Problems starting my tank

[Ryan5]

I have a 50 gallon tank with bak pak protien skimmer that I started up a week ago and have had problems keeping it clear from the sand. It was cloudy for the first few days and when it cleared up there was a lot of sand all over my live rocks so then when I cleaned all the sand off my rocks my tank got cloudy again. I have done this a few times now and it is still cloudy. Ive turned my tank off and it helps the sand settle faster but i want to leave the skimmer on so it can finish cycling. Does a little bit of sand on the life rock hurt it at all or am I just over reacting? Also should I do a little bit of a water change to help clear up the tank?

 

[AusAaron]

I think it should clear up over time. I let my sand settle for a couple of days and then inserted rock. But it still took ages to clear up and i still used to clear it off rocks. Id say just clear it off every now and then but dont fuss about it. Will b fine with time. And mayb dont run anything until it clears. But im only starting out and learning also. Good luck and welcome

 

[SeanMonster]

Not 100% certain, but I don't think you need to run the skimmer during the cycle.

 

[Sniperhank]

Running your skimmer during the cycle will slow down the process. Just turn it off. As your tank cycles and your powerheads run, the water will clear up. As the bacteria grow and colonize your sand bed, your sand will become "sticky" and this will become less of an issue.