Best way to get aragonite sand to settle

[micaiah12]

HEy a friend wants to know how to get aragonite sand to settle. He's had it in for a day and it hasn't settled. Is it true you have to have the tank cycled? So that the bacteria weighs the sand down?

[Mark388]

You have to wash every single square inch of the sand to get all the junk that clouds up you water out. Best way is to take a 5g bucket take a couple cups of sand and wash like crazy under you bathtub head until the water runs clear. It take forever but if you don't do it you will have cloudy water for months as you will have to do water changes more often, filter will get dirty really fast and even if it settles the fish will stir it up.

[Mark388]

I speak from experience it was a pain not cleaning it before adding to the tank and then not being able to do much due to fish being in it.

[micaiah12]

So the best option for him would to be to. Drain all the water. Scoop the sand out and re rinse little cups at a time?

[Mark388]

If he doesn't have any fish in there yet stir up the sand and get the water as cloudy as possible then drain the water. Tell him to keep stirring the sand while draining. Once most the waters gone I would empty out as much sand as possible and rinse like I mentioned above.

If he has fish in it already the water being cloudy won't bother them to much. Just do a large water change daily till the water is cleared up. Just make sure that each time before changing the water he stirs it up to get as much of the cloudy ness as he can.

[micaiah12]

Originally Posted by Mark388

If he doesn't have any fish in there yet stir up the sand and get the water as cloudy as possible then drain the water. Tell him to keep stirring the sand while draining. Once most the waters gone I would empty out as much sand as possible and rinse like I mentioned above.

If he has fish in it already the water being cloudy won't bother them to much. Just do a large water change daily till the water is cleared up. Just make sure that each time before changing the water he stirs it up to get as much of the cloudy ness as he can.

ok i'll tell him. Thanks

[ccross]

I used a 5 gallon tote and rinsed all my sand a little at a time. Took about 5 rinses per bucket but my water was crystal clear after adding it. Didnt have to wait for anything to settle.

[micaiah12]

Ok we are on our last bit. What is the best way of setting the tank back up?

[Mark388]

Put egg crate down the sand put a plate in and poor the water in. Egg carte if you doing rock in tank heavy rock

[micaiah12]

Ok we got that I'm using a jar

[micaiah12]

Ok it's filled
How does it look
it's still cloudy from oxygen and particles.

[Mark388]

Yes it's still a little cloudy but I bet that a whole lot better than before. It will be like that till the filter remove it. But that not a big deal probably a week or so and it will be crystal clear

[Mark388]

Once you start getting fish and rock in there you won't notice it. I would just tell him that for the first couple of water changes stir up the sand and it will all be removed faster.

[micaiah12]

Ok can he put fish in there now?

[Mark388]

Well that depends does he have a filter that has been cycled so that the fish will be ok? If no then I wouldnt add fish. He can however add decor heater bubbler filter exc. If your tank filter is cycled then yes he can add fish but I would do any aquascaping first as to not stress the fish when by adding it when they are in there

[micaiah12]

Ok could he aqua-scape before he puts the fish in? He has a seeded filter from me.

[Mark388]

I would suggest doing all rocks plants aqua-scapping before the fish are in. That way no one gets trapped under a rock and you won't stress the fish out as much since he's just putting the fish in for the first time.

Make sure that he dosent over stock the tank. He dose have seeded filter which is good it just need a little time to grow. Add a couple of fish and in a week or so add a couple more would be the best was just to play it safe.

If he already has the fish and has to put a large number in watch the water perimeters closely and I would suggest doing a small water change daily just to insure no toxic build up.

[micaiah12]

Ok sweet thanks a bunch!!!