Cloudy Tank After Substrate +

[babystarz]

I added a layer of Fluorite under a layer of Caribsea aquarium sand to my new 20gallon long tank two days ago, I've got the filter going and I have been adding Seachem Clarity to help with dirt particle coagulation and sinking. I did NOT wash the substrate, did wash the sand, so I think the dirt is all from the substrate. I have vacuumed the settled dirt sediment from the bottom of the tank and done a full water change. The tank did clear up about 50% between day 1 and day 2 and because of the water change it's back to how it looked at the beginning.

I have also washed the filter 3 times in a 2 gallon bucket of water, it has been very dirty and made the water totally opaque brown every time.

I'm wondering if I should just let everything settle or keep doing big water changes to stir up the tiny dirt particles and flush them out.

I have been testing the ammonia and it's showing .25 ppm. I know this doesn't mean much right now because I'm replacing all the water and washing the filter. The ammonia is from the substrate, not my tap water.

[MSG]

Just let it settle and let your filter clean up the mess.

Mine can usually clear up a cloudy tank in about an hour or two.

[Relic]

Just let it settle on it's own and let the filter clear up the remaining particles. Do your water changes but try not to disrupt the sand. All my tanks with sand in them always look "dusty"..mainly because I have cory cats and other bottom dwellers that tend to throw sand around. A good filter will usually keep it pretty clear. It could take a few hours or a few days to clear up.

[starrlamia]

Im the opposite :) if my tank is cloudy for more than a day I usually do a water change, I use a plastic plate to break the fall of the water when i add it back in so it doesnt stir up the sand.

[babystarz]

Originally Posted by starrlamia

Im the opposite :) if my tank is cloudy for more than a day I usually do a water change, I use a plastic plate to break the fall of the water when i add it back in so it doesnt stir up the sand.

Good idea! I was using my hand but that would work better. I've decided to let the tank settle on its own and then deal with any remaining sediment if it keeps kicking up too many particles. I was also thinking I could use a tiny siphoning tube from the bucket to add water instead of pouring the bucket directly into the tank. It's a grow-out tank for when my future fry are a a few weeks old so I need to keep the current gentle anyway. I may move the power head and sponge filter from the breeding tank along with them so I can control the water flow. The filter in there now will not let me do that so I either have to baffle it or use something else.

[aokashi]

caribsea... did you check the package to make sure tht it is for fresh water and not marine...?

[babystarz]

Originally Posted by aokashi

caribsea... did you check the package to make sure tht it is for fresh water and not marine...?

Yep I did, it can be used in both but it's intended for freshwater tanks.

[babystarz]

Ammonia level reacher .5 ppm today so I think I'm on the ascending arc of my spike. I could see the back of the tank and the filter this morning when I woke up, yay! I clouded it up a bit again trying to even out the sand but that should clear up fast. I'm hoping that it doesn't dust up every time I mess around with it, or it's going to look really bad right after I plant it XD

[starrlamia]

Sand will almost always cloud the tank to a degree when you bother it, just go slow when you plant. Stems shouldn't give you much trouble but anything with roots will. Do a water change after and it will help. Or drain your tank first.

[babystarz]

Thanks starrlamia, that's good to know.

I couldn't leave the filter alone yesterday and washed it one more time, but I'm glad I did because the tank is nearly crystal clear today! It looks fantastic :) So now I can leave the poor filter alone to establish bacteria. I'm waiting on the ammonia test to finish developing right now. I can't wait for the spike to recede so I can start adding my plants :D I have two lovely pieces of driftwood coming, 4 types of rare moss, and plenty of stem and surface plants arriving this week too.