Tank set up yesterday - Aragonite sand not pre-rinsed...VERY MILKY WATER

sjt1107

sjt1107

Member
Yesterday, the guys from my LFS set up my new 90 gal bowfront. They did not rinse 60lbs of aragonite sand before putting it into the tank and the water looks like milk today. Will this eventually clear up or will it be necessary to change a small % of the water?
I have 60 pounds of live rock, a wet/dry filter and a Nautilus TE protein skimmer with a high powered pump. I have noticed that the fine silt from the sand is collecting in the bio balls, in the blue sponge in the sump and of course is slowly collecting in the skimmer. I'm just afraid the silt is so fine it's never going to clear up. HELP!
 
flydan

flydan

Active Member
Hey,
Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that your water will clear up. The bad news is you should have used sand instead of aragonite. Now would be a good time to change it since you haven't started to cycle your tank yet. Do a search (Button on top of this screen) on DSB or deep sand beds. You can also search Southdown Play Sand.
HTH,
Dan'l
 
sjt1107

sjt1107

Member
Thanks for the info...I'm very thankful for this message board!
What is the difference between aragonite sand and other sand used in aquariums? I thought that aragonite sand was good because of the calcium found in it. About 20 pounds of live sand was also put in the tank yesterday on top of the aragonite sand.
 
jb909

jb909

Member
I'm curious on the aragonite sand vs other type as well. I just bought 80 lbs of it to put in my tank. Someone say somethin before it goes in!!!! Supposedly filled with bacteria!
 
T

thomas712

Guest
Ok there is something definatly wrong with the statement of using sand instead of aragonite.
When we as aquariusts talk about aragonite we are talking about a sand. A sand that is calcium carbonate based and perfect for reef tanks or other saltwater aquariums.
Just the term Sand is not enough because all sands are not created equal.
sjt1107's decision to use aragonite sand was a good one in my opinion and there is nothing wrong with that. That is if it were sand.
If it were crushed coral then that would still be ok but not as good as sand of course.
Thomas
 
sjt1107

sjt1107

Member
Thanks Thomas. Yes, it is sand.
Will I have to vacuum out the silt getting trapped in my sump (bio balls and sponge) to speed up the process or just let it fix itself?
 
ejensen

ejensen

Member
I think you should listen to thomas. Not sure why flydan would tell you to use play sand over your aragonite because it is alot better. He might think you are using CC. Look up a thread from thomas about using play sand. Just keep your sand and you will be fine.
 
T

thomas712

Guest

Originally posted by sjt1107
Thanks Thomas. Yes, it is sand.
Will I have to vacuum out the silt getting trapped in my sump (bio balls and sponge) to speed up the process or just let it fix itself?
You are using some filter floss above the bio balls right?
Just change out the filter floss every day if you like or every couple of days, it gets clogged with silt. This will help speed up the process of clearing. My 90 was cloudy for quite a long time, I added sand, and rocks,..when it cleared some I put the rest of the sand in and couldn't see again for a week. THen rearanged the rock and cound't see for nearly another week.
Thomas
 
saltfin

saltfin

Member

Originally posted by 007
aragonite sand is the best form of sand to use in an aquarium . . .
:yes:
I second that:
I just did my whole tank with CaribSea aragonite sand sugar sized and it is white, no foamy water. It's great!
 
flydan

flydan

Active Member
Hey,
Sorry if I gave bad info. I assumed it was the crushed coral. That's what happens when you "assume".:rolleyes: I thought the size of the grain was important and crushed coral is too course.
I hope I didn't mess anybody up!
I try and keep my mouth shut if I have doubts about the answer.
Dan'l
 
007

007

Active Member
Dont worry dan . . . I made a similar assumption after first reading as well. I don't think that anyone was steered wrong.
:)
 
flydan

flydan

Active Member
Hey,
Whew! I still have to be more careful instead of blurting out a quick reply.
Thanks,
Dan'l
 
sjt1107

sjt1107

Member
Thanks for all the advice.
The tank water is starting to clear. I can actually see the rock appearing from deep within the murk! :happy:
 
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