Cloudy Water

[Gonzo82]

My tank has been set up for a couple of days and the water is still cloudy. I havened added any liverock or anything yet. Just sand and salt. I have my powerhead running and an aerator. Will this problem clear up or is there something else i need to do. This is my first attempt at a reef aquarium and i really don't know what i am doing. I have done everything that i was told to do and i cant figure out what is wrong. Can anybody help.

 

[piggybank2005]

what kind of filter system do you have

 

[Gonzo82]

I am not sure what type it is. It is apoximately 8in wide though. It has a foam pad for a prefilter and another thing for a bacteria, don't know the technical name. It also had a bag of carbon with it but the man at the fish store told me not to put it in there. He didnt give a reason though.

 

[fishman]

are you saying you have a sump or a wet/dry system? Can you take a pic and post it? Also the tank will be cloudy for a while...mine took about a week to settle completely. However I have seen people on here say theirs has cleared in 2-3 days...

 

[Gonzo82]

I have a sump system. It has started to clear a little. There is particles of sand accumulating in the bottom layer of the filter. Should i leave it in there or should i clean it out.

 

[fishman]

If it were me I would leave it alone a while. Wait a few more day and then get a syphone hose and get a suction going. Suction out the area that has the sand in it careully. Or it wont hurt to leave it there as when the bacteria starts to grow on it, it will be less apt to move around. Also if you have a filter pad rinse this out at the same time to get the sand particles out.

 

[Gonzo82]

Thanks a lot. Since this is my fist reef tank i have a lot of questions and i apreciate your guys help. I will try that and keep you updated.