I made a big OPPS

[missc4]

I got everything to set up the 135 gallon tank and made a mistake and now I am worried..
I bought 80 pounds of aragonite sand and totally forgot to rinse it.My water looks like 2% milk.It cleared a little last night but not much.I turned the sump off and there is dust in the tank.I put a hang on type filter on the tank to try to clear it up..I know I messed up but just how bad did I mess up?Will it clear up?What can I do to help it along?Any advice would be much appreciated.

[Reefscape]

yes, just give it a few days and it will clear and settle down...no great drama's...just keep washing out the filter media untill its clear....

Niko

[missc4]

Oh bless you..I am soo worried..I read that it would not settle so I was thinking I soooo messed up and the LFS is out of RO water..what do I do..I will just give it more time to settle..It is clearing some I can see farther in than I could yesterday..THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

[SHK_ATK]

I put 200+ # of A.S. when I set up my tank and by the time I was ready to put in my sand it was 2 or 3 in the morning. So instead of "rinsing" it I just dumped the bags in. (i was tired) sure enough my water was cloady and nasty. Ran the pump and after 3 days it was crystal clear. Occasionally I stir up the sand in the bottom to make the dust come out and my as it goes through my overflows it gets trapped in my filter fiber. throw away the fiber you get rid of the dust. No more dust for me.

[jojo22]

A diatom filter works wounders if you have one!!

[Rbishop]

^^^^ yep!

[Germanman]

^^^^^^yup:)...lol

or u can run a siphon over the sand when it settles to get rid of the fine dust

[missc4]

SHK_TAK that is good to hear that I am not alone and it worked out well for you.Very reassurening to me..I will give it more time..
I don't have a diatom filter,,wish I did right now.lol

[Reefscape]

dont worry about it miss....it will be fine when its settled....dont really see any need to run a syphon over the sand...it will all settle in time....patience is always a virtue.....lol

Niko

[Catpicklesdog]

I did exactly the same and it settled in no time.:dance2:

[LordsSoilder]

Just to chime in I'll add a bit...

I've read (more than experienced) that its actually good to have several different sizes of substrate in your tank... The "dust" is great for microbial bacteria and will help seed the rest of the sand...

Just don't stir your tank up too much and you shouldn't have a problem with it...

And like the other guys said. your filters will clean up any drifting particles that are big enough to see...

So look at it this way... you did it one purpose... You wanted to create a strong bacteria ecosystem...

-LS

[Michael Marino]

I got everything to set up the 135 gallon tank and made a mistake and now I am worried..
I bought 80 pounds of aragonite sand and totally forgot to rinse it.My water looks like 2% milk.It cleared a little last night but not much.I turned the sump off and there is dust in the tank.I put a hang on type filter on the tank to try to clear it up..I know I messed up but just how bad did I mess up?Will it clear up?What can I do to help it along?Any advice would be much appreciated.



THATS CRAZYYY , ahaha I did the same thing except with PINK SAND! ahaha. I took some pictures as well here http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a293/mikemarino55/HPIM0098.jpg?t=1175972024
I guess i am never alone how is everything turning out for you now?

[SHK_ATK]

THATS CRAZYYY , ahaha I did the same thing except with PINK SAND! ahaha. I took some pictures as well here http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a293/mikemarino55/HPIM0098.jpg?t=1175972024
I guess i am never alone how is everything turning out for you now?

ha thats actually clear!!! IMO when I did mine you could not even see the sand!!!:eek:

[missc4]

Lol..I am so glad I am not alone on this.Now I will see it as a good thing.
The tank is clearing up.Kinda looks like a mist now..I can see my rock..lol..I was thinking that after it clears I would siphon the dust off the rock,,but now I think I will just leave it alone.
When I put the sand in it looked so bad and with the white foam like in the picture.But it looks alot better now.Thanks to you all I feel better about my oops that now turned out to be an ok thing.Plus while it clears up it is cycling..

[Michael Marino]

Yea, I used a cheap filter to help everything clear up, worked more then i thought. I lost it intially. I took all the sand filled up a buckeds and basicly showerd with them :) ahahah. I hope all goes well for you , see you around!
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a293/mikemarino55/HPIM0113.jpg

[missc4]

My water is a little lighter than yours in the pic is now.When did you add your sand? Looks like we are clearing up about the same speed.I added the same kinda filter to help mt tank out as well,,I had two on my 55 gallon freshwater so I stole one from it for awhile.I turned my sump back on this morning and it kinda looks clearer but not for sure.I am just waiting it out now.
I still have 20 pounds of live sand to add when this one cycles and I move everything from the 28 gallon over to this one.It is on;t 20 pounds but I will be adding it ever so slowly..lol

[missc4]

Oh and I put two filter bags that go on 55 gallon one inside the other and placed then on the inlet tube from the sump,,where the water goes back in my tank..Just to try to help clear it faster,,Fingers crossed over here.lol

[Reefscape]

just be sure you dont forget about them as the sand particles will soon build up.....

Niko

[missc4]

I wont forget,,thanks Atnixon..Here is a pic of the tank now..It is clearing up.You all were such a help to me.Thank you
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n179/missc4/IMG_0990.jpg

[Michael Marino]

I put two filter bags that go on 55 gallon one inside the other and placed then on the inlet tube from the sump

I did the same, sept just with my regualar filter. I honostly dont understand how a sump works :( . I wana build one so bad i just dont know where to start and i dont want to drill

[missc4]

Hi,,I am new to this myself..Very new..lol.My tank was already drilled and came with the sump.But I had to do alot of research to find out what to do with it..First we added a durso and replaced the bio balls..A sump is a filter for your tank.The water runs into an over flow and down in to the sump into one chamber that contains,,filter,bioballs,live rock rubble,etc.and then over in to another chamber that contains your pump,there the pumps forces the water back up a tube and into your tank..I have a 20 gallon sump..A 20 gallon tank with a sealed divider in it.
Anyone correct me if I am wrong here,,ok.

[Reefscape]

Missc has it above....If you do a search on sumps in the DIY section, you will find loads of plans, drawings, dimentions...my sump thoughts, plans, ideas are all in the DIY section...take a look and digest the info available to you...ask many questions...

Niko

[Michael Marino]

Yea, sounds right, I know the basic consept like a designated area for LR LS and Ect. Then Protine skimmer then pump. I just dont know how to build with out drilling

[jojo22]

www.melevsreef.com

This guy is the sump guru, if I have problems with my sump I ALWAYS go to him!!