# ooops, I didn't rinse my sand well enough. now what?



## rarefaction (Aug 6, 2009)

I just set up a new 75G with 45 pounds of eco-complete and 25 pounds of black moon sand. I guess I didn't rinse it enough because the water is real cloudy. What should I do? I dont want to waste the r/o water by doing a 90% water change already. will it clear?


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## xalow (May 10, 2007)

I did a similar thing once and water changes actually didn't help very much is remedying the situation. What I did was take out the substrate but hand and scoop it into containers which I took outside and then rinsed again until the water ran clean.

I had waited nearly a day and it didn't settle but I was using a completely different substrate so there may be hope for you if you wait it out.


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## rarefaction (Aug 6, 2009)

seems to be improving slowly but it still worries me, i know the fish are gonna distroy the layered effect but that was supposed to be the fun of it. i don't think i'm gonna dig it out. will a fine pad in a cannister filter make a difference?


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## SoDakJeep (Mar 21, 2009)

if you dont have any fish in it just shut the filters off and let it settle. When you do you next water change stir up the sand as much as you can and then remove the water. It will get better over time and will not hurt the fish.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

Yes using a fine pad will help collect some of the dust...

I hate the idea of "just let it settle" because this leaves it in the system to cause issues later...

I find such dust can/will clog up filter media very quickly therefore I do not want to leave it to my filter media to collect. I'd much rather not let it get in there in the first place... and when it does I'd rather remove it via water changes... But I don't use RO water...

By the way... if this is a freshwater tank... why are you using RO water?... Naturally if me asking this question is derailing your thread feel free to ignore it


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## rarefaction (Aug 6, 2009)

high copper in city water, that's why i got the r/o.


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## rarefaction (Aug 6, 2009)

after 24 hrs it's still quite hazy, has anyone had luck with clarifiers or is it a waste of time? I need to act, my school of mbunas are in limbo.


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## gnomemagi (Jun 13, 2009)

Well, I'm in the same situation as you. Even after two days of no filters/water movement its still hazy - the fine dust has settled on top of my rocks and makes them look kinda messed up as well.

Don't see any way out of it other than a water change.


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## S&amp;T (Jul 27, 2009)

I used a diatom filter and just stirred the sand a bit every now and then. Just be careful to to get the sand moving around too much as you will suck the sand through the filter. After doing this for an hour or two the water was crystal clear.

I used diatom powder and charcoal together


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

leave the filters on anf wait it out it will clear just make sure you check your media very other day and rinse as needed. you might want to try some filter floss or some 50 micron filter pad these will probrably clear it up faster. but yeah leave the filters do their job and dont use any chemicals...all new setups do this


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## Natedawg63 (Sep 13, 2008)

A diatom is the sure fire method, but expensive if you only need it for this one time. I use a Marineland Magnum H.O.T. filter with the micron filter every time I do a water change to polish my water overnite. Best money I ever spent.

http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/prcans ... mhotca.htm

Nate


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## rarefaction (Aug 6, 2009)

six hours later the bonded filter pad in the sump is definitely filling with gray dust. I intend to throw out the startup filter pad. Might add the first pair tonight (my acei's are the most mellow so far). If the pad is getting it slowly I might ride it out. I also have an ehiem 2226 that I just bought new pads for, but I'd hate to waste them on sand dust, not to mention the pump taking wear and tear. Eventually the canister will run in the sump for polishing anyway. So what do y'all think of the tank?


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## illusions2281 (Jan 25, 2009)

I strongly reccomend buy a magnum 350 or the hot magnum like someone else suggested. Its just a great filter to run. w/ the micron insert.

I just set up my buddys tank. we rinsed the sand over and over then scouped into a bucket and scouped into another. then scouped it in the tank. Then added about 3 inches of water over the sand. Then we sucked out that water and filled the tank. the water came out beautful.

Why dont you use city water? cichlids like hard water. my water comes right out of the garden hose. Personaly, i'd just reccomend stiring up the sand and doing a 100% (as close to as you can get) and then running a mechinical filter like the mangums.

BUT. . .

when i set up my 85gal tank organillay. i did no cleaning for othe eco-compete sand & gravel. what i did was though the bags in the bottom of the tank and pour water in till they were submerged and sliced the bags open and pulled the pastic out that way. My water was very very very cloudy for a few days but then it settled. it didnt seem to bother the fish at all.

thats my 2 cents.


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## rarefaction (Aug 6, 2009)

again, the copper added to the city water to control invertabrates was killing my fish within 12-24 hrs. got the r/o, no more death.


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## illusions2281 (Jan 25, 2009)

have you tired using seachem cuprisorb to remove copper?

http://www.firststopaquatics.co.uk/acat ... oval_.html


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## rarefaction (Aug 6, 2009)

if I have an R/O unit why would I risk it? The filtered water is visibly clearer and odorless. Furthermore the tap water stinks like bleach here. We don't even drink it. Not good enough for my coffee, not good enough for my fish.


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

I wish you all the luck rarefaction. I did my switch to sand but I cleaned the **** out of my sand I broke it down in 2 buckets 25 pounds a piece and the water came out crystal clear. I then put the sand in ziplock bags and put it on the bottom of the tank and released the sand and my water was crystal clear the whole time. I really hope the cloudy water works out for you!!!! Good luck. :thumb: :thumb:


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## rarefaction (Aug 6, 2009)

Thanks dj, it's clearing up nicely now. Here's an update for anyone who was watching. I left the pump on. I folded a bonded filter pad into 4 layers and pinned it into place at the sump inlet. I moved it an inch or two every 4 hours or so for 2 days. Then I threw that pad out (it was bad... gray dust all the way through).
Then I put in 1 layer of pad, 1 layer of activated carbon, and another layer of pad. This morning marks 4 days full (the photo was this morning)


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

rarefaction said:


> again, the copper added to the city water to control invertabrates was killing my fish within 12-24 hrs. got the r/o, no more death.


sometimes the simplest solution is the one already completed... :thumb:

Smart move on the R/O unit... heavy metals can be a beast so it's best in the long run if they just aren't in there at all. Just follow a good buffer recipe.

For your cloudiness, I hate rinsing substrate so that always happens... great cheap/free filtration that works (if your filters can hold it) paper towels, coffee filter, walmart pillow stuffing. I use tons and then just throw it away... cloudiness completely gone in a few days.


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## rarefaction (Aug 6, 2009)

It was worth the wait! If I had stirred the sand up again I would have not gotten to watch this excavation project. The Eco-complete does buffer some, but not as much as I had hoped. Next time I'll go with all Tahitian moon sand and just put some crushed coral in the sump. But it's great to get up in the morning and see the new nests being built.

I will NEVER use gravel with my cichlids again. (Emergency room excluded)


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

Congrats on your water finally clearing up rare. I had a feeling it was just a matter of time! Your fish look happy and your rockwork is perfect.


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## rarefaction (Aug 6, 2009)

thanks dj, now i need a better camera


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

Your picture doesn't look bad at all, you should of just shot the pic head on instead of from the side lol


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## rarefaction (Aug 6, 2009)

You got it :thumb:


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

Now just zoom in or get a little closer! lmao! :lol: Still looks great though


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## eddy (Jan 16, 2009)

As shown it will clear up soon enough. It is a little late now but what I do with mine is run several fine sponge filters with a air pump to avoid the sand getting in my primary filters that way the sand particles never run through anything mechanical. Then when the water clears I turn on my primary filters the a couple days later I remove the sponge filter(s)


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

Good idea eddy!


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## robertw (Aug 6, 2009)

This happened to me, I have black sand as well and I never washed it (noob mistake) It's been about 2 weeks and the water isn't perfectly clear just yet but it's getting there. When I vacuum the tank (once a week) I try to stir up the sand as much as possible, and 24hrs later I clean my filter out.

Btw, your tank looks great. I need to get a bigger tank asap lol.


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

It looks awesome! How did you do that background? Looks like slate but I've never seen slate show all those rainbows of color. How did you attach it?


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## rarefaction (Aug 6, 2009)

First, I had to find real slate. Not easy. Best I could come up with was Lowes multi-color slate tile in 12"x12" tiles. (Depot has the same stuff $.20 more per tile) The tiles were 1/4 thick and I needed at least 9 to cover my design. It was way too heavy to attach to 1/2" polystyrene with silicone. So I let my polish side shine and began splitting the tiles with a screwdriver and hammer the THIN way. What a PITA. But that's when all the rainbow started to show. Had to buy more tile to get enough jagged 1/8" thick chunks to piece it together. Then I built the Styrofoam backing with a lip at the bottom to set the bottom tiles on. I also hoped the lip would also help disperse the weight of the rock work. I tapered the edges so the slate would sit flat to the glass when viewing from the side. All the slate was then attached using GE silicone I. (Thanks forum advice!) Everyone asks "How is it attached to the glass?". I hated the idea of someday wanting to change it, or clean it, or whatever. Soooo, it's not attached! I designed it so the tank rim, overflow box and return plumbing pin it into place on top and the rocks hold the bottom lip down and in. I cut up black media sponge to seal any gaps the fish could get behind through. 40 pounds of slate and it still floats! One more thing... I added several airlines behind at the last minute, I forgot to photo the placement. I put air stones in the bottom back of the foundation. Now I just turn on the air pump before a vac and most of the waste blows right out of the caves. Plus my Crabro loves to chase the bubbles. :lol: 
Anywho, thanks Dewdrop! love your avatar, what is it?


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## rarefaction (Aug 6, 2009)




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## rarefaction (Aug 6, 2009)

I can't seem to find how to delete my own posts. A little help here? It says edit/delete yet it won't let me erase the post.


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## rarefaction (Aug 6, 2009)




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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

Wow I really like your slate background unique and perfect!  :wink:


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## robertw (Aug 6, 2009)

Man, I am having the same problem with my new 55g. I am using pool sand with this tank, I washed it extensivelt but this faint dust just floats all around the tank, I can see it moving around. I'm running an ac 110, moving tons of water and still nothing has cleared up. I seriously don't want to drain all the water out since I need to get my fish out of the 20g to this thing asap.

I had this issue with my 20g but even with that I used a black sand that I didn't wash and it cleared up a lot in 24hrs, this pool sand hasn't cleared a bit. Advice?


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## rarefaction (Aug 6, 2009)

polyester pillow stuffing... Stuff it in the filter a bit tight, change daily. It didn't seem to bother my fish but it took 2 weeks to get crystal clear. Don't panic dude, :wink:


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## aji1217 (Aug 22, 2009)

FWIW I got lucky and installed a bottom drain on my 200G. Not an option for most people, but you can always use a python the same way. Rinsed the sand in a kiddy pool for about 3 hours (neighbors thought I was crazy) just stirring it up and scooping out the cloudy water/letting it overflow, then after it was clear enough threw it into the tank, bucket by bucket (250LB when it was dry, dont wanna know what it was wet) I made sure to dump it all on one side of the tank, then filled the tank from that side (with the drain on the opposite side) and stirred it gently while filling. when the sand creeped too close to the drain, I stopped the water flow, moved it back, and did it again. total time to clean the sand was close to 6 hours.

Also the adding a few inches of water, stirring up, and draining out worked great as well, but you still can get a lot of settlement while draining if you have a larger tank.

My advice would be to rinse outside, lump on one side, python on the other, put a big pot in your sink to catch the stray sand that may come through (sounds bad in a garbage disposal) and let it run while filling the tank with a hose and stirring.

If anything it feels more hands on to me 

just my 2 cents.


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## robertw (Aug 6, 2009)

Here's my tank, it's cleared up quite a bit, I might have to put something finer in the filter to get the really fine dust floating around.









I need to get some bigger rocks lol.


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## aji1217 (Aug 22, 2009)

here is my 29g with a single hang-on filter..first pic is first day..next pic is 4 days later after I let it settle. the sand/water was taken from my 200G...



















Waiting does work, it does settle/get trapped in the filters...if the filters are clogged from sand..you can always just rinse them in a bucket of tank water...? get the sand out and replace...right?

on a side note it was cloudy until today, when it was crystal clear.


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## JayPP (Jun 11, 2009)

I think you should wait a little. It surely helps. 
_________________________________
cohiba


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## aussy612 (Jan 31, 2009)

I had the same problem in my 125. 
What i did was dropped my water lever to about three inches, and then thrashed the sand in the empty tank. i used kind of a waving motion with my hand, palm facing down. This will make the water very dirty, but since its only a few inches deep it will be much easier to replace. You might have to do it a few times. I would suggest you to do this rather than let it settle. this way you can get it over with rather than having it hanging over you for months.
good luck!


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