How long will it take for this sand to settle?

[Aquatony]

Hi everyone...

Well, I am excited to get this tank set up, and I have had the sand Quikrete Play Sand, in there for over 24 hours now. It's still pretty cloudy. Difficult to see from one side of the tank to the other, for example.

I painstakingly washed the Play Sand in 5 pound increments until the water was very clear...

my wife suggested running an old MarineLand filter in the tank, not really caring about how long the impeller lasts, just to see if we can clear the cloudiness up.

I did some Google searches and checked forum posts also. I didn't see anyone really address using an old filter to attempt to clear the cloudiness. Should I just wait longer?

I am anxious to get the cycle going!

Help...! My fish-advising best friend who has guided me through most of this process is a gravel-til-the-end guy and said I'd have nothing but trouble w/ the sand. I hope to prove him wrong but, so far, he's totally right...

 

[Byron]

The sand itself settles down relatively quickly. What you are seeing in the cloudiness/haze is more likely a bacterial bloom. This is common in new tanks, and can last from a few hours to several days, sometimes even weeks.

A bacterial bloom in new tanks occurs because of all the dissolved organics in tap water. Chlorine (or chloramine) does not affect organics, they come from the water source or along the way. The bacteria that feed on dissolved organics can multiply very rapidly, within just a few hours, and this explosion of bacteria causes the haze/cloudiness. This is best allowed to clear on its own.

However, having said that, I have had bad cloudiness from play sand, and my trick to deal with this is to drain the tank completely down to the substrate and then refill being very careful not to stir up the substrate. Run the water into a bowl or similar vessel sat on the substrate, and then remove it when finished. Make sure all aquascaping is finished before doing this "final fill," including any planting in the substrate.

There are several benefits to play sand over any gravel, and as one who had gravel for 15 years I wished I'd changed to sand before I did several years ago. Plants grow well in sand, so no difference there. Substrate fish are always better over sand, with a couple of exceptions perhaps (if the fish are huge and naturally live over gravel). Sand is better for loahces, cories, most catfish, and cichlids that feed by taking up mouthfuls of the sand much like cories and sifting it out through their gills. And, just for added good measure, sand is the most authentic substrate (except for those few gravel and rock-substrate rivers) next to mud. And we do not want mud in aquaria.

Byron.

 

[DrRob]

I've also found this with sand. Not sure if it's residual mulm from the sand despite the washing, fresh stuff being created by the process of adding the sand after washing it or a bacterial bloom as Byron suggests. I had a tank not clear after a week, stuffed a filter full of floss and set it going. Cleared the water in an hour. Had to throw the floss away as it was brown afterwards, but worked. Had the same problem when I topped up. Sand does tend to end up disappearing at water changes when I do them. I could probably be more economical with it, but I'm still on the first bag of top up.

Personally I think mud is underrated as a substrate, but it's far too easy to get wrong, on set up and fish choice, so it's generally best avoided and stick to sand.

 

[Aquatony]

Thanks you two for your replies.

I have some questions of course.

I want to learn everything there is to know about this stuff, so that maybe some day, I can be like Byron (yeah, right, but I can try)

Byron, how can this be a bacterial bloom when it is completely inert, just play sand and water from the sink? I haven't even done a dechlorination on it yet! I suppose bacteria is everywhere at all times that much is true.

Today, I did a 25 gallon change with my fancy automated Aqueon water changer device, which was pretty great. I was able to easily temperature-match the water when I replaced the water I took out. Fun times.

Here is what the tank looks like now. There is an interesting band of what I believe is air bubbles forming on the tank. There also appears to be condensation gathering on the cover of the tank, which I've never noticed before on my 10 gallon. It may be connected to our changing weather, I suppose? I attached a couple pictures.

The water's dramatically improved over yesterday since I have done the water change.

Byron, last question for now, you think I should put plants in, and then begin the nitrogen cycle? I am worried that the plants will cause a short circuit in the cycle and not allow a proper cycle to occur? Just trying to get my head around this whole thing.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Byron]

Byron, how can this be a bacterial bloom when it is completely inert, just play sand and water from the sink? I haven't even done a dechlorination on it yet! I suppose bacteria is everywhere at all times that much is true.

I did mentionthis previously, but it is short. The may be dissolved organics in the tap water, depending upon the natural source of the water. Where I live in SW BC our water comes from three natural reservoirs in the Coastal Mountain range, which is very heavily forested. Chlorine has no effect on organics, and they are not filtered out by the water filtration. The species of bacteria that feed on organics just occur, much like the nitrifying bacteria; one of those wonders of nature. And the bacteria that consume organics multiply very rapidly. I have a slightly haze in my tanks after every water change that sometimes disappears within minutes, a few hours, or overnight.

Chlorine easily and readily dissipates out of water. Just letting the water stand for 24 hours will rid it of chlorine. Agitating it very briskly will get the chlorine out within a few minutes. As the water travels along the pipes from the chlorine station to your home, chlorine is being dissipated out. So there may not be much in the water out of the tap.

Here is what the tank looks like now. There is an interesting band of what I believe is air bubbles forming on the tank. There also appears to be condensation gathering on the cover of the tank, which I've never noticed before on my 10 gallon. It may be connected to our changing weather, I suppose? I attached a couple pictures.

The air bubbles is CO2 from the tap water. This also can vary, from day to day. Some weeks after a water change I see much the same, other weeks not one single bubble. The condensation on the tank cover is normal; the warmer the tank water, the more you will see. Usually this increases overnight, so in the morning you may find the glass cover literally dripping water. One reason why you should cover an aquarium (won't get into all that). When the tank light comes on, it begins to heat the glass and eventually this condensation will evaporate into the air. The weather/climate is part of this too.

Byron, last question for now, you think I should put plants in, and then begin the nitrogen cycle? I am worried that the plants will cause a short circuit in the cycle and not allow a proper cycle to occur? Just trying to get my head around this whole thing.

I only "cycle" using live plants, I never add ammonia. If the plants are fast growing, and here floating is absolutely the best, this is the safest and easiest way to establish a new tank. The nitrifying bacteria will still appear and colonize surfaces, but a bit slower with live plants using much of the ammonia/ammonium, and you will not detect any ammonia or nitrite with our aquarium test kits, provided you don't overload the fish too fast. I have never used any other method, and I have never had problems.

Byron.

 

[Aquatony]

It's all settled!

I have a thread up in the Planted Aquarium forum for updates. Thanks everyone