Strange Film from Live Sand

Blakepher · May 30, 2022

Hello everyone! I am new to R2R. I am also completely new to saltwater aquariums. I am hoping here I can recieve plenty of useful information.

I have been doing my best to follow all the rules and appropriate ways to setting up my tank. I have spent alot of money, and I don't want this to fail.

So far I have made my own RO/DI water with salt mixture. I used a refractometer to test my water. A couple days ago when I checked it was 1.024. I then added my live sand. I was told not to rinse live sand so I didn't. It was EXTREMELY cloudy. Didn't think too much of it knowing sand will cloud. However, all the sand has nearly settled and there is a white stringy film on literally everything. It's on the sand, live rock, glass, power head, heater, and protein skimmer.

I don't have a filter on it yet. I was just told to use a canister filter instead of a standard (hangs over the back of the tank) filter. It will be in tomorrow.

After the filter is installed and running can I just wipe it off of everything and mix it in the water hoping the filter will catch it? Put some kind of invertebrates in it to clean it?

My tank has had water with skimmer and power head for 2 days now. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

RocketEngineer · May 31, 2022

Did you rinse the sand before you added it?

T-J · May 31, 2022

It's just silt from the sand settling. Clean the glass, add some bacteria and a food source and wait for a few weeks.
Monitor Ammonia while it cycles. Don't add any animals until after the cycle is complete.

T-J · May 31, 2022

RocketEngineer said:
Did you rinse the sand before you added it?

Third paragraph the person said they didn't rinse it since it's live sand.

RocketEngineer · May 31, 2022

Let me ask it a different way: did the OP add the water that the sand came in to the display or did you pour off as much of the dirty water as possible before adding the sand to the tank?

Blakepher · May 31, 2022

T-J said:
It's just silt from the sand settling. Clean the glass, add some bacteria and a food source and wait for a few weeks.
Monitor Ammonia while it cycles. Don't add any animals until after the cycle is complete.

Thank you so much!

Blakepher · May 31, 2022

RocketEngineer said:
Let me ask it a different way: did the OP add the water that the sand came in to the display or did you pour off as much of the dirty water as possible before adding the sand to the tank?

I just scooped sand out of the bag and slowly lowered the scoop to the bottom of the tank filled with water and slowly dumped sand.

RocketEngineer · May 31, 2022

Then you transferred all the very fine silt material into the new tank. Nothing to worry about. Give the tank a couple days for things to settle out. You may want to rub down the areas with a fair amount to get it into the water stream. Shortly, the bacteria will clump these fine particles into something that settles out or can get removed by filter sock or skimmer.

Blakepher · May 31, 2022

RocketEngineer said:
Then you transferred all the very fine silt material into the new tank. Nothing to worry about. Give the tank a couple days for things to settle out. You may want to rub down the areas with a fair amount to get it into the water stream. Shortly, the bacteria will clump these fine particles into something that settles out or can get removed by filter sock or skimmer.

Thank you so much! That makes me feel better!

Timfish · May 31, 2022

I wouldn't worry about it. Continue to set up your system and maintenance. I would add some maricultured live rock. See Aquabiomics article on edtablishing microbiomes (and just FYI, bottled stuff is fine but less than 2%of the microbial stuff can be cultured and stuck in a bottle).

Blakepher · May 31, 2022

Just wanted to give an update. I got my canister filter installed this evening, and I stirred up the large clumps. Between the filter and protein skimmer it already looks SO much better! Thank you everyone!

vetteguy53081 · May 31, 2022

Take a turkey baster and loosen gently and siphon up

Blakepher · May 31, 2022

vetteguy53081 said:
Take a turkey baster and loosen gently and siphon up

Thats a good idea!

nat1881 · Jun 4, 2022

Blakepher said:
Hello everyone! I am new to R2R. I am also completely new to saltwater aquariums. I am hoping here I can recieve plenty of useful information.

I have been doing my best to follow all the rules and appropriate ways to setting up my tank. I have spent alot of money, and I don't want this to fail.

So far I have made my own RO/DI water with salt mixture. I used a refractometer to test my water. A couple days ago when I checked it was 1.024. I then added my live sand. I was told not to rinse live sand so I didn't. It was EXTREMELY cloudy. Didn't think too much of it knowing sand will cloud. However, all the sand has nearly settled and there is a white stringy film on literally everything. It's on the sand, live rock, glass, power head, heater, and protein skimmer.

I don't have a filter on it yet. I was just told to use a canister filter instead of a standard (hangs over the back of the tank) filter. It will be in tomorrow.

After the filter is installed and running can I just wipe it off of everything and mix it in the water hoping the filter will catch it? Put some kind of invertebrates in it to clean it?

My tank has had water with skimmer and power head for 2 days now. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

It’s normal, it will be clear in over night