BDAWG
Aquarium Advice Freak
I started adding my sand to the tank and I have horribly white cloudy water now. I'm using Yardright sand. Is this normal? Will it hurt my fish or inverts?
Sandstorm!!
- Thread starter BDAWG
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
lando
Aquarium Advice Addict
It should clear in a few days. Did you rinse the sand first? Not sure, but I do not think it will hurt your fish.
BDAWG
Aquarium Advice Freak
I didn't rinse it , but I only put a little in the tank. How do I rinse it?
cmor1701d
Aquarium Advice Addict
Don't rinse it. You probably do want to cure it first though. Curing is the process of coating the sand grains with bacteria. That makes it just heavy enough to help it settle rapidly. When I first added sand to my tank it took over a week to clear (I added 300 pounds).
You don't want to add more than ½-1" at a time over your existing sand. Put a little more than that amount in a rubbermaid tub or other container. Add some existing substrate or LR from your tank and drop some food in there. Just enough to keep the cycle going. You need to stir the sand so all of it gets moved around and coated. A small powerhead can do that for you. In a few days to a week it should be settling down and you can start over with a new batch, while you add most of this batch to your tank.
You don't want to add more than ½-1" at a time over your existing sand. Put a little more than that amount in a rubbermaid tub or other container. Add some existing substrate or LR from your tank and drop some food in there. Just enough to keep the cycle going. You need to stir the sand so all of it gets moved around and coated. A small powerhead can do that for you. In a few days to a week it should be settling down and you can start over with a new batch, while you add most of this batch to your tank.
BDAWG
Aquarium Advice Freak
So was your tank so cloudy you couldn't see inside it? Did you have fish or inverts in the tank?
I'm only adding a little at a time so, like you said, my biological filtration time to catch up.
I'm only adding a little at a time so, like you said, my biological filtration time to catch up.
seaham358
Aquarium Advice Addict
Get a piece of PVC pipe 2-3" dia and long enough to reach the bottom and then pour some sand down the pvc a little at a time..... Move it along the bottom slowly.. This should help with the sand storm....
BDAWG
Aquarium Advice Freak
Thanks seaham. I saw that in the other thread. I'm going to have to go get a piece of PVC try that.
cmor1701d
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yep, couldn't see a thing for 3 or 4 days. Then I was able to make out the base and LR that was in there. Added more LR after it settled. Now I can pick up a handful and it will settle in minutes.
BDAWG
Aquarium Advice Freak
Well, even though it was horribly cloudy, I took lando's adivce and rinsed off the rest of the sand I was planning on putting in the tank. It did make a world of difference. It's almost 24 hrs. later and the tank is nearly clear. I did do a 10% water change so that helped a little bit.
I do want to thank everyone once again for your input. Every little bit of info helps!
I do want to thank everyone once again for your input. Every little bit of info helps!
Similar threads
