Added Sand - Cloudy; Specific Gravity VERY High

[drcrook]

Hey Folks,

Brand new tank. It is 150 gallon display w/ 55 gallon sump where 15 gallons is a refugium.

I added 100lbs of sand into the display (fine grain) and a courser grain to the refugium. I added the sand to a tank with water already in it. Of course it created a full dust storm.

It has been 24 hours and cleared a bit. I have three big questions:

1. Should I run the system to assist? I have it draining into 2 filter socks; which I beleive would catch and assist in the clear up.

2. I added salt; (175 gallons) in theory I should need another 30 gallons worth for proper dosage; but my specific gravity (psuedo salinity) is up in the 40s. My guess is that specific gravity is really a measure of density and not salt and we convert through a fuzzy process to salinity and therefor it is off the charts due to the sand and other particulates suspended in the water. I should likely just wait until the particlulates clear before deciding what to do with the salt either remove or add more.

3. I added a dead frozen shrimp to help get the cycle started while all this clears out; I was considering adding a cheap cleanup crew as well just to get the ball rolling. Thoughts on this?

 

[Phelipe's Ocean]

Did you use a hydrometer or a refractometer? And the shrimp is a good idea its how I start most of my tanks and it works out well I usually add some bacteria so kick start it as well. For cleanup crew and when to add I have heard many different opinions but mine is I wouldn’t add them too early for two reasons: one there is not much for them to feed on with such a new tank and no other livestock and two you can lose quite a few of them when the ammonia spike hits.

 

[drcrook]

I used a hydrometer. I guess I was hoping the clean up crew would munch on the frozen shrimp. By cleanup crew; I meant like 6 hermit crabs and 2 snails. But looking at it; they eat fish waste, and might not eat that shrimp. Maybe a nassaurius snail.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

2. I added salt; (175 gallons) in theory I should need another 30 gallons worth for proper dosage; but my specific gravity (psuedo salinity) is up in the 40s. My guess is that specific gravity is really a measure of density and not salt and we convert through a fuzzy process to salinity and therefor it is off the charts due to the sand and other particulates suspended in the water. I should likely just wait until the particlulates clear before deciding what to do with the salt either remove or add more.

Do you mean 1.040 SG? Or S = 40 ppt?

Either way, if you're measuring specific gravity with a hydrometer, your assessment is likely correct. Particulate matter in the sample may affect the density of the sample, which would increase a specific gravity reading. If you're measuring salinity with a refractometer, the particles in the solution will definitely change the way that light travels through the sample, which will skew the results also. If you're looking for a more direct way to measure salinity than refractive index or specific gravity, a conductivity meter is a decent way to go. The results given by a conductivity meter can still be affected by external noise, but at least to me, it feels a bit more direct than measuring the density of the water or how light travels through it.

I would not add any living animals to the tank until ammonia is undetectable. You also should make sure the salinity is accurate before adding any invertebrates.

 

[Mr. Limpid]

I also added fine grain sand with water already in tank. My tank never came clear, because the power heads were keeping the sand grains in motion. This also destroyed my filter sock because it was like sand blasting it. I final removed all my sand, changed out my filter sock and added more course grained sand. Hope this is not your case.

 

[drcrook]

I also added fine grain sand with water already in tank. My tank never came clear, because the power heads were keeping the sand grains in motion. This also destroyed my filter sock because it was like sand blasting it. I final removed all my sand, changed out my filter sock and added more course grained sand. Hope this is not your case.

dear lord, I hope not. That would be a big bummer.

How long did you wait?

 

[timnem70]

You don't want them to. Your creating an ammonia spike to kick start the bio processes. The tank will clean up on its own, it just takes a while. Keep rinsing the filter socks and possibly add some finer poly filter to the bubble trap/end stage of the sump for finer material.

I used a hydrometer. I guess I was hoping the clean up crew would munch on the frozen shrimp. By cleanup crew; I meant like 6 hermit crabs and 2 snails. But looking at it; they eat fish waste, and might not eat that shrimp. Maybe a nassaurius snail.

 

[timnem70]

Just take out the carcass after a few days. You don't want it completely rotting in your tank. I can already tell my man... SLOW DOWN.

 

[madweazl]

You definitely want the system running and the filter socks will remove lots of particulate from the water column. As for salinity/SG, you likely have less capacity than you believe because the sand, rock, and equipment displace a deceptively large amount of water. My 75g DT and 30g sump has an actual capacity of 74g.

 

[Mr. Limpid]

dear lord, I hope not. That would be a big bummer.

How long did you wait?

A week, pull out your filter sock turn it inside out. You will no right away if the sock is being torn up.

 

[Halal Hotdog]

I am not sure how you added the sand, but there are tricks you can employ when adding to a system with water in it. Using a large diameter PVC pipe placed to the bottom allows you to pour the sand in a less messy way.

 

[drcrook]

Definitely a learning process going on. My protein skimmer appears to be pulling out a ton of super cloud stuff and my filter socks appear to be pulling out a bunch of nastyness; So I'll probably just let it go for a while.

 

[Mr. Limpid]

There isn't really nothing to do while your tank cycles other than top off and check ammonia and nitrites levels. You can rearrange your rocks a few dozen times, I did. Are you cycling your QT at same time? Just my two cents, patience will same you a lot of money and creatures lives.

 

[drcrook]

Yup; cycling everything. I've decided to hold off on some of the cleaner guys. The tank is starting to clear up; It'll probably be fully clear by Thursday. I haven't even added the rocks yet; I've got one in there to help me guage clarity. Trying to figure out how I want to aquascape before I put the rocks in the tank. I definitely needed to buy more rocks though.

What is the school of thought on adding aquacultured live rock where you might care about the algae and some of the critters that come with it? I've read you add live rock for cycling; but there is a ton of stuff on there. I know you should cure it; but I've got a new empty tank. I can possibly cure it in the tank? I was going to wait until the cloudiness went and had my salinity right.

 

[Mr. Limpid]

With a new system like yours you can add rock direct into tank. If you order it on line it will come with some things that died in transit but this will help in your cycling. If you get from LFS it wouldn't have time for things to die. Cure is for adding rock to an established DT so you don't get spikes. Or if you think there are parasites or unwanted critters, but your cycling time will cure the parasites.

 

[drcrook]

Cool; I plan to order online for some overnight aqua cultured stuff; which my LFS does not carry.

 

[timnem70]

Your skimmer is doing nothing right now other than adding needed O2. Don't have to have it on. It will need adjustment and a break in period anyways once, after a few months, your biological filter and such starts producing.

 

[Dragon52]

When I replaced my black sand with white fine grain to my tank it took about 3 days to clear-up. I turned off the power heads & that helped. Left the return pump on. Didn't have anything in it but added Dr tims to start the cycle, all fish,coral & CUC had already been moved out for this change.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Hey Bud, Great move on the extra fine sand! I love mine. It traps hardly any detritus because it's so dense. The dust problem though is easily remedied by a product that's been around for some time. Its Marine Tank Clarifier Originally, I thought it was too good to be true but I tried it and BAM! it worked. What it claims is that this chemical attaches itself to any and all free floating particulates to assist mechanical filtration like sponges, filter socks etc in trapping the now heavier, weightier particle. KENT is the manufacturer. very reef safe. Good luck.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Hey Bud, Kent has a product called Marine Tank Clarifier. It works beautifully! They claim that this very reef safe chemical attaches itself to free floating particles, making them more apt to get caught by filter socks and sponges etc. I've used it, it works, and I recommend it. Also good move on the fine sand, I've never regretted mine. It's so dense that it doesn't trap detritus like larger crushed corals and substrates. Good luck DR.