Sand in water column

Scallywag · 02/17/2015, 10:52 AM

I'm almost done setting my 105 gal with a 30 gal sump. I have a 3" sand bed and my aquascaping is done. I also have my return pump dialed in with me drain. Everything was fine until I put two MP40's in my dt, one on each side. My tank is now so cloudy I can't see the rock. My sump is cloudy too.

Are my pumps too powerful or is this normal and will the sand settle in time?

FraggledRock · 02/17/2015, 10:54 AM

do you have actual sand or crushed coral/aragonite?

mp40s will definiely blow your sand around.

i would let the sand settle til the flow doesnt move it anymore. but find sand will alwasy get blown much easier then aragonite type sandbeds

the cloudiness could be just fine sand particles floating, that should settle soon.

Scallywag · 02/17/2015, 11:00 AM

Thanks for the quick reply.

Its Bahama Aragonite Sand (Sand Grain Size: Fine ) from MarcoRocks.

FraggledRock · 02/17/2015, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scallywag

Thanks for the quick reply.

Its Bahama Aragonite Sand (Sand Grain Size: Fine ) from MarcoRocks.

no problem glad I can help out.

hmmm it is definitely very fine compared the powerful flow of the mp40 at full blast, but once it settles i would let it be, the milkiness is typical of aragonite getting mixed around.

that should settle as long as sand isnt continuously getting stirred.

the sump clouding is because it is free floating particulate and follows teh water flow.

ca1ore · 02/17/2015, 11:06 AM

'Aragonite' is a term that gets tossed around with impunity by the companies that sell sand - frankly I'm not really sure what it is supposed to mean. Isn't all sand sourced from coral skeletons by definition aragonite regardless of how fine or how coarse? Bottom line, however, is that if you use the really fine, sugar-sized sand it will blow around and you'll have to adjust or move your pumps accordingly. It is for that reason that I personally don't use the really fine stuff. A coarser sand functions almost as well, without the drawbacks. I use the special grade sea floor stuff.

Milkiness may well be just fines that will go away with time (did you rinse the sand well before using it?); but even once those are gone (may be the sole useful function a filter sock can perform; and the skimmer will help to remove it also) very fine sand tends to move around and pile up in the presence of strong flow, and if you employ flow to prevent detritus buildup on the sand bed I think you can appreciate that that becomes a design problem.

Incidentally, if you are setting up a remote DSB, then the really fine sand is the best choice; just not in the display IMO.

02/17/2015, 10:52 AM	#1
Scallywag Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Cicero, NY Posts: 85	Sand in water column I'm almost done setting my 105 gal with a 30 gal sump. I have a 3" sand bed and my aquascaping is done. I also have my return pump dialed in with me drain. Everything was fine until I put two MP40's in my dt, one on each side. My tank is now so cloudy I can't see the rock. My sump is cloudy too. Are my pumps too powerful or is this normal and will the sand settle in time? __________________ Never trust an atom. They make up everything. Current Tank Info: 105 gal with Tek Light Elite T5 6x54watt

02/17/2015, 10:54 AM	#2
FraggledRock Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: New York, New York Posts: 2,185	do you have actual sand or crushed coral/aragonite? mp40s will definiely blow your sand around. i would let the sand settle til the flow doesnt move it anymore. but find sand will alwasy get blown much easier then aragonite type sandbeds the cloudiness could be just fine sand particles floating, that should settle soon. __________________ “For most of history, man has had to fight nature to survive; in this century he is beginning to realize that, in order to survive, he must protect it.”― Jacques-Yves Cousteau MarineBio.org Current Tank Info: 40 Gallon Breeder w/ Bean Animal Overflow 20G Sump, Mixed Reef.

02/17/2015, 11:00 AM	#3
Scallywag Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Cicero, NY Posts: 85	Thanks for the quick reply. Its Bahama Aragonite Sand (Sand Grain Size: Fine ) from MarcoRocks. __________________ Never trust an atom. They make up everything. Current Tank Info: 105 gal with Tek Light Elite T5 6x54watt

02/17/2015, 11:06 AM	#5
ca1ore Grizzled & Cynical Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 17,319	'Aragonite' is a term that gets tossed around with impunity by the companies that sell sand - frankly I'm not really sure what it is supposed to mean. Isn't all sand sourced from coral skeletons by definition aragonite regardless of how fine or how coarse? Bottom line, however, is that if you use the really fine, sugar-sized sand it will blow around and you'll have to adjust or move your pumps accordingly. It is for that reason that I personally don't use the really fine stuff. A coarser sand functions almost as well, without the drawbacks. I use the special grade sea floor stuff. Milkiness may well be just fines that will go away with time (did you rinse the sand well before using it?); but even once those are gone (may be the sole useful function a filter sock can perform; and the skimmer will help to remove it also) very fine sand tends to move around and pile up in the presence of strong flow, and if you employ flow to prevent detritus buildup on the sand bed I think you can appreciate that that becomes a design problem. Incidentally, if you are setting up a remote DSB, then the really fine sand is the best choice; just not in the display IMO. __________________ Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs Last edited by ca1ore; 02/17/2015 at 11:15 AM.