Trusted a buddy's charcoal layer advice, now my moss is turning black

My friend swore a 1 inch activated charcoal base would keep things fresh, but after 6 weeks, the moss on top is rotting and the water smells like a swamp, has anyone else had this issue with too much charcoal?

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kim.emma19d ago

Six weeks is a long time for any layer to go untouched... did you ever check if the charcoal was actually dry before you put it in? Waterlogged charcoal can trap moisture against the moss base, and then you get exactly this, rot and swamp smell. I had a similar setup once with a terrarium, and the issue wasn't the charcoal amount, it was the drainage holes getting clogged with fine dust. What kind of container are you using, and does it have actual airflow at the bottom, or is it just sitting on a shelf? Curious if your buddy also told you to wet the charcoal first... because that's a common trick that backfires.