1 week setup and still waiting

Cesar333 · 08/26/2006, 08:11 PM

Iv set my 75 gallon for about week, closed loop system with a 1" overflow box to a 16 gallon sump. mix the salt with DI water, let it circulate for about 2 days and added live fiji sand which made my water very very cloudy, let it circulate for another 2 days which didnt clear anything so just shut it all down and let the water sit for a day which didnt help either. I had an Emperor 400 power filter from a previous tank so i added a polyester filter pad and a carbonpad and hung it on the tank and added another polyester pad to the inlet of my sump hoping it would atleast catch the very fine particles from the live sand, so alittle over a week and its still hazey, am i doing something wrong? maybe too much flow?

2639 · 08/26/2006, 08:15 PM

Cut down on the flow. That will help but time will prevail. This is just ONE of the things you need patience with in this hobby.

Are your filters clogged now? they may be too full to catch anything else. Just a thought.

Shagsbeard · 08/26/2006, 08:19 PM

If you are planning to put live rock in, I'd do it. You don't really want to have sand under your rocks since there are many creatures who will dig under them and your rock structure will collapse. When you put your rock in, be sure that it's securely based on the bottom of the aquarium. In a professional tank, they would use acrylic bolts to bolt the rocks together.

Your cloudiness should pass The sand will form layers of different density and partical size. It can take a while, but all that suspended stuff will settle to the lower layers of the sand bed. Lowering flow can help a lot, but it messes with the pH if you lower it too much.

drillsar · 08/26/2006, 08:21 PM

I beleive over time the sand will get better as bacteria will cling to it, Patience is key for sure in this hobby.

familyreefer · 08/26/2006, 08:28 PM

Coralife makes a product called Marine Tank Clarifier. It's expensive ( $18 for 8 oz.) It causes the small suspended particles in your water stick together, get heavy, and sink to the bottom. It works very well. I used some 2 weeks ago in a newly set up 55 Gal. The tank was clear 2 days later and has been that wAy ever since. I ran a can filter with 3 sponge pads and cleaned the sponges every morning. It works. ....Or you can just wait as others have suggested. It will all settle after a while. Keep cleaning the pads often.Twice a day would not be too often. If they get full of gunk , that's all they'll hold. Good Luck, Scott

PatMayo · 08/26/2006, 08:37 PM

I wouldn't recommend adding anything to the tank except things that you can measure for. Now is the time to develope the patience you will need long term. My sand did the same but I just perserved and it all settled out.

Regards,

Pat

pony_killer · 08/27/2006, 01:04 PM

I purchased my live sand from the lfs and before i even put it in the tank, i put it all in a bucket and washed, cleaned, and drained the sand until the water was clear enough for me to see the white sand at the bottom. put it in my tank, no cloudiness =]

meco65 · 08/27/2006, 01:40 PM

pony_killer What did you wash the sand with.

Flobajob · 08/27/2006, 01:44 PM

I'm guessing water - "until the water was clear enough for me to see the white sand at the bottom"

meco65 · 08/27/2006, 01:48 PM

If it was tap water and not saltwater it will kill every thing in the sand and you may as well get dead sand.

drillsar · 08/27/2006, 03:37 PM

Wait a minute? why did you wash it? YOU dont do that, you probably killed everything

Vin7250 · 08/27/2006, 04:19 PM

should not have washed the sand at all fresh water will kill all sw bacteria, so that was mistake number one. number 2 dont add ANYTHING let the sand settle on its own it could take a while....dont worry too much bout the sand other then the waste of money, ur live sand is mostlikely no better then regular sand now but with enough live rock it will seed the sand anyways.....

2639 · 08/27/2006, 04:38 PM

The LFS didnt tell you to rinse the sand did they?

08/26/2006, 08:11 PM	#1
Cesar333 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: NYC Posts: 19	1 week setup and still waiting Iv set my 75 gallon for about week, closed loop system with a 1" overflow box to a 16 gallon sump. mix the salt with DI water, let it circulate for about 2 days and added live fiji sand which made my water very very cloudy, let it circulate for another 2 days which didnt clear anything so just shut it all down and let the water sit for a day which didnt help either. I had an Emperor 400 power filter from a previous tank so i added a polyester filter pad and a carbonpad and hung it on the tank and added another polyester pad to the inlet of my sump hoping it would atleast catch the very fine particles from the live sand, so alittle over a week and its still hazey, am i doing something wrong? maybe too much flow?

08/26/2006, 08:28 PM	#5
familyreefer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Augusta Ga. Posts: 206	Hazy Coralife makes a product called Marine Tank Clarifier. It's expensive ( $18 for 8 oz.) It causes the small suspended particles in your water stick together, get heavy, and sink to the bottom. It works very well. I used some 2 weeks ago in a newly set up 55 Gal. The tank was clear 2 days later and has been that wAy ever since. I ran a can filter with 3 sponge pads and cleaned the sponges every morning. It works. ....Or you can just wait as others have suggested. It will all settle after a while. Keep cleaning the pads often.Twice a day would not be too often. If they get full of gunk , that's all they'll hold. Good Luck, Scott __________________ Interests: My kids, sailing, my Yellow Nape,Sun Conyer.African Grey, and cockatoo Current Tank Info: 220gal reef

08/26/2006, 08:37 PM	#6
PatMayo Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 2,843	I wouldn't recommend adding anything to the tank except things that you can measure for. Now is the time to develope the patience you will need long term. My sand did the same but I just perserved and it all settled out. Regards, Pat __________________ 90 AGA Megaflow (Setup 1-24-06) 120 Lbs. Liverock EuroReef RS 100 Skimmer 2 X 150 MH 2 X 96 watt PC Actinic 2 Clarki Clowns (31 months old) 1 Niger Trigger (Owned 6 months) 2 Tunze 6055 PH Current Tank Info: 90 AGA Megaflow To Be Mixed Reef

08/27/2006, 01:44 PM	#9
Flobajob Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Manchester, England Posts: 388	I'm guessing water - "until the water was clear enough for me to see the white sand at the bottom" __________________ Preserve nature - pickle a squirrel

08/26/2006, 08:15 PM	#2
2639 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 650	Cut down on the flow. That will help but time will prevail. This is just ONE of the things you need patience with in this hobby. Are your filters clogged now? they may be too full to catch anything else. Just a thought.

08/26/2006, 08:19 PM	#3
Shagsbeard Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Morro Bay, CA Posts: 2,143	If you are planning to put live rock in, I'd do it. You don't really want to have sand under your rocks since there are many creatures who will dig under them and your rock structure will collapse. When you put your rock in, be sure that it's securely based on the bottom of the aquarium. In a professional tank, they would use acrylic bolts to bolt the rocks together. Your cloudiness should pass The sand will form layers of different density and partical size. It can take a while, but all that suspended stuff will settle to the lower layers of the sand bed. Lowering flow can help a lot, but it messes with the pH if you lower it too much.

08/26/2006, 08:21 PM	#4
drillsar Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: West Orange, NJ Posts: 2,838	I beleive over time the sand will get better as bacteria will cling to it, Patience is key for sure in this hobby.

08/27/2006, 01:04 PM	#7
pony_killer Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Houston Posts: 322	I purchased my live sand from the lfs and before i even put it in the tank, i put it all in a bucket and washed, cleaned, and drained the sand until the water was clear enough for me to see the white sand at the bottom. put it in my tank, no cloudiness =]

08/27/2006, 01:40 PM	#8
meco65 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Arkansas Posts: 1,603	pony_killer What did you wash the sand with.

08/27/2006, 01:48 PM	#10
meco65 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Arkansas Posts: 1,603	If it was tap water and not saltwater it will kill every thing in the sand and you may as well get dead sand.

08/27/2006, 03:37 PM	#11
drillsar Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: West Orange, NJ Posts: 2,838	Wait a minute? why did you wash it? YOU dont do that, you probably killed everything

08/27/2006, 04:19 PM	#12
Vin7250 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Connecticut "The Big East" Posts: 1,144	should not have washed the sand at all fresh water will kill all sw bacteria, so that was mistake number one. number 2 dont add ANYTHING let the sand settle on its own it could take a while....dont worry too much bout the sand other then the waste of money, ur live sand is mostlikely no better then regular sand now but with enough live rock it will seed the sand anyways.....

08/27/2006, 04:38 PM	#13
2639 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 650	The LFS didnt tell you to rinse the sand did they?