Recall on Kent Marine Carbon

[George Monnat Jr]

This is from a Chicago-area forum on RC, but I thought it was serious enough to pass on.

Warning!!!! Carbon recall! *MUST READ*

on Kent Marine Carbon, we found out the hard way... did a carbon last night and my brother bought some new carbon, Kent Marine Carbon, after about an hour some of the corals started acting up, didnt really think nothing of it, 8 hours later woke up to find nothing but SPS/ LPS Skeletons in my cloudy polluted tank.. but all fish are fine....didnt really know what it was, after some research found out there was a recall on this carbon, the reason the LFS was selling it was the dates didnt match the bottle with the dates on the paper, but the thing is, the date was off by like a week .. likely that it was the same batch in the Recalled batch..

here is the exact Quote on the recall

******

"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. "

**********

Before Pictures.. (couple days to a couple weeks before)

After

[mFrame]

KENT Marine Reef Carbon Product Advisory (2/22/12)

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