# how long for water to clear after adding crushed coral?



## Cichlid-Chick (Dec 9, 2012)

We added it about 5 days ago and it's still cloudy. The filter is rated for a bigger tank than we have.


----------



## metricliman (Sep 3, 2012)

did you rinse it out?


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

If you rinsed well before hand the water should not have been cloudy at all. It takes forever to rinse crushed coral.


----------



## Cichlid-Chick (Dec 9, 2012)

Well i thought i rinsed it well...put handfuls in a mesh colander and rinsed it til water ran clear.


----------



## Stussi613 (May 8, 2009)

Add some extra filter floss to your filter and change it every 3 days, should clear up in no time. I buy mine at Walmart as hypoallergenic polyester batting for making blankets in the fabric department. 3lb bag for $15 lasts for about a year with monthly changes on 2 filters.


----------



## Cichlid-Chick (Dec 9, 2012)

We don't have a canister filter..how do you add that to a regular filter? Just stuff it in behind the insert?


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Or you could remove the subsrate and wash it again.

The floss idea works until the next time you wash your gravel, but then it all get's stirred up again.

Actually I would consider a different substrate.


----------



## Cichlid-Chick (Dec 9, 2012)

Well we're using it to raise the pH of the water so i don't really want to go with something diff. There's no way I'm washing it again. I've already washed it twice, and my sanity can't handle draining the tank to do it again.


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Note that crushed coral's ability to raise pH is highly overrated. I'd had aragonite (even better than coral) for 7 years and pH has not increased at all. If you really need to adjust pH (go by KH instead) then use baking soda.

The problem is that the mineral cannot dissolve fast enough to make a difference, especially with 50% (or more) water changes weekly.

Maybe next year, LOL.


----------



## Cichlid-Chick (Dec 9, 2012)

DJRansome, wish I knew that before I bought and washed all the stupid crushed coral :? I'll try the batting idea. Thanks for the replies!


----------

