City water can carry two things you may not want in your glass: the chlorine used to disinfect it and the fluoride many cities add. Treating both usually takes two filter housings. This cartridge does both jobs in one.
The SMART + Calcium GAC Fluoride Reduction Cartridge combines Crystal Quest Calcium GAC, our bone char fluoride media, with SMART multi-media filtration: coconut shell GAC, Eagle Redox Alloy 6500 and 9500, and two 1-micron filtration pads. Use it when your system specifies the calcium GAC and SMART combination.
At a glance
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Two treatments, one cartridge: bone char for fluoride plus SMART media for chlorine taste and odor
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Real bone char: 70 to 76% hydroxyapatite and 9 to 11% carbon, per Crystal Quest's Calcium GAC data sheet
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Crystal Quest redox media: ERA 6500 and ERA 9500 add chlorine and metals reduction
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Two 1-micron pads hold the media in place and catch fine particles
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Four sizes, 0.5 to 6 GPM, for countertop, under-sink and whole house housings
What you are looking at
A sealed cartridge shell with polypropylene end caps, polyolefin inner and outer wraps and polyethylene netting. Inside, black bone char granules share the shell with coconut shell carbon and the metallic ERA granules, held between two 1-micron filtration pads. The size and part number are printed on the label.
How the two halves work
Half one: bone char captures fluoride
Calcium GAC is black granular bone char, made by calcining cattle bones until a mineral framework of hydroxyapatite with a carbon surface remains. Hydroxyapatite holds hydroxide groups in its crystal. Fluoride has the same charge and almost the same size, so it takes the hydroxide's place and forms fluorapatite, a stable mineral that stays locked in the media. At higher fluoride levels some fluoride also precipitates as calcium fluoride. Bone char works gradually and performs best in neutral to slightly acidic water, so slower flow through the cartridge gives it more contact time.
Half two: SMART media handles chlorine and more
Coconut shell GAC adsorbs organic chemicals and the compounds behind chemical tastes and odors, and it converts free chlorine to harmless chloride. Eagle Redox Alloy is Crystal Quest's copper-zinc redox media: ERA 6500 targets chlorine and ERA 9500 targets ferrous iron and hydrogen sulfide, and the redox reaction also holds some dissolved heavy metals on the media.
Why pair them
In multi-housing systems Crystal Quest places the SMART stage ahead of the fluoride stage. This cartridge puts both into one shell, so a single housing delivers fluoride reduction and SMART filtration together. If you have room for two housings, a standalone SMART cartridge followed by a Calcium GAC Fluoride Reduction Filter Cartridge gives each media a full shell of its own.
What it reduces
Primary targets: fluoride (inorganic fluoride in municipal water) and chlorine with its taste and odor.
Also addressed by the media (capabilities of the media, not separate tested ratings for this cartridge):
- Heavy metals such as lead, through the bone char and the ERA redox media
- Some dissolved organic chemicals and colored compounds, through the carbon surfaces
- Fine particles, through the two 1-micron pads
Not designed to treat: bacteria and viruses, nitrate, arsenic, hardness or total dissolved solids (TDS).
Is it right for my water? It is built for inorganic fluoride in municipal water. If your fluoride comes from a well or another natural source, or is organic, talk to a Crystal Quest specialist first. Bone char is animal-derived; for a non-animal fluoride media, choose the SMART + Aluminum Oxide Fluoride Reduction Filter Cartridge.
Why Crystal Quest
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Our default fluoride media. Calcium GAC is the standard fluoride cartridge media across Crystal Quest systems. The SMART + Aluminum Oxide Fluoride Reduction Filter Cartridge (activated alumina) is an interchangeable alternative for people who prefer it.
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Media we name. Calcium GAC and ERA each have a Crystal Quest data sheet, summarized in the Specifications tab.
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One housing, two jobs. The right answer when your system has a single fluoride housing or you want to free a stage.
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Over 1,000,000 people served since 1994. Crystal Quest builds under ISO 9001 quality management, has made water filtration in the USA for over 30 years and offers lifetime support by phone, email or chat.
Where it fits
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Single fluoride systems that specify the SMART and calcium GAC combination use this one blended cartridge.
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Not a drop-in for every SMART slot: a standard SMART position, a reverse osmosis pre-filter or a whole house RO stage takes a standard SMART cartridge unless your system calls for this combination.
Choose the size printed on your current cartridge or in your order history: 2-7/8" x 9-3/4" (CQE-RC-04152), 2-7/8" x 20" (CQE-RC-04153), 4-5/8" x 9-3/4" (CQE-RC-04154) or 4-5/8" x 20" (CQE-RC-04155).
Common questions
How is this different from standalone calcium GAC?
This cartridge combines the fluoride treatment with SMART multistage media, including coconut shell GAC and redox alloys.
Can I substitute the aluminum oxide combination?
Yes. The two products use different fluoride media, but they are interchangeable and either fits the same position. SMART + Calcium GAC is the standard; choose the aluminum oxide version if you prefer it.
Is the whole cartridge rated at 1 micron?
The cartridge contains two 1-micron filter pads. This describes the pads, rather than an overall cartridge micron rating.
What affects the replacement schedule?
Incoming fluoride levels, water conditions and usage affect media life. Use the monitoring and replacement plan for your complete treatment system.
Does bone char remove fluoride from water?
Yes. Fluoride swaps into the hydroxyapatite in bone char and forms fluorapatite, a stable mineral that stays in the media. How much it removes depends on your fluoride level, pH, flow and remaining capacity, so test your water to see your results.
Is Calcium GAC the same as bone char?
Yes. Calcium GAC is Crystal Quest's name for its bone char media: black granular bone char made by calcining cattle bones, mostly hydroxyapatite with a carbon surface.
Which size fits my housing?
Match the size on your current cartridge: 2-7/8" x 9-3/4" fits 2.5" x 10" housings, 2-7/8" x 20" fits 2.5" x 20", 4-5/8" x 9-3/4" fits 5" x 10" Big Blue and 4-5/8" x 20" fits 5" x 20" Big Blue.
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Published cartridge specifications
Published ratings apply to the selected cartridge and listed conditions. Capacity is an estimate that depends on incoming water contaminants and usage.
| SKU |
SIZE |
FLOW RATE |
| CQE-RC-04152 |
2-7/8” x 9-3/4” |
.5 gpm (1.9 lpm) |
| CQE-RC-04153 |
2-7/8” x 20” |
2.5 gpm (9.4 lpm) |
| CQE-RC-04154 |
4-5/8” x 9-3/4” |
3 gpm (11.4 lpm) |
| CQE-RC-04155 |
4-5/8” x 20” |
6 gpm (22.7 lpm) |
Media inside (Crystal Quest data sheets)
| Calcium GAC (bone char) |
Black granular bone char made by calcining cattle bones; tricalcium phosphate (hydroxyapatite) 70% to 76%, carbon 9% to 11%, calcium carbonate 7% to 9% |
| Bone char surface area |
200 m²/g total; 50 m²/g carbon surface |
| Coconut shell GAC |
Activated coconut shell carbon for chlorine, taste, odor and organic chemicals |
| ERA 6500 and ERA 9500 |
Copper-zinc redox alloys; ERA 6500 for chlorine, ERA 9500 for ferrous iron and hydrogen sulfide; operating pH 6.5 to 8.5 |
| Filtration pads |
Two 1-micron pads (the pads are 1 micron; no overall cartridge micron rating) |
| Treatment methods |
Ion exchange and precipitation on hydroxyapatite (fluoride forms fluorapatite), carbon adsorption, redox and particle filtration |
| Application |
Inorganic fluoride in municipal water; consult Crystal Quest for well or natural sources |
| Construction Materials |
Operating Specifications |
| • Polypropylene End Caps |
• Minimum Operating Pressure: 20 psi (1.4 bar) |
| • Polyolefin Inner/Outer Wraps |
• Maximum Operating Pressure: 60 psi (4.1 bar) |
| • Polyethylene Netting |
• Minimum Operating Temperature: 40° F (4° C) |
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• Maximum Operating Temperature: 90° F (32° C) |
