Southdown Play Sand Yeilds Nothing But Milk!!

[Bugotus]

I have a 125 gallon tank that I just recently set up Using 5 inches of southdown playsand across the entire bottom of the tank. Tank has looked like milk for 7 days now. I did not rinse the sand because I read on here not to( the varied particle sizes are a good thing) or something to that matter. Im getting a little concerned because this southdown stuff says not for aquarium use right on the bag. How long if ever will it take to clear up. Should I leave my powerheads on or off. Some of it has begun to settle but it looks like super fine sediment that will just stirr up again if aggitated. I need an experts advise. Should I put a canister filter on this tank? just to clear it up.

[Guy W]

I didn't use southdown because of that problem. I bought the 20 bucks a bag of the live sand you get at the fish store. now I was well aware that it's not going to yeild any real benifits from being "proclaimed" Live Sand, however my tank was crystal clear in less than 2 hours. Since then my fish stir up the sand, a power head falls, or whatever, and no clouds.

But I'm sure you spent a lot less on the south down.

I'm not mentioning this to belittle the desicion to use it, just to point out that there are some benifits with the other stuff as well.

That being said, once your tank is cycled and bacteria has weighed down the sand a bit, your cloud will go away. I'd just sit tight and wait it out. It's going to be a while before you can really stock the tank anyway.

Guy

[a_free_bird73]

I agree with Guy's comment though I would say put the canister on from time to time and clean the filter regularly during your cycling.

Although once you put live rock and the tank is cycled, it will all clear up, the addition of any livestock that stirs sand will turn it into a mess again.

I had this happen to me after adding a sand sifting pair of gobies which turned the tank into milk for several weeks. I ran a small sponge filter and cleaned it twice a week, eventually the tank cleared up again but in hind site, it would have been easier to rinse the sand before starting

[BrianH]

Once the bed is totally populated with bacteria and has settled(3 - 4 months) you will not get the huge cloud, even if the bed is stirred. Did you add the sand before the water? Next time you start a tank, add the sand first, then when filling, pour the water into a bowl and let it spill over the side. This way you will not disturb the sand bed as much. I know the sand storm can be irritating, but you can't put anything in the tank until your cycle is fininshed anyway.

Brian

[gcvt]

I wouldn't use the canister filter to clear it up - you'd be pulling out all the small particles that you want to keep for your sandbed...same reason you don't rinse Southdown.

Southdown is perfectly safe for aquariums - the "Not For Aquarium Use" statement on the bag is there partly because they sell super-overpriced aquarium sand through retailers and would rather have you buy that than the $4 bags at Home Depot. Same sand - drastically different prices. The warning is also there so they can't be held liable if you lose thousands of dollars worth of livestock and try to blame it on them.

[ClownieandBilly]

run your powerheads and wait ,i did and it cleared within a week

[kreblak]

It should clear up just fine within a few days. I kept my powerheads on, and just made sure to they weren't sending any directional flow at the sandbed. I realized after a day or so that I had too much force at a tank wall, which was then going straight down into the sandbed and stirring up sand. I moved the direction of the flow, and everything was just fine.

[liquafaction]

I used play sand, and the water cleared up within 24 hours. Then later on I went back and leveled the sand out, and it was cloudy for a few days. Now my tank is more cloudy on some days than others, but its usually when I have been farting around with the tank, or doing plumbin work that it is real cloudy. I do have to disagree that the cloudyness will go away within a few days, but maybe more like in a few weeks. The thing that scares me is that my shrimp are totaly desolved, and my tank is still cloudy. I am just going to try to be patient, and let it go untill amonia levels start going down.

[g. mcclean]

I also used southdown sand to set up my 75 gallon. The only difference is that I did rinse it ONLY enough to get the "foam" that bubbled out of it. I was careful not to drain much sand. (Iknow I probably got some of the fine stuff, but I did get the foamy junk). I put it in the tank wet and was careful adding the water. The tank cleared over night. I also ran a filter that has a sponge. Different strokes for different folks.

[Hebdizzle]

I have "marine sand", no other details really in my freshwater tank. It doesn't even cloud up ever.

[greeneyedlady]

I used the Southdown in my 75g tank had milk for weeks drove me up the wall, but like everybody here has said once it ages some it won't milk up anymore. I started my tank May 25, it wasn't until June 17th that the water was crystal clear and didn't cloud up when I messed with the tank, now I got diatoms everywhere :eek: and the sand she don't move no more even with the snails and crabs running everywhere:p