live sand, cloudy water, won't settle

[reef4Tom]

I started to cycle my 75 gallon tank with live sand and dry rock. I'm running a HOB skimmer. Ive read that dry sand needs to be rinsed and live does not. So like the noob that I am, I poor out the live sand in the tank full of water. A week and a half later the water is still cloudy if my powerheads are running and slightly less cloudy if theyre off. In frustration, ive drained all but a few inches of water out of the tank with a plan to add rodi water and in a sense rinse the sand in the tank. Good idea? Bad idea? You tell me. I'm also looking for tips on how to fill the tank up without disturbing the sand bed as to avoid the cloudy mess again.
Thanks,
Shawn

 

[Chris Adams]

oh man to bad you did not ask earlier.. You do not rinse live sand so you did that right in the beginning
to bad you drained it

Put some filter floss in sump/filter will be clear in a day

 

[reef4Tom]

oh man to bad you did not ask earlier.. You do not rinse live sand so you did that right in the beginning
to bad you drained it

Put some filter floss in sump/filter will be clear in a day

I haven't rinsed the sand yet. Only drained it. Its been over a week and a half of cloudy water. All the research I've done suggested the cloudyness would disappear after a day or so. Ive even ran some carbon filter bags to try and help dissapate the cloudy water.

 

[Chris Adams]

filter floss works like a charm. Petco, pet warehouse etc.

If you got ultra fine sand you are going to need to deal with a bit of sand movement do to powerheads flow but should not really be cloudy. Might want to add some crushed coral or larger grain sand into the mix

 

[reef4Tom]

Thanks, I can pick up some filter floss and some larger aggregate to add to the sand.

 

[reef4Tom]

Update. I filled the tank with new water and used some filter floss on the tail end of my HOB refugium and the wayer was crystal clear. Turned on my wavemaker/power head on its lowest settin and I'm back to super cloudy. What now?

 

[reef4Tom]

Update. I filled the tank with new water and used some filter floss on the tail end of my HOB refugium and the wayer was crystal clear. Turned on my wavemaker/power head on its lowest settin and I'm back to super cloudy. What now?

 

[bobman]

You might have to much flow that is kicking up the sand. I would try a more course sand on top of what you already have. Or keep the filter floss in there and just let it do its thing. The dust will find its happy place sooner or later and then the tank will clear up. You might have some areas with no sand on the bottom and just add some courser sand to those areas.

 

[reef4Tom]

Thanks bobman

 

[Chris Adams]

How things look today. Agree with bobman run your power heads and that cloudiness silt will be picked up by the filter floss. No worries all normal.

 

[twilliard]

I remember those days lol
It will clear up in time. I would actually stir it to get the fine dust out.
Keep changing and cleaning the filters

 

[reef4Tom]

How things look today. Agree with bobman run your power heads and that cloudiness silt will be picked up by the filter floss. No worries all normal.

I ran the power head all thru the night. filter floss in front of the return outlet. Tank is still cloudy but slightly better.

 

[twilliard]

Keep on truckin!

 

[bobman]

Just a quick question was your sand from an established tank or was it the bagged live sand?

To be honest in the future if you want my opinion thoroughly rinse all sand regardless if it is live or not and here is why. If it was from an established tank then it most likely has nasties in it from the tank it came from and buy transfering it to your tank it now have the nasties in your tank like nitrates and such. By rinsing the sand sure you will lose some bacteria but to enough to justify not cleaning it.

If it was not bagged stuff it honestly contains little to no bacteria in it at all and comes with a little pouch of bacteria that you add to the tank after you fill it up. So again you are not really losing any bacteria anyway and the pouch you will add was all the bacteria that was going to be in there anyway. Also bacteria mostly has to be fed to stay alive although very little depending how long the bagged stuff has been on a shelf I seriously doubt any of the bacteria in the pouch is actually still alive anyway. I usually dont even add it to my tank and just toss it in the garbage where it belongs you sand will become live in no time with rock and a good tank cycle.

 

[reef4Tom]

It was the bagged live sand.

 

[reef4Tom]

Update, the water is clearing up. Thanks for the advise. Now juat waiting for the tank to cycle so I can bring my fish to their new home. Side note: what do you think of my aquascaping? I think i need to make the right side higher.

 

[reef4Tom]