Initial Setup Question

[oli5]

Hey everyone, I recently set up my tank and have a question. I mixed the salt and water in the tank 2 days ago by boiling water and adding all the salt so it dissolves faster. I then added the boiling water and salt to the aquarium's water (75g) The problem is, it still hasn't cleared up! The salt doesn't look completely dissolved. So can I turn on my filter or will it get clogged with salt (Fluval405). The only thing I left on is the powerhead, keeping off the filter and protein skimmer. Thanks.

[chizzle]

If there is sand in the tank it may have created a 'dust storm' and hasn't completely settled. As far as turning on your filter, I don't see any reason why it would clog it - whether or not its sand or salt.

HTH

[oli5]

ya I added sand too but before I added it the water was still super cloudy. I rinsed the sand before really really good and for a while so the sand didn't end up making it worst. I asked if I could turn on the filter because if the salt isn't completely dissolved in the water, that means there's still particles that could be sucked into the filter, thus the thought of it clogging with salt/getting a load in there.

[chizzle]

I would assume the water moving through the filter constantly is going to keeping anything from "lodging" and becoming clogged. I'm not familiar with exactly how that filter works though, so until someone else chimes in, if you are uncomfortable with the idea, I wouldn't turn it on.

It probably wouldn't hurt to get another powerhead though. If you face them towards each other, it will help dissolve anything that isn't already.

[oli5]

I have another powerhead but it's being used in a tub to cure my live rock. Can somebody please help!

[loafiedb]

Just wait a while for it to clear up, i had to wait 2-3 days for mine to clear and it still wasnt completely clear.

The bacteria would grab a hold of your sand and then it will settle, is what i was told.

[oli5]

No it's not the sand, it's the salt. I'm saying that it doesn't look completely dissolved.

[oli5]

please someone, I need to do this soon.

[RTKBA308]

I don't even know if it makes a difference, but what kind of salt did you add? It does sound strange that it didn't dissolve yet. I've mixed IO in cold water and it dissolved fairly quickly.

What did you boil the water in?

Maybe it's the tap water?

[bertoni]

Boiling the water is a bad idea. That causes calcium carbonate (and possibly other things) to precipitate. I'd ditch the water and start over.

[oli5]

Thanks for the replies. But unfortunately, due to the amount of salt I have left the ditching of the water isn't an option. So is it or is it not safe to turn my fluval on?

[RTKBA308]

I would just leave the powerhead on.

[bolrog]

I would just run your filter and let it go or get a cheap powerhead

[Juggalo]

Ok ive had that problem in my old 55gallon, it is not only your salt that is doing it. Its also your sand too, it is safe to turn on your fluval cause i use to have two of them running on my old 55 and it didnt clog it up or anything. So it is safe to turn on ur fluval, now with that sand moving around like that though you will have to clean your filters a few days after it all clears up. But on a serious note it is ok to turn on your fluval, and good choice on a canister i have never had any problems with them my brother is running three on his 75 gallon.

Juggalo

[bertoni]

I think the Fluval will be okay.

[oli5]

ok thanks. So there's probably no hope in expecting the water to clear up if I turn on the Fluval? I'm running carbon through it if that makes a difference.

[Teknagen]

Just wait a couple days and see if it clears up..

[zylumn]

I have a couple of Fluval 405s on a 90 gal freshwater cichlid tank that the jags keep spitting sand on the intakes. After a couple days the fluvals become a bit louder and I clean the sand out of the bottom of them and they start up fine and work great.

[Shagsbeard]

Some advice... don't take this the wrong way... but if you can't wait for salt to disolve, you need to develope a bit more patience for this hobby. Aquariums take time. Nothing good happens fast in this hobby, and you want to give things the time they take to happen. Speeding up how salt disolves is saving you a few minutes... tops.

The advice to wait a few days is good. You can add rock and sand at any time and give it a week or so to settle down. It's going to be cloudy for a while and it will clear up.

[Fishdisease]

When I first stared my tank (not too long ago) it took almost 4 days for the water to clear up. As my ultimate frisbee coach used to yell at me - patience!! I wasnt running a filter, just my powerheads. And you shouldn't have to heat up the water to dissolve the salt, I use cold r/o water and that dissolves the salt just fine. Its only afte rhte salt has been added that I bring it up to temp.

[returnofsid]

Using the boiling water probably caused precipitate. I'd do the same as suggested above...ditch the water and start over. Never use hot water. If you're using a good quality salt, it'll dissolve within a few minutes with any temp water. Always use water close to the temp of your aquarium. Hot water causes all kinds of problems with the chemistry of the salt.

[Indermark]

if you don't have much salt left then you need to buy some from a LFS or where ever. You might want some when you do a water change on you tank. I would recommend starting over with new water just like the other people recommended. I really don't like fluvals, I have two 304 for a freashwater tank. If I clean them out it takes it forever to prime itself and start runnning correctly, sometimes the top will not go on. I quit using one of the two because it kept leaking I did everything to the rubber gasket and it still leaks and it was only a year old, if it needs changed that often somthing is wrong. Since you have a 403 Good luck with yours, maybe Hagen made some adjustments too them.


Ryan