Progress Pics - Filling with sand

[Stretch]

For all you pic addicts...

I've been washing sand and loading it into my tank, here are some pics. I washed it about 5 times before dropping it in, its still kinda cloudy. It's clearing up quickly, though. I'll post more pics to this thread as I go along. Still adding more sand.

 

[darburks]

Good luck.I have blue sand in mine and love it.

 

[tropicfishman]

what size tank is that? I'm gonna do a tank with sand someday lol

 

[Mosaic]

So who's going in here?
I love the look of sand, but its messy sometimes. I just put Onyx sand into my new planted tank and I didn't rinse it enough (or possibly not at all *coughcough*) and now there's a grey film over everything I have to scrub off with a tooth brush. This hobby is definately going to teach me to get over my impatience and do it right the first time, lol.

 

[darburks]

Hey tropic it's a 55 gallon and has a hilly theme(KY) Hey when does the petlane gonna start selling the 55's for $88 and what does that include?

 

[Stretch]

29 gallon tank. I have no idea what kind of fish or plants I'm going to put in this thing. I just wanted to get the cycle started and then start researching more. I'm open for ideas!

 

[Mosaic]

Ooooh, I've got all kind of ideas. You don't want me to suggest, because I'll want to live vicariously through your tank. Lol, I don't ever get the tank first and then decide what I want, it's always the other way around. What are you thinking of? A regular community or something a little more exotic?

 

[Stretch]

Maybe regular at first and then some more exotic stuff? I just want to get it established and stable for a few weeks. It sure is cloudy right now, I'll post some more pics later.

 

[SCFatz]

It sure is cloudy right now

Thats to be expected.The cleaner the sand the less cloudy it will be at first,but I have not read once where someone got it so clean that the water didn't cloud up a least a little.

It'll clear up.

 

[Stretch]

I'm beginning to think I didn't wash the sand well enough. Should I leave the filter on or off for it to clear up? I'm guessing if I leave it off, the stuff will just settle to the bottom, only to be stirred up again when I turn the filter on. If I leave it on, it filter may or may not catch the small particles floating around. What to do? I'll still need to add more sand tomorrow, I figured .5 cft would be enough. Turns out it wasn't.

 

[Ky'smommy]

oh its normal.
turn your filter on and leave it.
it will settle on its on in a day or so.

 

[HiFi]

Any driftwood or rocks you wanna put in there??
On the sides, or larger layout near the center among some hilly areas.

 

[Stretch]

Any driftwood or rocks you wanna put in there??
On the sides, or larger layout near the center among some hilly areas.

Well, I've got 4 large rocks to put in there, but they came with the tank (used), so they need to be cleaned first. I don't have anything with holes or overhangs for fish to hide in - I was thinking of some broken pieces of pottery. I also need to add more sand tomorrow, so I'll put the rocks in after that. I've got to go to work now, but I'll be playing with it some more later after I get off.

Thanks for the help guys, this site is awesome!

 

[joannde]

Stretch - be careful with broken pottery - watch for sharp edges. If you wet it and scrub it with one of those hard green scrubbies from the supermarket it will help to shave the edges a bit; one of those black nail files also works dandy for that and is a bit quicker.

 

[Thebluyak]

you might not want to leave you filter on depending what filter, sand will get into the impellor and can damage it. May not happen or it might never know, but I know with my whsiper on my 10 I left it on for flourite nothing bad happend but I wouldnt leave it running on an expensive filter like an XP3 for my other tank

 

[Stretch]

joannde, you say to file the edges of the pottery - is this to protect the fish?

Thebluyak, I have a Penguin 150. It appears to be dealing with the cloudyness just fine. The tank is clearing up well. I added 4 rocks and I will place some more sand today.

Thanks for the help.

 

[joannde]

joannde, you say to file the edges of the pottery - is this to protect the fish?

Exactly. Even if the edges will be buried in the substrate there's no telling what our fish will do , so better safe than sorry.