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kipher
12/03/2006, 09:46 AM
A question here. I may have messed up. I put the CarbiSea sand into the tank right out of the bag and started adding my RO/DI water. Should I have rinsed the sand before puting it in? Right now the water is very cloudy and doens't seem to be clearing. Will it clear up without having rinsed the sand? I was thinking I didn't want to rinse the sand with tap water because that would bring in TDS from the water that saturated the sand. Please advise.

Brian

GSMguy
12/03/2006, 09:50 AM
you dont rinse live sand

i hope you didnt pour fresh ro/di on the sand you should definetly mix the saltwater before you add it to your tank

mbbuna
12/03/2006, 09:52 AM
it will clear up in a day or so. some people rinse some dont. i always rinse just to avoid what happened to you

kipher
12/03/2006, 09:58 AM
BTW, it wasn't the live sand. I was just the dry stuff. I sure wouldn't rinse LS with freshwater. I was thinking it would clear up, but the tank is only 1/3 full right now and I didn't want to keep adding more water to it if I had messed up.

mbbuna
12/03/2006, 10:14 AM
fill it up and put your salt in, you will be fine

kipher
12/03/2006, 10:52 AM
Thanks for the reasureance guys.

davocean
12/03/2006, 11:29 AM
It'll clear up, but you should rinse sand if you ever add more.
And you're right, tap no good, Rinse in RO.

cayars
12/03/2006, 11:39 AM
Get some good circulation going in the tank and then SLOWLY add the salt so it doesn't deposit itself in the sand. It would have been better to mix the salt first then add the sand but it's not a big deal.

Nano Chris
12/03/2006, 05:01 PM
I would mix the salt first then add sand, when i set mine up i put ls and lr in, and just a few days ago i added 40lbs of Carib sea, make sure you don't have any pumps running at the time, thats a no no, and make sure no sand gets in them, as it can do damage to the pump(s).

bertoni
12/03/2006, 05:56 PM
I don't bother rinsing my sand, for various reasons. The cloud will settle. Live rock will help the process by getting bacteria going. The bacteria will help weight down and combine the particles in the water.

kipher
12/04/2006, 08:51 AM
So after I get the specific gravity locked in at 1.025 I could add the live rock before the sand cloud haze clears up?

kipher
12/04/2006, 08:53 AM
Also thought I would mention that I am planning on seeding the sand bed with LS, via a donation from a local Reef keeper. I have not turned on any pumps or power heads as I have waited for the haze to clear, as I figured this would only help keep the particles in suspension. So far after a day of waiting I can now see the back ground in the tank so we are over 50% cleared up now. I'll turn the pumps on and SLOWLY add the salt once this clears up unless you guys suggest I can do otherwise.

mbbuna
12/04/2006, 10:32 AM
i would turn the pumps on and add your salt. as bertoni said once you get bacteria starting to colonize the sand it will hold it down. so i would get going on adding salt, heater,flow and add your LS or LR

kipher
12/04/2006, 11:42 AM
Alrighty then, Salt will go in tonight after work, LR and LS will go in tomorrow after work to allow plenty of time to be sure that my salts are stable.

Thanks a lot guys, you've been quite helpful.