southdown...what to do about film

jstrong

jstrong

Member
i just added southdown sand to my tank and i got a nasty white foam on top of the water...im guessing i should get it off...correct?? and my fish are laying on the bottom not looking to good.... help
 
buzz

buzz

Active Member
Your fish are probably just stressed because they can't see through the water. You can skim the foam off the top with your net, or a filter pad. It may take a few days for the water to clear, but it will.
 
jstrong

jstrong

Member
but this fish should be ok though right??? my wife is more stressed than the fish!!!!!thanks again buzz
 
buzz

buzz

Active Member
It may have a little adjustment for a while, as it is still taking that silt through it's gills. But I have not heard of the addition of Southdown ever killing any fish. I have had my sand bed stirred some after introducing fish, and my water got very cloudy as well. Mine were fine.
It should settle out, and all should be OK.
 
buzz

buzz

Active Member
Mine doesn't get kicked up. My water is crystal clear. Yes, it takes a few days to settle, but it is well worth it in the end.
 
nickoz

nickoz

Member
IMO you should not use any filter to "polish" the water, use whatever filtration you are planning to use long term on the tank. Once bacteria builds up and coats the sand pieces the fine sand will settle. You want to have the fine sand, not filter it out. My southdown bed rarely gets kicked up by fish and when it does its nothing big.
-nick
 
jagermeister

jagermeister

Member
I added Southdown and my tank was cloudy for a few days. But now it's crystal clear and I love it!! The sand is pure white and makes the tank look very nice.
About your critters, they might be stressed a little but the sand in the water won't hurt them. Think about the tropical storms and hurricanes hitting the reefs. The visibility of the water is reduced to about 1-2 feet because of all the sand and crap in the water and it can stay this way for a week or two. Over the centuries reef fish have adapted to be able to handle this. For the most part they're tough guys!
Hope this helps!
 
zafirablanca

zafirablanca

Member
I got the same results when I put expensive Carib Sea oolitic aragonite sand in my tank. I doubt that this is simply a Southdown thing, more likely an arogonite sand thing. Mine was cloudy for several days, much more than a week. Then, just one day it cleared up, like magic. I do believe that it must be the bacterial coating effect that pulls the sand out of suspension finally. I know its hard, just try to be patient.
Good Luck
-Christine
:)
 
doodle1800

doodle1800

Active Member
So... in my small 10 gal setup - for a month now, should I chuck the crushed coral and UGF and replace it with this sand - does it look that much nicer?
 
zafirablanca

zafirablanca

Member
All indications point to that. Take out the UGF and crushed coral and add live sand. It seems that you will save countless future headaches that way. Do some forum searches on UGF and crushed coral to view previous threads and advice on the subjects. You get alot of info very fast that way.
:)
 
buzz

buzz

Active Member
You will pay more if not on the East Coast, but they can be found if you look hard enough. I came across a bag out here in CA and paid $15 for it. Which, honestly, is still a good price.
 
juddster

juddster

Member
I justb added some playsand from home depot.its not called southdown its just playsand by quickcreet, my water is about as cloudy as it gets! i hope i did the right thing!! help
 
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