Cloudy Tank

[gnelson]

Well I went ahead this weekend and removed my CC and put in a DSB with all Home Depot sand. I also put in a 10 G slow flow refugium with about 5 pounds of LR rubble and some kinds of algea.
I did not use any LS, I washed all of the CC through a strainer with old salt water to try to wash as much bacteria as possible on to the new sand bed. So far everything is good, no cycle. Amm. 0, trites 0, trates 10, ph 8.2, calcium 500 ppm, salinity .23, temp 79. Lots of different pods. I did the change saturday morning.
Well it now is tuesday morning and the tank is still cloudy. It is better than it was, but it is still very cloudy. My sump is filtering about 600 G per hour, but the spray bar is on the water surface and not stirring up the sand. How long before things are nice and clear again, and does the sand compact down, so that every time a fish swims by the sand does not stir up? It's like a terrible dust storm in the tank
thanks Graham

 

[kappadoku]

I think you should have washed the sand better. Any sand (except pre-bioactive...) should be washed with tap water until it runs clear. You could have then let it dry and then run your bioactive water over it. It will eventually be washed clean by your filter, but you may go through 2 or 3 filter pads by then.
Short term- replace the filter pad?
hth.

 

[gnelson]

I had the same thought, so I put the sand in a garbage can, filled with fresh salt water for 3 days, and tried to transfer bacteria over at that point as well. Does fine sand like this every really settle nicely?
I think today that I will replace the filter pad in my sump. Maybe that will make it alittle better.
Graham

 

[gnelson]

Any thoughts?

 

[sundog]

Yes, it will settle. You could borrow/rent a water polishing filter from your LFS. It is a filter that uses diatomaceous earth to filter out the smallest microns of particulates in the water.
Marineland makes a HOT magnum hang-on filter that you can use for this purpose as well. If you do nothing at all it should settle down in a few days.

 

[gnelson]

For all you people with DSB. When you move things around in your tank, do you get huge sand storms that last for hours, or is it just because my sand is so new. Sorry for all the questions, I am new to DSB's. I read all the info on the benefits of a DSB, but they don't discuss the small problems like these.
Thanks for the help
Graham

 

[mr . salty]

It will settle down.It may take a week or two,but the sand will pack down a bit.It will also absorb some of the water making it heavier.It was dry when you put it in.

 

[bobber]

Mine settled down after a few days. But before that, anything, even my hermits would cause a slight dust storm. Everything is great now, no dust storms, no need to clean the sand, nothing. I didn't wash my sand at all. I used 90lbs Aragamax oolitic and 20lbs Natures Ocean. The oolitic was dry when I added it to the tank and at first it looked like a tank full of milk! The next morning it was clear. I agree with the filter pad idea. I try not to move things around but when I clean the glass, I cause a little disturbance but nothing that clouds the tank. I think its because your sand is so new. Give it a little time and it will settle down. HTH--Bob
p.s. By the way, I also changed to sand while my fish and inverts were in the tank. This caused no severe stress to the fish or inverts that I have. It caused me more stress than the livestock!
[ May 08, 2001: Message edited by: Bobber ]

 

[guppie]

I agree the sand will settle down in a week or two, I would keep changeing your filter pad. this will help. Good luck