Fine sand

[Jpond210]

I set my tank up a few months ago. I used some pretty fine sand and always have sand floating around. I cannot get all the particles out of the water. What is a good way to fix this? I thought about just putting some crushed coral over the sand but figured it would still just make its way up.

 

[NanaReefer]

Are you using a filter sock? Did you rinse the sand well before using?

 

[Jpond210]

I'm using a canister filter for now. I have never rinsed the sand in any of the systems I ever setup.

 

[N1Husker]

Fine sand needs to be rinsed to get most of the powder out, I use sugar sized sand in my tank, I rinsed it prior to using it and I don't have a problem. As for it currently being in your tank and using a canister filter you need to put some type of mesh filter sock to clear it out.

 

[Blue Lip]

I have ocean direct sand. It is "live sand" so rinsing it first would be a bad idea. There was a lot of fine sand that turned my water milky. A sump sock works great. Magnum filters have a fine filter that works too.

 

[N1Husker]

I have ocean direct sand. It is "live sand" so rinsing it first would be a bad idea. There was a lot of fine sand that turned my water milky. A sump sock works great. Magnum filters have a fine filter that works too.

Even with live sand you can still rinse a lot of the fines out of it. You will never get rid of all of the bacteria that makes the sand alive. Caribsea website says you can still rinse the new live sand. You can also take some of the sand out, set it aside or just leave it in the tank and rinse the rest. This will allow you to clean up most of the sand and you can use that sand that you set aside to reseed the rinsed sand to repopulate your clean sand. When I have changed tanks in the past, (and I have several times), I use new rinsed non live sand and take some old sand from the old tank and reseed it. My sand gets repopulated and I don't have the clouding issue.

 

[Jpond210]

Thanks for all the responses. I think a lot the debri I was seeing was from the hair algae problem I was having. The algae is about gone now. I stuck a UV sterilizer in it for a few days and my water is about crystal clear now.

 

[Jpond210]

Here's a pic of my tank

 

[NanaReefer]

Very nice tank! Rock work looks natural, I like that

 

[Jpond210]

Very nice tank! Rock work looks natural, I like that

Thanks, I used half live and half Marco rock. I let the wife do the stacking on this tank.

 

[Blue Lip]

Looks great! Is there an anemone for that clown?

 

[Jpond210]

Looks great! Is there an anemone for that clown?

No I'm gonna give it 6 or so months until I add one. I got a good deal on the clowns from a old club member in Texas.