# Using SMS (Soil Master Select)



## breeze905 (Feb 1, 2009)

So my tank had this in it when i got it and was told it's an excellent substrate. i did a lil research and found out it is very good for plants as it has a very high CEC. The only issue is that when i poured in the water it clouded up the tank badly.. which at the time i didn't think anything of cause i did just pour the water in.... but after it sort of settled after a couple of days... i started picking out some plants and stuff that was left in there and throwing them out... i also was levelling out the substrate so there was no areas that didn't have any... after i had finished covering the bare spots on the bottom of the tank the water was extremely cloudy again. Anyone else ever use SMS? Should i get bigger gravel and layer it on top of the sms to hold it down? Or maybe it'll be ok once i get through the intial setup phase?

Lemme know your experiences or suggestions with working with Soil Master Select as a substrate.


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## Shattered (Feb 13, 2008)

Where did you get the SMS? 

I've never used it but in my "El Natural" tank, I had the same issue until I did cap the soil with a "heavy" top layer. 

I've read that some have used sand as a cap with success.


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## breeze905 (Feb 1, 2009)

> So my tank had this in it when i got it


 That's where i got it from. If your looking for something similar i belive ADA Aquasoil is supposedly the same thing.


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## hojimoe (Mar 7, 2008)

I've used it, and still have a 5 gallon pail 3/4 way full of the SMS red...
I liked it, it was nice for DIY dosing...

after the initial setup, it does take a bit to clear up a lot...and then moving any plants will cloud the tank again.... if you give it a good rinse, (REALLY GOOD) it will not do that, but if you don't, it will cloud up every time you move stuff for a couple weeks... also, before planting, if you pack it down - not too hard, just with your hand, it will get rid of any trapped air, and I find makes the plants hold better once it's in...


if you notice the tank is cloudy (really bad), you can do a 25% water change once a week to assist in the dust clearing, the dust will stop after a few changes


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## breeze905 (Feb 1, 2009)

Thanks for the tips hojimoe... i noticed you said it will cloud up the tank everytime i move stuff for a couple of weeks... does that mean eventually it will just stop clouding up? 

As for right now... i'm working right now but when i left my house to work the tank looked fairly clear. I bet by the time i go home in the morning it will be as clear as it's gonna get. But there's still some stuff in the substrate that i gotta remove like old plant roots and dead plant matter. Last time i did this it clouded the tank up pretty bad. I plan on taking my time with starting up the 90 gallon so i'm in no rush to perfect the substrate but i was curious about something... Does it hurt the fish if you put them in while it's cloudy? I would assume not cause fish live in some murky waters sometimes but i just thought i'd ask the forum and see what people say...

I may pull out all the sms and rinse the hell out of it if it gets ridiculous cloudy everytime i plant or unplant.


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## Shattered (Feb 13, 2008)

breeze905 said:


> That's where i got it from. If your looking for something similar i belive ADA Aquasoil is supposedly the same thing.


LOL, sorry must learn to read one of these days. I was just curious about a new substrate to try that's all.


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## hojimoe (Mar 7, 2008)

yes, It should stop clouding after a while, you can take it out and rinse it if you like, but it's up to you, besides once you get a nice looking setup, you tend to not move the plants around much anyway 

From your sig it says you're running an eheim 2217, great filter, but I think you should have two of them IMO


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## breeze905 (Feb 1, 2009)

well thanks hojimoe. I've been trying to level out the sms at the bottom with a thicker layer at the back to "add depth" and have noticed that the cloudiness is definitly a lot less of an issue now then it was before... i mean it still clouds up but no where near as bad and it clears up in less than 2 hours. So I definitly think it has improved dramatically!

I was thinking about the second eheim... which i definitly won't be buying another 2217 if i do get another one... only cause of the price. But I am seriously thinking about buying another large aquaclear or maybe the Rena that's equivilent to the eheim 2217. But a question that keeps running through my mind is why?! the 2217 is rated to 167 gallon ish... i have a 90... i mean i understand there's no such thing as over filteration but... everybody on this forum is telling me to get two of them eheims! Even if the rating is off... I beleive i would still have sufficient filtration no? Dead spots are the worry? I'm not looking for excuses not to buy one... i am gonna buy one but was just curious about why exactly everyone recommends me getting another?!


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## hojimoe (Mar 7, 2008)

eheims are the best that's why! and typically I rate all filters in half, meaning the 167 it's rated for, don't use alone on anything over a ~75-80g tank....

this is for dead spots and to have extra beneficial bacteria 

using a rena is fine too, I just prefer the eheims...


you should pull out the media in your eheim and give the pads/floss a very good rinse out, maybe the media too (in a tub of tank water) in clear out some of the dust particles


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