Soilmaster Select Substrate

[matpat]

I didn't rinse my SMS at all and you can see by the pics in my initial post that it did not cloud the water much. I also used a dinner plate to help distribute the fill water when I added it. I have to wonder how people get so much cloudiness out of their SMS. I guess it is possible that the composition has changed a bit over the years.

As far as planting is concerned, I haven't had many issues with planting anything other than H. balsamica or big stems of H. difformis. Then again, I use forceps to plant since I have pretty fat fingers. If I use my fingers, I'm lucky to get plants planted in sand, let alone SMS

[hojimoe]

i filled with SMS last week and I had some substantial cloudiness but that was because I think I didn't rinse enough, rinsed until water was clear, but not enough?.... I also added with a strainer into an already filled tank...maybe that's why? doesn't matter now, did some WC's and it settled down and is very clear now!

[Coolpix]

Just got luck today with 1 bag of Charcoal SMS at Anaheim store, but not enough to get about 3" deep in my 180gal (6x2x2). Still hunting for 2 more bags. Hope someone in OC, CA can help.

[jaidexl]

Edit/Warning: Do NOT email AQP.com on this issue, they will not appreciate it and it's borderlining on a defamation lawsuit if you poke too hard or try to share your opinion online, so be warned before making any mistakes or statements you might legally pay for. Visit the substrate forum at APC.com if you want to know the skinny, and try to keep it over there, we don't need any of the drama here, and I certainly did not intend to create any by posting the following. That said, I have no real issues with how they do business or what they are selling, and the following was posted to simply inform inquiring minds who've been wondering. Also, I did not make any of this up as it came directly from Oil-Dry.

This is somewhat interesting. I had some correspondence with an Oil-Dri rep, I was asking if any other local distributor carries SMS other than Lesco and if they'd sell one bag....

"Hi Jaide,

Thank you for contacting us. We have one distributor that carries Select
Charcoal in single bags, Aquarium Plant Life in South Dakota.

Mark Harmen
Aquarium Plant Life
46983 Mindy Street
Tea, SD 57064
Ph: 605-368-2600

Mark and the team at Aquarium Plant Life will be able to answer any
questions you may have regarding product availability and cost with freight.

We do have Pro's Choice distributors in Florida, but they primarily carry
our sports field products: Pro Mound, Rapid Dry, Pro Red.

Select in Charcoal in single bag quantities are used by aquarium users -
hence the referal to this distributor in SD. The question came up recently,
and after conferring with our sales managers, I found out Aquarium Plant
Life is still our only distributor of Select Charcoal in single bags.

Thanks again,

Paula

--

Paula Jasinski
Fulfillment Coordinator
Oil-Dri Corporation"

I called them and turns out it's aquariumplants.com, and the guy had no clue what SMS was until I mentioned a red bucket.

[Homer_Simpson]

Originally Posted by jaidexl

This is somewhat interesting. I had some correspondence with an Oil-Dri rep, I was asking if any other local distributor carries SMS other than Lesco and if they'd sell one bag....

"Hi Jaide,

Thank you for contacting us. We have one distributor that carries Select
Charcoal in single bags, Aquarium Plant Life in South Dakota.

Mark Harmen
Aquarium Plant Life
46983 Mindy Street
Tea, SD 57064
Ph: 605-368-2600

Mark and the team at Aquarium Plant Life will be able to answer any
questions you may have regarding product availability and cost with freight.

We do have Pro's Choice distributors in Florida, but they primarily carry
our sports field products: Pro Mound, Rapid Dry, Pro Red.

Select in Charcoal in single bag quantities are used by aquarium users -
hence the referal to this distributor in SD. The question came up recently,
and after conferring with our sales managers, I found out Aquarium Plant
Life is still our only distributor of Select Charcoal in single bags.

Thanks again,

Paula

--

Paula Jasinski
Fulfillment Coordinator
Oil-Dri Corporation"

I called them and turns out it's aquariumplants.com, and the guy had no clue what SMS was until I mentioned a red bucket.

If so, then it confirms that the red bucket stuff is in fact repackaged SMS. Yes....!!! I got the right stuff for testing.



And it seems if that is the case, people looking for SMS may have no choice but to buy AP'S red bucket SMS.

[jaidexl]

Exactly. The only other options are to get lucky and find a bag in inventory at a local Lesco or go back to one of the other options like Turface Pro league grey. I've emailed every other carrier that pops up through google and none of them have responded in months.

It sucks that aquariumplants.com's is that expensive, the price was the main factor for me buying it the first time. There are plenty of other ways to get your hands on calcined clay at the cheap price that made it popular to begin with, we just have to find a way to get it.

On my journey's, I also figured out that regular Turface is the same thing as Shultz aquatic soil, both are from Profile. And Oil-Dri is the maker of Cat's Pride brand cat litter (ugly white color).

[Homer_Simpson]

Yeah, I hear you, the mark up sucks. But since I had no way to get this stuff locally or even an online from a Canadian Supplier I bit the bullet. As AP does have the option of local pick up in Winnipeg for $10, I did save some in shipping.

Schultz Aquatic Soil is fire kindled fuller's earth and Turface is allegedly crushed clay, so I don't believe they are the same, but for plant growth it may not make a huge difference.

For what it's worth when I converted my 40 gallon to a planted tank, I over-estimated the number of bags of Schultz Aquatic Soil I would need. I ended up with 1 1/2 bags left over. The half bag is good for any future testing, but for now I am petty much done testing Schultz as a sole substrate so I would have happily given you that extra bag for free if you were my neighbour.

[jaidexl]

Ok, you are probably right. The Profile site never stated they were the same, but still products of the same company.

I still have a lot of SMS left in my one bag after using some in a 65gl. I've been searching for the sake of others and also to get my hands on some more if possible, before it's unavailable at a low price, which is starting to look like the case. ...for now, I told Oil-Dri that we're all converting back to cat litter and Turface.

I'm going to try and talk my LFS into repackaging their own SMS. They've been trying to get some from Lesco for a few display tanks but it was a no go. Maybe they can get a pallet or just hook up with Oil-Dri. They already know of the demand online from me telling them, maybe I can talk them into taking the reins.

[bharada]

SMS will be harder for us in the bay area to get, too. Late last year the local Lesco was clearing out their SMS in favor of Turface.

[CrimsonKeel]

You dont have to get it at lesco
I found mine at
Phoenix Stone Company
74 Floral Ave. Mount Clemens, MI 48043
Toll Free: (866) MyStone
Detroit metro area
they didnt have any in stock but when there spring order goes out they are getting me 3 bags.
all i did was email oildri and ask for a local distributor and in the email i told them my local lesco didnt have it and if there were any other distributors in my area.
so sometime this spring ill be getting 3 bags at if i remember right 9 bucks apiece.

[equus_peduus]

Originally Posted by bharada

SMS will be harder for us in the bay area to get, too. Late last year the local Lesco was clearing out their SMS in favor of Turface.

I got some from the Concord store of Lesco in mid-December; he had 8 bags of the Charcoal color left at that time. No idea if he still has any. He may have the red or Turface as well, but I didn't ask. It was about $8/bag plus tax at the time

[jaidexl]

Originally Posted by CrimsonKeel

You dont have to get it at lesco
I found mine at
Phoenix Stone Company
74 Floral Ave. Mount Clemens, MI 48043
Toll Free: (866) MyStone
Detroit metro area
they didnt have any in stock but when there spring order goes out they are getting me 3 bags.
all i did was email oildri and ask for a local distributor and in the email i told them my local lesco didnt have it and if there were any other distributors in my area.
so sometime this spring ill be getting 3 bags at if i remember right 9 bucks apiece.

That's weird, I wonder why they told me aquariumplants is the only one. how long ago was this?

[CrimsonKeel]

Originally Posted by jaidexl

That's weird, I wonder why they told me aquariumplants is the only one. how long ago was this?

It was around christmas 07.
I looked for the email address today from the lady who got me in touch with phoenix but i must have deleted it.

[super_smirky]

My Lesco claimed to not have it and said nothing about ordering it...but when I kept asking, they did say their main warehouse had it and they could order....2 weeks later, I got me 3 bags of it. Guess you have to be persistent

[jaidexl]

That's one thing I haven't tried, bugging to the local Lesco. I guess so many have had no luck there that I figure it's a wash, but I'll try anyway.

I'm trying to find single bags or Turface Pro League Grey now, it looks identical to SMS charcoal, and looks is all I personally care about. It should serve the purpose the same even if it's technically a different type of clay.