beginner here. started a tank today and have some questions

[wowcows]

i started a 10gallon today, and i have a few questions.

i bought pool filter sand. i rinsed it a lot in hot water before i put it in the tank, but the water is still cloudy. is this normal? how long will it take for it to clear? should i keep running my filter, or let it settle and stagnate?

i picked up some really cheap plants too, 12" Kyoto, Moneywort, needle leaf rotala, hairgrass. will these be ok in the sand? any tips to keep them alive?

 

[Greta1981]

Turn the filter off until the sand settles. That's really important, or you'll burn the motor out.
About plants, I know nothing, unfortunately. Sorry.

 

[Sk3lly]

Hope you have good light as the dwarf hairgrass needs a lot to survive

 

[Brandon3000]

For me, I had to fill my 75 gallon and get the filter running before I had anything to put in it, including substrate. This was due to the fact that I bought the aquarium off Of a close friend and I wanted the BB to survive. Two days later I went and bought pool filter sand. Now this is my first aquarium so research was key. I rinsed all 75 lbs of it until the water ran clear from the bucket I was pouring out of. Then I took a Tupperware filled it with sand, let water flow into the Tupperware in the tank and slowly bring it to the bottom and pour. I repeated this until I had all my substrate down. For this process I turned off my filter, and did not turn it on for at least 3 or 4 hours. The sand needs to settle otherwise, like earlier stated, it will burn out your filter. Since I've done that two weeks ago, the sand is perfect and my water is crystal clear, let it settle, be patient, and do water changes to try and get all of the particles that float out of that tank. That's what I would do.

 

[wildroseofky]

What lighting do you have? The hairgrass is a high light plant and some of your other selections are at least medium light plants. Pool filter sand needs to be rinsed for at least 15 minutes to get it cleaned. I did the same thing and had to empty the tank and start again. Put the sand in a bucket and tilt the bucket to the side. Keep running water into the bucket and letting it run out the side of the bucket until the water runs clear. Stir the sand up from the bottom of the bucket. Works best when done with a water hose but you can fill the bucket, stir the sand, dump water and repeat. The sand will ruin the filter impeller if run it while the water is cloudy. You need to put a sponge on the intake pipe. You can use any type of sponge and cut a hole in the middle of it so it fits over the pipe. I buy sponges from the dollar store and cut them into three pieces. I then use needle nose pliers to dig out a hole in the center. Works great and is cheap. Women's hose will not keep the sand out. I mention that because a lot of us use them for protect fish fry from getting sucked in the filter. They will not keep sand out though.

 

[Mebbid]

The cloudiness in the water is just dirt and dust not the actual sand itself. It won't harm your filter at all. Your best bet to remove the cloudiness is to get some extra filter floss and pack it in your tank. That will trap all the fine particles in your tank and clear your water up nicely.

 

[Greta1981]

We can't be sure the particles in the water weren't sand. I rinsed my sand thoroughly, put it my tank, and ran the filter. I was advised that it would be fine. My (expensive) filter burned out. Hence the reason I suggested turning it off for a few hours. Can't hurt, since it seems there are no fish in the tank.

 

[wildroseofky]

Even the fine particles will damage the impeller. It grinds the plastic down and weakens it. If you have a cheap filter and do not mind having to replace the impeller, than use it without a sponge. I waited a week and my water never cleared. I had to take it down and re rinse the sand. It may eventually settle but it will be easy to disturbed and re cloud the tank. Better to just re do it. Make sure the water in the bucket you use to rinse the sand in gets clear immediately when you stop adding water.

 

[Mebbid]

We can't be sure the particles in the water weren't sand. I rinsed my sand thoroughly, put it my tank, and ran the filter. I was advised that it would be fine. My (expensive) filter burned out. Hence the reason I suggested turning it off for a few hours. Can't hurt, since it seems there are no fish in the tank.

Correlation does not equal causation. The motor is a complete separate piece of equipment and no water actually touches the motor itself. If the motor burned out it was from something other than fine particulates in the water.

Even the fine particles will damage the impeller. It grinds the plastic down and weakens it. If you have a cheap filter and do not mind having to replace the impeller, than use it without a sponge. I waited a week and my water never cleared. I had to take it down and re rinse the sand. It may eventually settle but it will be easy to disturbed and re cloud the tank. Better to just re do it. Make sure the water in the bucket you use to rinse the sand in gets clear immediately when you stop adding water.

The only damage to the impeller that you need to worry about is the magnet. If sand gets in and it starts grinding it will cause issues. However the sand is more dense than the dirt that gets washed off the sand. The sand sinks and the dirt turns the water muddy.

 

[wildroseofky]

Yes, the impeller, not the motor, gets damaged. However, the blades of the fan get damaged by sand too. The fine sand forms mud that can cling to the impeller fans. It weakens the fan blades and they will break off. I have had that happen after switching from pool filter sand to blasting sand. The fans are not that strong and the denser water caused by suspended particulates can break them. Better safe than sorry. It is a good idea to clean the impeller every so often. The accumulation of gunk slows the water movement. Pre filter sponges are always a good idea. The OP can wait to see if the water clears. If it doesn't clear in two weeks than the sand needs to be removed and cleaned again.

 

[Coursair]

i started a 10gallon today, and i have a few questions.



i bought pool filter sand. i rinsed it a lot in hot water before i put it in the tank, but the water is still cloudy. is this normal? how long will it take for it to clear? should i keep running my filter, or let it settle and stagnate?



i picked up some really cheap plants too, 12" Kyoto, Moneywort, needle leaf rotala, hairgrass. will these be ok in the sand? any tips to keep them alive?

My plants grow in sand just fine. But I do add a few Root Caps for my Crypts and heavy root feeders.

I use a prefilter sponge over my intake also.

Post what kind of light fixture and bulb and we can give you better advice.