cloudy Tank

[kamla]

Hi all,
so i set up my tank.
and used "Carib Sea Arag-Alive 20-Pound Fiji Pink Sand"

BUT i did not rinse the sand out, i used it straight from the bag.

This has cause the water to be cloudy.. the tank has been set up for 1 week.

After a day or so the tank settles and the water gets a bit clear.

BUT ANY movement of the sand will cause it to be cloudy again.

.. so should take the sand out and rinse it and then use new slat water?

the tank is only 20 gals so it should be easy..

any thought?

 

[ScottR]

Hi all,
so i set up my tank.
and used "Carib Sea Arag-Alive 20-Pound Fiji Pink Sand"

BUT i did not rinse the sand out, i used it straight from the bag.

This has cause the water to be cloudy.. the tank has been set up for 1 week.

After a day or so the tank settles and the water gets a bit clear.

BUT ANY movement of the sand will cause it to be cloudy again.

.. so should take the sand out and rinse it and then use new slat water?

the tank is only 20 gals so it should be easy..

any thought?

Give it time. I used live sand to cycle my first tank. It takes time. I did a couple water changes and it cleared up fast.

 

[kamla]

Give it time. I used live sand to cycle my first tank. It takes time. I did a couple water changes and it cleared up fast.

does it still cloud up when you disturb the sand bed?

i read that the sand i bought has a lot of silt in it, and that what causes the cloudiness

thax
kamla

 

[kamla]

so should I take the sand out and rinse it ?

and i could clean the pumps and the back glass, every thing has whilte silt on it/

thax
kamla

 

[ScottR]

I haven’t used that particular sand before. I used Red Sea live sand. I put my rock and sand in first. Water then salt. Used pump and 2 or 3 days later it was perfectly clear. Live sand loses its “live” when you rinse it.

How deep is the sand bed? More than 1 inch?

 

[flchamp89]

It shouldn't take a week IMO. I just used that sand and I was clear in less than 24 hrs. Did anything get disturbed after the scape?

 

[ScottR]

It shouldn't take a week IMO. I just used that sand and I was clear in less than 24 hrs. Did anything get disturbed after the scape?

I saw someone else post something like this before. Baffles me. I switched to BB. Sand has as many ups as it does downs.

 

[flchamp89]

I've heard it too. I'm sure not all bags are created equally. There's always lots of variables.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Did you use the clarifier that comes in the bag? (Enzymes and bacteria)

What grain size did you use?
Not oolite I hope.

 

[Crested]

If used Fiji pink before and clouded up fairly easily for me too. I just stirred it up daily during the cycle to remove the small particles and changed out my mechanical filtration daily to prevent clogging. After about 5-6 days of doing that it cleared up nicely and now it doesn't cloud anymore. I wouldn't take it out to rinse it, that would kill any bacteria on it.

 

[flchamp89]

Did you use the clarifier that comes in the bag? (Enzymes and bacteria)

What grain size did you use?
Not oolite I hope.

Great point. I do use the clarifier.

 

[Crested]

I also use this 50 micron filter pad, it stops almost anything and you may have to change it more than once a day
https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Micr...on+filter+pad&qid=1553733913&s=gateway&sr=8-4

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Rinsing won’t kill the bacteria.

 

[kamla]

Rinsing won’t kill the bacteria.

i was planning to rinse it out with tap water.

BTW its NOT oolite

even a slight touch to the sand bed causes the cloudiness

 

[Bryson.bobby]

I made the same mistake when I first set up my tank. My trigger knocked down my power head and made the tank cloudy. Just do a couple 20% wtr changes and you’ll be fine. You probably don’t want the dust settling again as u would be in the same situation u are in now. Not to mention that my dumb self ran the pump to try to clear it up and ruined it.

 

[kamla]

this is strange..

i have set up 3 tanks and never had this problem before...

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

i was planning to rinse it out with tap water.

BTW its NOT oolite

even a slight touch to the sand bed causes the cloudiness

Weird.
Maybe the bag got bumped moved and a bit abused.

 

[kamla]

Weird.
Maybe the bag got bumped moved and a bit abused.

10 days of waiting for it to settle...

i am just going to rinse it

Kamla

 

[jonneyb]

10 days of waiting for it to settle...

i am just going to rinse it

Kamla

for 20 gal tank, take it out and rinse it...be done with it

 

[Auto-pilot]

10 days of waiting for it to settle...

i am just going to rinse it

Kamla

What do you have for filtration??? I had a similar problem and it was cloudy for a LONG time and then I moved my canister filter from a tank that was running and it was clear in a day. I just kept stirring the waster around until it was clean. If it settles it Probably just alot of small particles and it will help to rinse it but maybe you might want to get some filter floss somewhere to clear whatever else is left in the water after rinsing it maybe??