I am starting a 55 gallon saltwater aquarium. I added the live sand first and then filled the tank up with water. After this was done I read in a book that I should have done this in reverse order. Now the water is very murky. My questions are these: Is this a really big deal that I did it in this order? Should I wait for the water to settle first before adding the salt? Should I wait for the water to settle before turning on the filter? Any other suggestions?
2007-06-03 13:38:58 · 6 answers · asked by Meadowlark 2 in Pets ➔ Fish
Add the salt to a proper salinity asap. The freshwater will kill your live sand. Other than that it's not really a big deal, the sand will still eventually settle, it just might take a day or two. I would allow the sand to settle several hours before starting the filter, but you don;t need to wait out the entire process either.
Just keep in mind that live sand is just that...live. Treat it the same as you would a fish. Proper salinity and temperature as well as filtration soon.
MM
2007-06-03 13:46:55 · answer #1 · answered by magicman116 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't worry, you're certainly not the first person to do this in the wrong order.
Its not a process that you need to do very often with marine setups, but for future reference...
Fill tank with de-chlorinated water allowing for substrate/rock etc. to be added later. Add salt as per ratio given on bag/container. Turn on all filtration/powerheads etc (no carbon or Purigen yet). The more circulation the faster the salt will properly mix. Don't worry about undissolved salt being extracted by the filter (if any), it will eventually dissolve. Keep adding salt as necessary until salinity is correct and there are no visible suspended particles.
When all is good and settled, turn off your pumps etc and add sand. Wait an hour or so until the bulk of suspended fine grains have settled. Live sand is fine and the tank will still be slightly cloudy from suspended particles.
Turn all filtration back on. The type of filtration/pumps/ grade of sand etc. will determine how long it will take for the tank to clear (anywhere from an hour to a day or more).
The important point here is that you get the water to the right conditions (salinity/ph etc.) before adding anything else. This also allows you to check for leaks, pump failures etc before adding other expensive 'live' components.
Live sand needs seawater, not freshwater otherwise the inherent micro-organisms will die. Immediate water circulation is also required. So, in your case, your immediate step is to turn on pumps etc and add salt immediately.
Please don't confuse this initial cloudiness with a cycling symptom. Cloudiness from an ammonia/nitrogen cycle won't occur for a day or 2 after adding live sand/live rock/animals etc.
Hope that helps and good luck on your new journey!
2007-06-03 22:53:15 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Magic man stole my answer. You paid for the creatures in that live sand. Hopefully you got these responses fast and no harm comes of it. Heres some thoughts thoug if you did happen to get this too late. A 1-2 inch sand bed does nothing good or bad for your tank. Apparently 3 is disaster for your tank but 4-5 actually acts as a natural filter. So if you did crap out the sand you bought you may choose to add more and achieve those 5 inches which will help you in the long run. But the live sand is alive in the sense that organisms live in there as well as bacteria to help your tank.
2007-06-03 23:11:07 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with magic mans answer. Live sand must be treated like any other animal in the tank. Your sand will settle, but you might need to clean out some plumbing parts as the sand will settle on them to. Get your salinity and pH to your desired level and you will be fine. Your sand will soon develop more living creatures. no need to worry
2007-06-03 22:59:35 · answer #4 · answered by Tang man 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i have worked in a pet store for 2 years it is ok just make sure you get the proper amount of salt .it will settle but may take awhile.another thing is make sure to have the proper ph kits to measure the amount of salt proportions. i love marine aquariums!!! i also had one for many years.make sure and do a 30%water change every 30 days for a healthy tank!thanks and happy times are on there way!!!!
2007-06-03 20:44:44 · answer #5 · answered by what??? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i done this in 10 gal and had same problem. I went ahead and turned on the filter and added the salt. left the light on for a few days then it was clear over a couple days.so id say ur ok to do the same in urs
2007-06-03 21:08:41 · answer #6 · answered by taby 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋