Someone please tell me what is happening here!

[Ihavecrabs!]

Please see attached files, take a look and hopefully you can tell me what's going on. But first a little insight or explanation. Basically I started this 20 gal. With a nano reef in mind. Didn't want to use tap water and had no alternative outside of buying single gallons of distilled water. So I got 10 gallons, filled half the tank then spent about an hour boiling another 10 gallons of tap water thanks to my lack of proper filtration equipment. Anyway, was hell bent on getting already dechlorinate water in the tank and not necessarily having to treat afterwards. Chlorine and it's cousin willing. A few days go by...maybe more like 36 hours....but I went and got 20 pounds of live sand, a small purple live rock and some fossilized argon/shell or whatever the heck it's called. But the water was already in the tank meaning I had to add the sand by method of tactical, patient, tedious, pouring....and wouldn't you know it....all that careful consideration and care my water goes pure.....well sand colored lol, and then I'm left with a thick foam at the surface and very hazy/sandy water..... please tell me what type of foam I'm looking at and whether or not I need to worry. Idk what chemical process caused it or if it was simply the sand adding through water process I stupidly did instead of scaping first.. I know, I'm an idiot.....first tank people. Well first saltwater aquarium at least. Correction! Nano reef aquarium! My bad. Lol jp anyway. Can anyone help me find some answers and hopefully help me to calm this anxiety a little. Thanks

 

[tsouth]

The foam is coming from the sand. I suspect it wasn't rinsed hence all the cloudiness. A similar sight would be the foam that comes from the beach, just copious amounts of silt and what not. It's absolutely nothing to worry about and the filter you have will take care of it over the course of 2-3 days. If you're super anxious and need to fix it, then make another 10 gallons of fresh sw using distilled, and do a water change. I wouldn't recommend using boiling tap, and to continue using distilled instead.

 

[Josh]

You don't need to boil water to add it.

It looks like the sand got mixed up into the water column and maybe the nitrate cycle has started. Keep the filtration running nonstop and keep the water moving. In a few days the water will be clear.

The tank may smell like rotten eggs for a couple of days, that is normal.

 

[Ihavecrabs!]

The foam is coming from the sand. I suspect it wasn't rinsed hence all the cloudiness. A similar sight would be the foam that comes from the beach, just copious amounts of silt and what not. It's absolutely nothing to worry about and the filter you have will take care of it over the course of 2-3 days. If you're super anxious and need to fix it, then make another 10 gallons of fresh sw using distilled, and do a water change. I wouldn't recommend using boiling tap, and to continue using distilled instead.

Thank you so much for your insight my friend. Honestly what you say makes sense and in all reality I am slightly humiliated ? haha. I will slowly but surely master the art of reefing one ill perceived influx of sand foam at a time! Lol thanks again. Much love

 

[Ihavecrabs!]

You don't need to boil water to add it.

It looks like the sand got mixed up into the water column and maybe the nitrate cycle has started. Keep the filtration running nonstop and keep the water moving. In a few days the water will be clear.

The tank may smell like rotten eggs for a couple of days, that is normal.

Thank you for your time and insight in helping me on my way to seeing things in a different, less hurried, and worried state of mind. Not to sit back and completely relax just yet obviously. I have a very healthy respect for this art and all the informative, kind, and generous, people that are there to help you get through personal disast....'learning experience's' one suggested fact/fix at a time. I have let my system remain as is to do it's thing. Will update when problem has past....or less likely... hasn't in 3 day's or so. Thank you.