aragonite trouble

[st3]

i put in 2 bags of aragonite and forgot to wash it out.its been a week now and the cloudyness is gone but when i put in some crabs and shrimp they started to dig around like crazy and made another dust storm what can i do besides clean out the filter?

 

[vendetta]

.

 

[10k]

The best thing for you to do would be to vacumn the gravel. It will remove the fine particulate matter that the crabs are stirring up, but yet still leave the aragonite you want to keep. Just take it slow and easy and you'll be able to remove most of it. If you don't get it all the first time, don't despair. Let it settle for a few days and try it again. Eventually you'll get it all.

 

[lu]

You aren't supposed to wash argonite before you put it in. The very small particles are a part of what makes it so good. And just like in the ocean, once in a while a storm brews up a sand storm on the bottom and the water gets cloudy........it's ok, it's NATURE....the fish can handle it and whatever the crabs stir up will settle again.........don't worry!

 

[lu]

Oh, and every once in a while you can take a turkey baster and blow off the dust from your live rock. It works really well.

 

[nm reef]

The finer particles will begin to settle in time....as bacteria increases and the sand bed matures....just be sure there is not excessive current that keeps it stirred........as for vacuming it....I would not do that....the finer particles will settle

 

[q]

As NM Reef said it is normal. It will settle down as the bed gets established.