can support IMHO. More good bacteria surface area means more potential to handle ammonia and nitrites.
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