Dear Aquarium Advice members,
Please excuse my possible stupidity. I posted this already in the fresh water forums but on reflection think it may be a marine question though it ultimately doesn't concern a marine tank. Far from it.
After finally deciding to go salt-water, after having maintained freshwater tanks for about 10 years and intermission of another 10, I purchased 40 kilograms of very fine 'Carib-Sea Argonite'--which I assumed was simply over priced sand. After filling the 55 gallon aquarium (and insufficiently washing the sand beforehand), the water became very cloudy. Because the aquarium was to be placed in a Child’s Playroom, I had second and third and fourth thoughts about maintaining marine fish as I thought it would be too traumatic if there were deaths related to inexperience and so decided to go with what I was familiar with: African Cichlids who do like quite hard water. I would set up a small marine at the office where I could keep a good watch on the critters. A few days after setting up the aquarium, and having decided it would be freshwater, and with the cloudiness going down by half, I installed a few small specimens. As african Cichlids are often kept in tanks with coral substrate, dolomite or the like, I considered that the change of plans would not be that important. After the fact, I came to worry that this particular sand might not be suitable for freshwater African cichlid use (as it seems from the advertisments in FAMA that it is pre-populated with bacteria and this concerns me as it is sea water bacteria) and the cloudiness might not simply be dust but a bacterial bloom and the sand may be an accident waiting to happen. Is Carib-Sea sand suitable for freshwater hard water loving cichlids? So far, the few fish seem to be doing well, but…
My son (and me) would not be happy and there is still time to fix things.
All the best. Jeff
Carib-Sea can be found at www.carib-sea.com. The tank is a tall 55 gallon with 40 kilograms of sand. A Penguin 300, three little cichlids, a tiny plec and some ornaments. Flowerpots soon to come.
Please excuse my possible stupidity. I posted this already in the fresh water forums but on reflection think it may be a marine question though it ultimately doesn't concern a marine tank. Far from it.
After finally deciding to go salt-water, after having maintained freshwater tanks for about 10 years and intermission of another 10, I purchased 40 kilograms of very fine 'Carib-Sea Argonite'--which I assumed was simply over priced sand. After filling the 55 gallon aquarium (and insufficiently washing the sand beforehand), the water became very cloudy. Because the aquarium was to be placed in a Child’s Playroom, I had second and third and fourth thoughts about maintaining marine fish as I thought it would be too traumatic if there were deaths related to inexperience and so decided to go with what I was familiar with: African Cichlids who do like quite hard water. I would set up a small marine at the office where I could keep a good watch on the critters. A few days after setting up the aquarium, and having decided it would be freshwater, and with the cloudiness going down by half, I installed a few small specimens. As african Cichlids are often kept in tanks with coral substrate, dolomite or the like, I considered that the change of plans would not be that important. After the fact, I came to worry that this particular sand might not be suitable for freshwater African cichlid use (as it seems from the advertisments in FAMA that it is pre-populated with bacteria and this concerns me as it is sea water bacteria) and the cloudiness might not simply be dust but a bacterial bloom and the sand may be an accident waiting to happen. Is Carib-Sea sand suitable for freshwater hard water loving cichlids? So far, the few fish seem to be doing well, but…
My son (and me) would not be happy and there is still time to fix things.
All the best. Jeff
Carib-Sea can be found at www.carib-sea.com. The tank is a tall 55 gallon with 40 kilograms of sand. A Penguin 300, three little cichlids, a tiny plec and some ornaments. Flowerpots soon to come.
