Southdown Sand Help

[Fishdude]

Hi guys,

My tank recently crashed and I'm starting over. I changed my substrate from crushed coral to Southdown sand. My problem is that the sand has clouded my tank and won't seem to settle even after more than a day. I tried to skim the water but the water is so clouded that my skimmer overflows within hours and then I have a big mess. Have any of you experienced this with this sand and how have you dealt with it?

Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

i have never used the stuff but it is notorious for clouding

 

[Meloco14]

My oolitic sand does the same thing. I used a normal hang on back power filter and that cleared it pretty quickly. It will trap the fine suspended particles on the mesh filter bag. Just take it out and rinse it once or twice a day. But be careful when you do, because the water that runs off when you lift the bag out carries the silt right back into the tank. So I had a cup and put it under the bag to catch the runoff as soon as i lifted it from the filter. I found using a filter cleared the water in less than a day, versus about 2 days when i wasnt using one...

 

[jandree22]

I just cut off ALL water movement.... takes upwards of a week to be completely clear. Power filter idea is prob better, though

 

[mrrrkva]

Do you have liverock in there? The bacteria in the rock should help setttle the sand storm.

 

[Anonymous]

When I added the SD sand it clouded my tank for about a week. It went away on it's own. No additional means were used.

 

[Joew]

use a super fine filter sock on sump intake. heh, or use a real sock. I did it and made a huge diffrence picking up aslmost all the floating dust.
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Algerian Forum

 

[Wheeldog63]

Yeah, SD is HORRIBLE at clouding the tank, mine was cloudy for close to a week or so, something that can help is if you are in the process of cycling the tank, add your LR and then toss a few fresh,raw,untreated shrimp like you would find at the grocery, and let them disolve, this in essence will run the tank into the cycle just like damsels would, but you don't have to deal with damsels and the SD will settle more quickly as the bacteria forms on the suspended particles, a power filter will help pull it out, but those fine particles are what you bought the SD for, so why waste em IMO just ride it out and go about what means u were going to use to cycle the tank.

~Kelly

 

[Fishdude]

Hey thanks for all the great replies. I happen to have a power filter lying around from the freshwater days. I've waited long enough so I'm gonna use the filter. Thanks again.