Fluorite mess

Grundy

"A Buckeye Behind Enemy Lines"
Jul 9, 2006
291
0
0
Michigan
This is really for any plant newbies out there. I bought some fluorite to put in my ten gallon tank that I am going to try live plants in soon. I rinsed the snot out of it first (or so I thought) and then put it in the water. Holy smokes! My water was brown instantly :mad2: and it took many partial water changes and my filter and 24 hours of settling to look clear again. I would be interested if anyone has advice for better ways of rinsing this stuff first.
 
I rinse it in a bucket for a couple hours mixing it up by hand...Tedious and Painful but you only have to sit through it once..
 
Personally I never worry about it too much. I do the 1st rinse, put it in the tank leave it brown for the 24 hours with a good filter on full blast, mix it up and get out the bubbles, leave it for another 24 hours, mix it up 1 last time and leave to rest for 1 week, flatten it off (or landscape it) and start the cycle, add plants, leave for a few weeks and then normally there is nothing much to worry about. Its not as if its touched much anyway. And when it is, any remaining gunk will be siphoned or filtered anyway.
 
AquariaCentral.com