# SMS Charcoal problems



## gforster (Jul 30, 2006)

So, I got a nice deal on SMS charcoal at Lesco. I put it in my tank. I add water. Apparently SMS + water = fizzing. There was tons of fizzing going on. I figured it would die down. Then, I noticed it was super cloudy. I waited and it was clear the next day. I stirred up the substrate a little to see what the situation was. It kicked up a huge cloud. It made flourite look clean. I figured I would just clean out all of the gunk. So, I hook it up to a filstar xp1 and clean it out for 3 days. That stuff was dirty. It still is dirty. Plus, it smells horrible. Like something died.

So, did I just get a bad batch of SMS or is there something that I am missing?

thanks


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Not everyone agrees with me on this, but I believe it is essential to wash SMS thoroughly before putting it in the tank. This stuff is made to spread on a baseball field, so there is no reason for the manufacturer to care if it is dirty or contaminated with something that might be bad in an aquarium. When I wash it I get a huge amount of brown water and it takes several washes to get rid of almost all of the brown water. But, my bag has never experienced fizzing.


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## zabak80 (Mar 31, 2007)

I always wash it too. But no matter how much I wash it, it always will cloud a little if disturbed.

However, I find that over a few days and weeks, it goes down. If left undisturbed, all the dust and particles will settle on the bottom underneath the substrate. I saw this when I redid a tank recently and removed the SMS. All the dust and particles were on the bottom.

Just give it some time.


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## JohnInFla (May 15, 2007)

I just recently filled a 180 gal using UNWASHED SMS charcoal. It took about 80 lbs to get the depth that I wanted and this picture shows how it looked IMMEDIATELY after filling.










I filled it until the SMS was just "not quite covered" in the tank and held the water level there until I finished the planting you see in the picture above. Once I was done with the initial planting, I filled the tank the rest of the way. The key to the clarity, I believe, is that I filled the tank SLOWLY ... 4 to 5 hours to fill completely.

Since the initial fill, I've been adding more plants and I get a tiny puff of dust in the water when I dusturb the SMS but it clears very quickly.

The fizzing problem and smell that you describe ... not my experience ... sounds like something bad was adsorbed into the SMS before you got it.

I hope you get your problem solved.

Keep Smilin'
John


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## Jdinh04 (Oct 7, 2004)

I recently set up a 20g with SMS Charcoal. I never wash the stuff, its a waste of time. But don't be discouraged becuase of the cloudiness, give it a few months to establish and it will look like the best stuff you've ever seen.


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## Mud Pie Mama (Jul 30, 2006)

I have SMS Charcoal in two tanks now (75g & 29g). I'm getting ready to put it into a new aquarium I'll be planting as soon as I've the time - the driftwood is fully soaked, aquarium 's been leak tested, plants are housed in temporary tubs on the deck. Anyway, my point is I love the stuff. I'm using it now and, yes, I would and will be happy to use it again. 

I 've also set up aquaria using the Red SMS, as well as Shults Aquatic Planting Soil, and they all react similarly when first submerged. The fizzing is the water entering the many pore spaces on the dried, baked clay particles. Nothing to be concerned over. 

I 've always rinsed before adding to a tank. I'm definately with Hoppy on this - it is not manufactured for the Aquarium usage, and better safe than sorry. Still, even after repeated washing, there is still some clouding and dust kicked up. So, I just rinse a little and let my filstars and time take care of most of the rest. It does get much better though thru time as the particles become thouroughly saturated and develop a bio-film. Even though tiny puffs of dust can come up as you up root plants I'm more than willing to put up with this. I've seen the largest, healthiest root systems with this light, porous substrate. SMS has exceptional CEC.


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## duchessren (Sep 16, 2006)

I use SMS now and have never NOT washed it, so I can't comment on that aspect of things. However, I do notice that the washing/rinsing period takes some time. That is _some_ of the dustiest, "water-cloudingest" stuff I've seen. The rinsing will immensely help the clouding aspect. The cloudiness shouldn't be a problem longterm, but I know I feel better (through the instant gratification) about getting a tank substrated and filled and having it look as good as possible.


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