Anyone has experience with CaribSea Ocean Direct live sand?

[yeahcheetah]

I just dumped 2 40lb bags into my tank containing salt water.Then the whole tank became milky with very thick white foam on the surface. Then the foam went away a bit but the water has no sign of cleaing up. I am a little worried. Anybody know what the white foam could be? I highly doubt the water will be cleared by tomorrow morning. Is there anything wrong?

Here is the product link:
http://www.caribsea.com/pages/products/ocean_direct.html

 

[deelucky]

not to worry as long as there is nothing in the tank.when i setup the 125 for my folks it took almost a week to clear.give it time it will go away. are you running a skimmer? hows your flow?

 

[yeahcheetah]

I think I shouldn't have just dump the sand from the top. Now I will have to wait longer for the water to clear up. My skimmer is on and the flow is coming from my return pump which is a mag7. I can always increase the flow by installing a MJ1200. Since the pumps will prevent sediment to form, should I turn them off?

 

[bad coffee]

Try a filter sock, Keep changing it until it's clean

also, do you have any rock in the tank? My first tank was cloudy for a week. The day I put rock into the tank it cleared up in hours.

B

 

[chazertis]

did you use the included "bio magnet"? its supposed to clear up the water and "reposition" the bacteria onto the substrate or rock. anyways, its under the directions link on the page you posted.

 

[yeahcheetah]

To bad coffee, yes I put in the rock first then the sand, but the tank is still cloudy overnight.
To chazertis, yes I did dump in the "bio magnet", it did not help. I think the suspending stuff are very fine CaCO3 particles. Bacteria are too small to see.
I am going to try a filter sock. Thanks guys.

 

[pmui]

you should have rinse the stuff out first. I would run a filter and skimmer for a few days. Good luck.

 

[Deanos]

Rinsing bagged live sand would be wasting the extra money spent on buying bagged live sand.

 

[scumonkey]

If your real impatient, you could run a Diatom filter for a few hours...
crystal clear water!

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

I would turn off all the pumps and let it settle.

 

[Dmitry]

I think it's basically sand dust. I put in my arag-live and tahitian moon sand and had similar things, but on a smaller scale. I put the sand in before the water and then poured the water into a cup standing on the sandbed, so the water poured gently into the tank. But I had mild cloudiness and a layer of something covering the surface. But it all went away.

 

[reefman]

this is the reason why theres a proper procedure for dumpin in sand.
only TIME will clear it up. but rest assure, it will evenually clear.

 

[yeahcheetah]

Thanks, guys. The water cleared a bit as we post. But any movement in the bottom will stir them up again. I don't know what's gonna happen after my fishes are added. I have a pair of maroon clown and a coris wrasse, both like to stir things up. I think my nightmare has just began.

 

[PalmTree]

Once your tank starts to colonize beneficial bacterias it will clear up. Like Bret said once I added my LR it started clearing up.

 

[drunkfish13]

i left my 120 not running for a few days with an internal fluval filter filled with carbon and it cleared up in a few days. hasn't been cloudy since and i am running a blueline 70 full out which as removed all the sand near the front glass. i had the AGA tank drilled with 2 1 1/2inch drains for anyone that is wondering.

 

[Deanos]

I have a pair of maroon clown and a coris wrasse, both like to stir things up. I think my nightmare has just began.

It has.

 

[Alexxn]

If you just started this tank you're a LONG ways away from adding fish.....

 

[Dmitry]

If the slightest movement of the sand creates a sand-storm - there's strong water movement on the bottom of the tank. You might have to re-arrange the directions your power-heads are blowing water to slow it down on the bottom.

 

[pmui]

i didn't ralize you used "Live" sand. Then i would suggest throwing in a raw shrimp or silverside to make the bacteria colonize faster. I would definetly make sure the tank is cycled before adding anything, just becuase the "Live" sand has some bacteria, does not mean it's balanced for your tank.

 

[yeahcheetah]

You guys are great, thanks!
I am wondering if lowering the pH would help to make the cloudiness go away faster. The IO salt that I use gives high pH at aournd 8.4 (according to my crappy API kit), it could be higher since the next step on the color chart is 8.8. I think I am going to grab some analytical grade acetic acid from my lab. I only wish I can also borrow the thoudsand-dollar pH meter.