Kent marine issues recall on Reef carbon

[dakotasreef]

For those of you who are not aware. I had a tank crash about 3 weeks ago. I had added kent marine reef carbon to my reactor and within 3 hours all of my sps in my 120g and my 25 gallon frag tank we dead.

 

Today while doing some more research I came across this.

 

http://www.kentmarine.com/news/news-archive/kent-marine-reef.htm

 

If you are using kent carbon discontinue use until you verify you do not have the listed bad batches.

 

During the mining process the carbon was contaminated with copper and other metals.

[jamesbuf]

That is a bunch of BS. So sorry to hear about your losses. They should be liable for this. Who knows many people had tank crashes because of this stuff.

[surf&turf]

Have you contacted them Chris?

[roni]

Chris,

 

What a horrible thing to find out. At least you know what happened but I think they should at least reimburse you some of your loss. BTW, the offer for corals still stands. Whatever I've got that's fraggable is yours when you're back up

[BowieReefer84]

You NEED to contact the BBB. They WILL work for you on this to reach a resolution.

[Coral Hind]

Man, that sucks. We try so hard to do the right the things and we put our trust into certain products never thinking something like that might happen. I wonder over the years how many other times bad batches have been released causing tank crashes. I know I have read several here that have crashed after adding carbon.

[angel not fish]

[Marc Weaver]

Unfortunately, most product warranties only cover the cost of the product, not consequential damages so I doubt they will do anything. It sucks.

[firecrackerbob]

WOW... thats really horrible! sorry to hear about your loss! I dont know whats worse- buying a product that causes a crash or doing something yourself that causes it- I have done it both ways... I almost bought some Kent carbon a month or so ago... decided to go with BRS instead, close call!!!

 

 

Even worse is getting a bad batch of salt!

[Origami]

This is bad, bad news. Sorry to hear it. Here's what Kent has posted. If you use Kent, please check the label for the lot number. Unfortunately, it's not clear to me if their carbon source goes to any other companies who supply GAC for the marine aquarium hobby.

 

KENT Marine Reef Carbon Product Advisory

Feb 22, 2012

 

RE: KENT Marine Reef Carbon Product Advisory

 

There is a quality concern with KENT Marine Reef Carbon manufactured between December 5th of 2011 and February 8th of 2012. The concern is that the batch of carbon contained unusually high levels of heavy metals which have an adverse effect on stony corals and clams in marine settings. KENT Marine Reef Carbon is a virgin coal based carbon that is mined giving it greater adsorption properties. Unfortunately during this mining process, small layers containing heavy metals like copper were introduced into the carbon. This contamination of heavy metals would likely go undetected in freshwater environments and would not affect livestock. However in marine (salt water) aquariums, the effects can be seen in as quickly as a couple of hours to stony corals and clams. Fish and higher invertebrates such as shrimp do not seem to be affected. After removal of the contaminated carbon and dilution by a water change or use of other filtration means, most corals have been able to recover in 2-3 weeks from the exposure.

 

This carbon is also mainly used for commercial potable and wastewater treatment such as municipal water supplies. These are single pass systems where the water will only pass through the carbon bed once and any residual leaching of metal into the water will be minimal. This is also why carbon is not typically tested for heavy metals; until now. When carbon is used in aquarium settings, the water passes through the carbon bed multiple times increasing the soluble metal in that enclosed environment.

 

If you have purchased KENT Marine Reef Carbon in the last three months, please refer to the below table to identify the product size you may have purchased and the expiration dates affected.

 

00027 - KENT Marine Reef Carbon 1lb (1qt)

EX20DEC14 EX21DEC14 EX22DEC14 EX25JAN15 00031 - KENT Marine Reef Carbon 15lbs (5gal)

EX05JAN15 EX17JAN15 EX18JAN15

00028 - KENT Marine Reef Carbon 1.9lb (2qt)

EX05DEC14 EX08DEC14 EX13DEC14 00032 - KENT Marine Reef Carbon 25lbs

EX21DEC14

00029 - KENT Marine Reef Carbon 4.1lbs (1gal)

EX18JAN15 00681 - KENT Marine Reef Carbon 44lbs

EX02FEB15 EX08FEB15

00030 - KENT Marine Reef Carbon 7lbs (2gal)

EX13DEC14 EX14DEC14 EX03FEB15

These expiration dates can be found imprinted on the product label or stamped on the product bottom.

 

If you have product with an above expiration date, please discontinue use and perform a standard water change. Take the remaining product back to the retailer where it was purchased for a refund or exchange or call a Central Aquatics customer service representative at 1-888-255-4527.

 

We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused as we want to assure you that we intend to deliver the highest quality products possible. With this development, the quality of KENT Reef Carbon will be produced under new testing protocols.

 

Again we sincerely apologize for having to bring this quality concern to your attention. If you have any questions about this advisory or any other KENT Marine product, please contact a Central Aquatics customer service representative at 1-888-255-4527.

 

 

Best regards,

 

Scott Rabe

Central Aquatics

Brand Manager Food & Water Care