How long does it take for sand to settle?

nekomi · 10/08/2006, 04:46 PM

Hi everybody,

I just finished filling my tank with RO water about an hour ago. I added some Instant Ocean sea salt, and I'm just waiting for the sand and IO to clear up before I test the salinity.

How long does it typically take for sand and sea salt to settle and the water to clear?

I'm just really excited to see the tank clear up so I can add LR later this week.

N8ster · 10/08/2006, 05:03 PM

I just added salt and sand to my tank about a week ago. It took about 2 days for most of the dust from the sand to settle.

sir_dudeguy · 10/08/2006, 05:23 PM

ya usually a day or 2

nekomi · 10/08/2006, 05:39 PM

Thanks, guys~!

One thing I can't figure out about the dust settling, though... in FW tanks, I've always had a canister filter that was essentially "trapping" all the dust and keeping it from being recirculated into the display. In a SW setup that doesn't have any mechanical filtration (other than a skimmer, but I dunno if that counts

), WHERE does all the dust go?? What keeps it from just being circulated around and around through the pumps, suspended in the water?

Just curious I guess... LOL!

It's good that I'm running my pumps right now, correct?

sir_dudeguy · 10/08/2006, 06:02 PM

well i'm sure the skimmer might take out a little bit of it, but for the most part, it just sits on the bottm, rocks, etc. Then after a while the bacteria and whatnot will hold it down (as with the sand too)

Agu · 10/08/2006, 07:19 PM

Quite often the sand storm lasts several days. Adding some live rock rubble or a cup of live sand seems to help the dust storm settle if it doesn't by itself. (once the parameters are correct)

10/08/2006, 04:46 PM	#1
nekomi Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 197	How long does it take for sand to settle? Hi everybody, I just finished filling my tank with RO water about an hour ago. I added some Instant Ocean sea salt, and I'm just waiting for the sand and IO to clear up before I test the salinity. How long does it typically take for sand and sea salt to settle and the water to clear? I'm just really excited to see the tank clear up so I can add LR later this week.

10/08/2006, 05:23 PM	#3
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	ya usually a day or 2 __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

10/08/2006, 06:02 PM	#5
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	well i'm sure the skimmer might take out a little bit of it, but for the most part, it just sits on the bottm, rocks, etc. Then after a while the bacteria and whatnot will hold it down (as with the sand too) __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

10/08/2006, 07:19 PM	#6
Agu Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Sarasota, Florida Posts: 30,279	Quite often the sand storm lasts several days. Adding some live rock rubble or a cup of live sand seems to help the dust storm settle if it doesn't by itself. (once the parameters are correct) __________________ Less technology , more biology . Current Tank Info: 30 gallon half cube and 5.5, both reef tanks

10/08/2006, 05:03 PM	#2
N8ster Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 306	I just added salt and sand to my tank about a week ago. It took about 2 days for most of the dust from the sand to settle.

10/08/2006, 05:39 PM	#4
nekomi Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 197	Thanks, guys~! One thing I can't figure out about the dust settling, though... in FW tanks, I've always had a canister filter that was essentially "trapping" all the dust and keeping it from being recirculated into the display. In a SW setup that doesn't have any mechanical filtration (other than a skimmer, but I dunno if that counts ), WHERE does all the dust go?? What keeps it from just being circulated around and around through the pumps, suspended in the water? Just curious I guess... LOL! It's good that I'm running my pumps right now, correct?