so I got oolite sand and it’s the worst! I got a sand sifter Goby and it’s cloudy 90% of the day! I want to switch to pink Fiji. What’s the best way? I don’t wanna empty tank and all that. If I scoop out it’ll be so cloudy I won’t be able to see what I’m doing. Any suggestions?
Sand swap
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Shop vac while doing a water change. Do a section at a time. At least that's how I'm planning on doing it as changing out my sand is my next big project....some day. 
Hemmdog
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Suck it out with a 3/4 inch hose your next big water change.
New sand.. ahh not sure. But I also wouldn’t get Fiji pink, your going to have the same problem with a sifter goby. I have special blend and it’s not as bad as the Fiji pink was, but it’s still not great. So I’d recommend getting dry special blend, Wash it amazingly well, many times over a week. Get it really good, I had silicate issues from only rinsing a few times. If it’s really clean you shouldn’t have clouding issues putting it back in, just hand scoop cups of it and slowly drop it at the bottom of the tank would be my method.
Mastiffsrule
Where ever you go, there you are, so be nice 2 you
So, I just went thru this. I pulled out 10 years of gravel and put in the Fiji.
I was able to do it with only a mild clouding that went away by next day. Important to go slow and be thorough. Mine was a 180 so it was 140# out and 130# in I think. The following worked great for me.
1. I made enough water to do a 50% water change. Matched temp and salinity. Ready to go.
2. Grabbed 6 buckets to hold rock, also to hold the gravel and water I was vacuuming.
3. I spent 2 hours rinsing each bag of sand until the water was crystal clear.
4. I shut down everything in the tank.
5. I got a large hose 3/4. You may be able to use 1/2. I used the hose to vacuum up the sand a little at a time. I did not move it around, I just put the vacuum in one spot and let it suck up as much as it could. I was draining the sand into the buckets. Once bucket was full, just keep repeating.
6. Be careful of all the fish and inverts. Once all got all the exposed gravel out, I had to move rock. Some I pulled out into a bucket, some I moved to the other side of the tank.
7. Continue vacuuming until all the sand is gone. Do not pull out more water than you have on hand. If you can’t get it all out by vacuuming use a fish net to scoop o out the rest.
8. Start putting in the rinsed sane. I filled a large plastic cup, put it on the bottom and poured it out. Since it is rinsed little clouding should occur.
9. Continue putting in sand and redoing rock work slowly. Did I say be careful of guys in tank yet.
10. Get the new water in, turn on pumps.
11. Sit down after 5 hours and say why did I do that.
Any cloud should be gone day or so at most
I was able to do it with only a mild clouding that went away by next day. Important to go slow and be thorough. Mine was a 180 so it was 140# out and 130# in I think. The following worked great for me.
1. I made enough water to do a 50% water change. Matched temp and salinity. Ready to go.
2. Grabbed 6 buckets to hold rock, also to hold the gravel and water I was vacuuming.
3. I spent 2 hours rinsing each bag of sand until the water was crystal clear.
4. I shut down everything in the tank.
5. I got a large hose 3/4. You may be able to use 1/2. I used the hose to vacuum up the sand a little at a time. I did not move it around, I just put the vacuum in one spot and let it suck up as much as it could. I was draining the sand into the buckets. Once bucket was full, just keep repeating.
6. Be careful of all the fish and inverts. Once all got all the exposed gravel out, I had to move rock. Some I pulled out into a bucket, some I moved to the other side of the tank.
7. Continue vacuuming until all the sand is gone. Do not pull out more water than you have on hand. If you can’t get it all out by vacuuming use a fish net to scoop o out the rest.
8. Start putting in the rinsed sane. I filled a large plastic cup, put it on the bottom and poured it out. Since it is rinsed little clouding should occur.
9. Continue putting in sand and redoing rock work slowly. Did I say be careful of guys in tank yet.
10. Get the new water in, turn on pumps.
11. Sit down after 5 hours and say why did I do that.
Any cloud should be gone day or so at most
great work example/copy that.
pre rinse your new sand 100000% cloudless it doesn't kill the bac or harm anything, just pre rinse it. those are excellent steps above for the method/do
pre rinse your new sand 100000% cloudless it doesn't kill the bac or harm anything, just pre rinse it. those are excellent steps above for the method/do
Jhillreef
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See, it was clear. And does get clear. It’s kust the darn Goby. I’ve never used this sand always pink Fiji And had same Goby it would never cloud like this. Like it’s awful. My fear is once I start sucking it out. It’s gonna be so cloudy I won’t see and I got a carpet I don’t wanna get lit up with. Also, I use the live sand and never rinsed it. I thought the dead sand you rinse not the live?
You can rinse the live sand for silt removal, it doesn't sterilize it. Tap water delivers bacteria as contamination, it doesn't kill off the bacteria. Meds n cleaners will accomplish that. Pre rinsing live sand makes it cloudless at the start. To not pre rinse risks big cloud, even if prior tanks didn't.
Rinse in tap so you won't run out of rinse water, then final step is rinse in RO to evacuate the tap water dissolved solids.
The type of live sand that you do not pre-rinse is the type that when you grab it and pick it up and look at the sand, it's all moving in your hand with animals. No bagged sand is that way.
Rinse in tap so you won't run out of rinse water, then final step is rinse in RO to evacuate the tap water dissolved solids.
The type of live sand that you do not pre-rinse is the type that when you grab it and pick it up and look at the sand, it's all moving in your hand with animals. No bagged sand is that way.
Salty Lemon
Doing my best to make waves.
I always end up laughing after your posts. ;Hilarious
RJinPV
Active Member
I especially liked the last line in Mastiffsrule's post: Sit down after 5 hours and say why did I do that.
Are you sure you need to do this? I added a diamond goby to my tank and he stirred things up a bit but it eventually gets filtered out in your sediment filter/filter socks. How long has your goby been causing these cloudy outbreaks? Maybe if you do more often sand cleaning it will shortcut the goby's work
Are you sure you need to do this? I added a diamond goby to my tank and he stirred things up a bit but it eventually gets filtered out in your sediment filter/filter socks. How long has your goby been causing these cloudy outbreaks? Maybe if you do more often sand cleaning it will shortcut the goby's work
lvsuckerfish
Active Member
I say leave the sand be the Goby and filtration will subside on it's own. I had this issue with my diamond goby I just let it be and it subsided all on it's own on my old tank.
I need to get another Goby for my new tank I love the personality of them. Little sand shifting critters.
I need to get another Goby for my new tank I love the personality of them. Little sand shifting critters.
