Tank Up and Running

[hnf2k]

i got my tank set up today. I used about 200 pounds of southdown sand, plus im going to add 40 pounds of live sand. When the guys came to set up the tank they set it all up, but they said that the southdown sand is an extra thick sand and it will take longer for my tank to become clear and settle. Im going on about 5-6 hours. How long does it take for the southdown to settle in and my tank water to clear up?

 

[fshhub]

it will take a couple of days probably, maybe even aweek, but you can start cycling in th4e mean time, the dust and cloudiness wil not harm the cycle, so i would go ahead and add the live sand and if you are cycling fishless wiht shrimp then go ahead and add your shrimp too

 

[hnf2k]

ok, i was planning on cycling with a few damsels, so i was gonna wait, because if i cant see them i cant really take care of them.

 

[fshhub]

then give it time, it will take a week or so, almost guarenteed, plus the addition of bacteria seems to help, aragonite is powdery and seems to settle better after the tank has cycled, IMO

 

[hnf2k]

the guys that set up my tank said that htye didnt like it because it was so fine or whatever. and that's why it's gonna take the water a long time to clear. they put the salt on the bottom then put hte sand over it. and the salt doesnt look like it has dissolved much(just a little). my tank is 180 gallons. it's only been running for about 7 hours. but they said that if i used a different sand it would be clear by now. i tried taking salinity readings, but they aren't accurate at all...they change everytime i take a water sample so i guess im doing it too early. should i take out some of hte southdown and put in a different type of sand that will settle quicker, or wait it out?

 

[wrassecal]

They put the salt on the bottom? They didn't pre-mix the saltwater before adding it to the tank? I've never heard of this, but I wouldn't take the southdown out. If you'v'e got salt sitting on the bottom, IMO I'd stir it up and get that salt dissolved before adding anything. Of course you are going to be dealing with a lot of frustration and your tank will look like a milk vat. (I've been there and done that)First thing you have to do though is get that salt dissolved. Then let it sit for a couple days and check your sg. Are you buying live rock? That would be the next thing I would add to cycle your tank with. Unless you want to keep damsels forever I would not cycle with them. They are aggressive to other fish and almost impossible to catch. You are better off throwing in a cocktail shrimp and using that. HTH and good luck!

 

[porcupinepuffer]

HNF: just wondering, how much did you pay for your 180 gallon and where did you purchase it from?

 

[hnf2k]

i dont think i got a good price, but i got it from reefs and rivers(i would never go there again). i got the tank w/oak stand, hood lights and glass canopy for like 15-1600.

 

[angelofish]

Mine took a couple of days to clear completely. I had a powerhead with a quickfilter attachment which helped alot. The finer particles need the bacteria to attach itself to make these particles heavier and sink to the bottom.I would make sure that salt is dissolved before adding fish. Hope this helped.

 

[almarktool]

HNF2K
glad to hear u up and going as far as price goes u got a fair deal so don't think u got robbed, i would def go make a mess of your tank and stirr it up if u only have sand in there try and move it to 1/2 of the tank and stirr up what u can on the bottom so that salt gets desovled then maybe 3-5 hours later move it to the other side do the same then another 3-5 hours after that level it out again u don't want the undesolved salt sitting under your sand, get a refractometer if u can and keep a eye on the SG level do not add salt for atleast 10 daays if u are getting a low reading,
damsels i would try and do with out i cycled with one ONCE and never again after cycle ever fish i put in there he killed do the raw shrimp thing

 

[hnf2k]

well mine has been up for almost 24 hours and it looks just as cloudy as when it was first set up. anybody know why they would put the salt at the bottom and the sand over it?
i took everyones advice and raked the sand on the bottom...i think i got a bunch of salt out. all i could see is the corners of the tank so i got all the salt out from the corners, but i cant see in the middle so i dont know if i got any out...

 

[almarktool]

well u have done all u can for now if it were me once it all settled down i would re rake it again just to make sure, you are only taking about a few more days compared to a entire life of beautfile fish and corals, hey u know what sh*t happens if this is your biggest set back with the tank then u will be way ahead of most people, why they did it well perhaps to avoid a 2nd trip back to your place once the salt dissovled or perhaps a lack of knowledge i'm guessing the first one, look at it this way small learning curve and now u will be more ready for your 2nd tank,
good luck keep us posted on how it's going, also if u have the time keep rinses out the prefilters every 4 hours or so will help clear the water up much faster

 

[hnf2k]

the foam in my overflows is the prefilter? if i keep rinsing those off in the sink it will help? but then wont all the ---- that they were supposed to keep out of the filter get in?

 

[almarktool]

well take those foams and keep them clean if it were me i would just shut down the entire system every once in awhile then clean them out in the kitchen sink them put them back in a start it up again

 

[wrassecal]

Once you get all the stirring over with it will take about 3 - 4 days for the tank to settle down. I don't think you answered my question about adding live rock. If you are going to add cured live rock it will help the sand settle down because the sand will start bonding with the bacteria on the live rock. Live sand on top of the southdown will help also in the same way, but it's a little harder working with the live sand and keeping it on top when your whole tank is a milk vat. I went through it when I changed from cc to dsb with southdown. The next thing once the sand settles down the live rock will look like it is covered with snow. This won't hurt it, give it a couple more days and take a turkey baster and gently blow it off the rock, it will settle to the bottom at that point. If I were you I'd call those guys and ask them why they put that salt under 2oo lbs of southdown, I'd be interested to hear what they have to say.

 

[hnf2k]

i will be adding live rock also to my tank...at the same time i throw in the live sand and the damsels...i just want my tank to settle out before i throw that other stuff in because if i throw the sand and the rock in now ill just hafta re-arrange it later, and there will also be nothing for hte bacteria to live off of if i have just have the sand and rock in my tank. im gonna throw in 40 pounds of live sand, and maybe 50-100 pounds of live rock to start with. i found a place that sells it fully cured for 4.49 a pound(live rock), so ill just add it slowly. then in about a month or so im gonna throw in a lionfish or 2 to get rid of the damsels(easiest way i can think of). how's that sound?

 

[wrassecal]

LOL HNF2K hasn't anyone told you that you will be re-arranging rock for the rest of your life Honestly though if you go ahead and stick the live rock in even though yes you will have to rearrange it the sand will settle quicker.

 

[fshhub]

i agree with wrassecal wholy here, on all matters
one thing you may want to know though is the lion is not the best way to get rid of damsels, why do you want to get rid of them?? unless you are just going to use them for cycling, anyhow, lions are not really aggressive, they are just hearty eaters that eat whole live fish, BUT the damsel are more aggresive, and love fins, and most of us like lions b/c of either their fins or their eating habits, anyhow damsel just may make snacks out of your lions fins, not only making it look sickly, but alos risking its health

 

[hnf2k]

i really just wanna cycle with them, just to have some eye candy while i wait until i can add fish. right now my tank is cloudy as hell...how much live rock should i add to start? and how does the live rock help settle my tank? and what will the bacteria live off of if i have no fish in the tank?

 

[wrassecal]

You need to read this link. It will help you a lot.
cycling a tank