help with cloudy water !!

blaked

Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2010
Location
Chatham, Ontario
I've never used live sand b4    ... I always rinse my substrate to get crystal clear run off .
I got live sand and hate it so much I ready to explode !!
Can't get ridda dust on everything , won't clear for nothing . And smells of death  Hahha...

So am I looking at a complete water chnage ?

I'm at my wits end n I getting impatiant .

Thsnks for reading .
 

KBennett

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Sep 17, 2012
Location
Brantford
how long have you been waiting?  I'd lower the water movement and possibly add a little vinegar (or other carbon source) to encourage bacteria growth to hold the particles together.
 

blaked

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Joined
Dec 22, 2010
Location
Chatham, Ontario
2 days now. Added smart cycle to tank already.
Turned off koralia . Still looks very dirty. Like half inch visibilty .
Its "chalk dust" that's my enemy here...

I'm thinking whole bag of filter floss n filter socks...
Problem is I gotta week of deer hunting I Gtg start today.
N I ain't found a overflow pipe yet to goto my sump !
Uhhh being unprepared ... My life story
 

Neopimp

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Sarnia
it will settle out...pump water through filter floss... i bet coffee filters would work too lol.

If its bacteria bloom then water changes and patience
 

unibob

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Mar 15, 2012
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St Thomas
blaked link said:
Today the tank looks better . Removed some dirty water and added 10 ml of vinegar yesterday and today.

I think your skimmer pump won't last long sitting in sand.
 

KBennett

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Joined
Sep 17, 2012
Location
Brantford
Sorry, I thought you were adding live sand to an existing tank.  I wouldn't add any more vinegar (don't worry, I'm sure it didn't hurt).  Be patient and let it work naturally.

Why is your skimmer in the tank?  In my opinion, a skimmer is counter productive at this point.  You are trying to cycle, so you need ammonia and nitrite and nitrate for those bacteria to feed on.  I assume that you filled the tank after that pick? 

In a tank that small, for the first week or so I would just use a bubbler for water movement. 
 

Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)

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Aug 29, 2011
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Sarnia, Ontario
what i did when i started my new tank.    with all new sand. and it was cloudy as hell ....i had one of those hang on aqua clear filters.  yu get at the petsmarts. and it cleaned it right up. ..leave the carbon and media bag in and let it run.    as i didnt want any of that cloudy water in my sump at all  so i plugged it off so none is goin to the sump. snd didnt run the return pump at all. jsut the hang on aqua clear
 

Neopimp

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Sarnia
The skimmer will help remove some of the gunk in the water column as well.  I did the same thing as peter did... worked great.
 

KBennett

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Sep 17, 2012
Location
Brantford
I totally forgot that I used a hob aquaclear filter to initially clear the sand in mine.  Just make sure the output doesn't stir up more sand.
 

reeffreak

Super Active Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2013
Location
Sarnia, Ontario
I don't see what the big issue is. The water will clear up over a few days. I wouldn't be adding anything like vinegar or smart cycle or anything. Turn your skimmer on, if you want to run pellets add them now too. Keep everything running from day one, be patient and it will a fall into place. Adding things that are not needed will possibly cause bigger problems.

Use the HOB filter and let the rest run its course. 
 

Duke

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Sep 20, 2011
reeffreak link said:
I don't see what the big issue is. The water will clear up over a few days. I wouldn't be adding anything like vinegar or smart cycle or anything. Turn your skimmer on, if you want to run pellets add them now too. Keep everything running from day one, be patient and it will a fall into place. Adding things that are not needed will possibly cause bigger problems.

Use the HOB filter and let the rest run its course. 

i totally agree, if theres no fish or life in the tank i would point a powerhead AT the sand and try and get it to go cloudier.. run a filter sock or whatever and try and get it out of the tank rather than have it just settle into the sand.. theres no rush to do anything at this point.
 

blaked

Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2010
Location
Chatham, Ontario
Hey thanks for comments .

Skimmer isn't got sand in it .. Its a chalk like dust in the sand . I checked my pump and theres not a trace of sand in it
Plus this sand was outta a established tank that was very clean but in sump ...
So yeah it had a smell to it....

The koralia I have is way to large for the size of tank . So its getting pulled out..

I was worried the sand was full of detrius because of smell  but its clean now .

No more vineger will b added until the tank gets runnin with a bioload .
 
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