Aquaclear20 Learning Moment and Small Question

[Bry]

So. I don't know how many other people already know this but I feel the need to share my experience. I love Aquaclear and still do.
I woke up this morning to a rocky rattle type noise coming from my 5 gallon betta aquarium with Aquaclear20 filter. It being a betta tank and I had to get to work, I unplugged the filter and decided to deal with it when I got home. While on my breaks I searched this forum to find probable reason for the noise. Most things said to take it apart and examine. Possible problems were a stuck impeller or one of my nerites got in it and that's what's rattling. Okay, cool, easy enough to fix.
So I get home, take the filter in my bathroom and start to take it apart. I will be the first to tell you I'm not the best at filter maintenance. But the bag holding the charcoal was DISSOLVED! I had a loose black clump of tiny charcoal gravel. WHAT!? I can see bits of charcoal in the Ammonia(?) cylinder things and in the sponge at the bottom.
Get a gallon on water, use a water treatment then rinse cylindars and carefully throw away the clump of black. Rinse the sponge. Everything else looks good. No snails, impeller looks good and all. Put it back together.
Here's my question, I know some fishkeepers don't use charcoal anyway so I put the filter back together without it. So should I buy the charcoal for my AC20? Or will it be fine without?
Filter is now up and running, no rattle noise, betta is still out and active.

 

[JenC]

It's optional. I don't use it unless I'm pulling out medicine. I'd rather double up on sponges and ceramic in my Aquaclears.

 

[Bry]

It's optional. I don't use it unless I'm pulling out medicine. I'd rather double up on sponges and ceramic in my Aquaclears.

I may get more ceramic. I feel like more sponge would be kinda overkill for a Betta and two baby nerites lol

 

[Amazoniantanklvr]

I don't use charcoal in my AC70. you will be fine

 

[Morpheus1967]

They include charcoal with these filters...to get you to buy more charcoal. It works great for removing medicine or the occasional unknown odor. But activated charcoal only lasts about a month, and then it is no longer effective. Thus, you need to purchase more, per the manufacturer's instructions. I have 2 canisters and an AC50 and I have never used charcoal.

Add more bio-media, or ceramic as you call it, and you will be much better off.

 

[Islandvic]

Another block of foam sponge would be a good replacement.

That way, if you ever set up another small tank, pull one of the foam blocks out of first filter and place it into the new tank's filter. You can jump start the cycle that way.