Cloudy tank...

[shawnsorey]

I'm a newbie just getting started with a saltwater tank setup. I added tahitian moon sand (Black) to my 75 gal tank and it is still cloudy and dark. I thought I had rinsed the sand well enough, but my tank is still cloudy after two days. How long should it take to settle? Also, if I need to start over, what steps would I need to take? Any suggestions would be great. Thanks.

 

[1fishkeeper]

A couple of days can be normal. Its just a matter of how much dust is still in the sand. I have seen it where it clears up that day and other tanks take a week. Just give it some time for it to settle.

 

[nsamouroux]

Turn off all the pumps / powerheads for a day or two, then turn them back on one at a time over the course of a week or so. If you've got a sump, turn the return pump on first of course and point the return plumbing towards the surface of the tank so it doesn't stir up the sand. Wherever possible, point the powerheads towards either a section of rock or upwards towards the surface of the tank. After a few weeks the sand will develop a bacterial coat and stick together better and settle quicker, so you can gradually re-adjust your water flow devices at that point.

Something that might help clear things up quicker is a canister filter (such as a magnum 350) with water polishing cartridge filter. It'll have to be cleaned often, but it does work.

My tank when I first added sand:

After about 2 days:

About 1 week (stirred up things a bit further by adding rock):

After 2 weeks (1 week of being fully stocked with only sump return running)

 

[f2titan]

Yes, a few days. Or up to a week is normal.

 

[shawnsorey]

Thank you for all of the good info!