Does carbon bleach your corals ? (Kent carbon recall)

[Casey8]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

guys...read this:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2134021

seems we are not alone and I am really angry at this company. I lost all my beautiful blue sponges, lost my 3 rare pink digitata...can't replace them!

Thanks for the link daniella, at least I know I am not the only one having trouble with Kent carbon. I still cannot believe what happened to my tank, because Kent carbon was my favorite for so many years. It is so sad !!I didn't loose $2,000 on corals like you, because I only pay $10, $15 for a frag, but to see them growing up and colored up with joy everyday, and now look at them dying from bleaching, it really breaks my heart
Please update if you get any more information from Kent. I should have kept a small sample from that bad carbon and send it to the Kent company to verify that I was not wrong.

[daniella3d]

Originally Posted by Casey8

Thanks for the link daniella, at least I know I am not the only one having trouble with Kent carbon. I still cannot believe what happened to my tank, because Kent carbon was my favorite for so many years. It is so sad !!I didn't loose $2,000 on corals like you, because I only pay $10, $15 for a frag, but to see them growing up and colored up with joy everyday, and now look at them dying from bleaching, it really breaks my heart
Please update if you get any more information from Kent. I should have kept a small sample from that bad carbon and send it to the Kent company to verify that I was not wrong.

I have plenty of this bad carbon left. Don't worry, they wrote in the other thread that the store owner have sent a sample to the company. I am keeping mine for sure, in case there is a need to analyse it.

I guess the important thing is to have proof of purchase if you don't have any carbon left.

I lost 2000$ worth in coral. That's the price I would need to pay to replace what I lost. I too started a few of these pieces with little frags but they were no little frags anylonger so they are not worth 30$ any longer. Even if you bought your corals are 10$ frag, they are worth a lot more when they grow large. It is that cost that you must calculate because replacing those pieces would cost that much.

[Casey8]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

I have plenty of this bad carbon left. Don't worry, they wrote in the other thread that the store owner have sent a sample to the company. I am keeping mine for sure, in case there is a need to analyse it.

I guess the important thing is to have proof of purchase if you don't have any carbon left.

I lost 2000$ worth in coral. That's the price I would need to pay to replace what I lost. I too started a few of these pieces with little frags but they were no little frags anylonger so they are not worth 30$ any longer. Even if you bought your corals are 10$ frag, they are worth a lot more when they grow large. It is that cost that you must calculate because replacing those pieces would cost that much.

Yah, you are right about that. It's not a $10 frag anymore !
My skimmer had pulled lots of black nasty color from that carbon in the last 2 days. Thank God, it is back to a normal color now.

[Canuckgod420]

I also had the sme issue when I switched to Kent, 1 afternoon I switch out the carbon, next morning serious colour loss. I simply turned off my carbon reactor, reduced my light duration, and kept a watchful eye.
Non of my corals died, but some where looking pretty stressed, no polyp extension, complete colour loss, small amounts of tissue recession.
But in a couple weeks things started to turn around, colour returning, polyps coming out. Now 3 months later everything is growing so fast I cant keep up, my colour has never been better, it crazy.

[daniella3d]

I reduced my ligth for one hour but I think I will reduce it a bit more.

How many hours did you reduce you light?

My pocillopora that I thought was not affected have started to lose tissue and I can see some patches of brown jelly now. wow...this is nasty.

Originally Posted by Canuckgod420

I also had the sme issue when I switched to Kent, 1 afternoon I switch out the carbon, next morning serious colour loss. I simply turned off my carbon reactor, reduced my light duration, and kept a watchful eye.
Non of my corals died, but some where looking pretty stressed, no polyp extension, complete colour loss, small amounts of tissue recession.
But in a couple weeks things started to turn around, colour returning, polyps coming out. Now 3 months later everything is growing so fast I cant keep up, my colour has never been better, it crazy.

[whatcaneyedo]

A friend provided me his 40 lbs box of Kent Carbon when he shut down a few years ago (2006 maybe?). I didn't use all 40 lbs myself but I did use it exclusively for probably 3 years without issue. However I have heard cases where contaminates like metals have found their way into Carbon and caused coral death. For the last few years I've been using BRS Fine Lignite Carbon because it seemed like a better value.

[MarkoD]

I use the fluval carbon and I don't really know what it does (never been without) but I see no negative effects

[Myka]

Paddy, if you're so sure it isn't the carbon why don't you use some of Daniella's carbon in your reef? Anything is possible, and it sure seems suspect that there are so many people having troubles with their new container of Kent carbon in the last month or two. It will be interesting to see how this develops.

I jut ran out of Kent carbon a couple weeks ago, and decided to try out the Brightwell Aquatics carbon as I have really been liking their other products lately. It sounds like I was lucky for once! Whew.

[Borderjumper]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

I have plenty of this bad carbon left. Don't worry, they wrote in the other thread that the store owner have sent a sample to the company. I am keeping mine for sure, in case there is a need to analyse it.

I guess the important thing is to have proof of purchase if you don't have any carbon left.

I lost 2000$ worth in coral. That's the price I would need to pay to replace what I lost. I too started a few of these pieces with little frags but they were no little frags anylonger so they are not worth 30$ any longer. Even if you bought your corals are 10$ frag, they are worth a lot more when they grow large. It is that cost that you must calculate because replacing those pieces would cost that much.

Try dragging a magnet thru the carbon and see if you get any metals?

[jjntm]

Originally Posted by Borderjumper

Try dragging a magnet thru the carbon and see if you get any metals?

Very smart Idea!!!