"Playing sand" not settled in 6 hours

[nothingsplace]

I just got a 55 gallon tank with everything including stand for 100 on craigslist.I got a 50lb bag of playing sand (darkest they had) that has a light brownish kind of look. I did some research (not on this site) and found most people saying it was the best choice. Well I had maybe 4 inches of water in the tank to check for leaks and then i added all the sand. After i filled it half way with tap water. The filters off, heaters off and I just let it sit. Planing to add my 29 gallon water to the tank with the fish inside it topping it off. Well it's almost 2 am and the water is a murky brown still. There is also a little bit of white foam on top and around the sides.

The packaging said "cleaned washed and dried" and of course like the typical American I didn't wash it before putting it in the tank to be sure. I'd hate to have to remove 50lbs of sand.

Do you think it will settle?
Should I turn the filter on?
Remove the water and replace it with fresh water?
Or go to the last resort and empty the tank of sand?

Any help offered would be great.

I got a 5inch Bichir and 4 inch Tiger Oscar(see if he fits when he gets bigger) going in there.

[dancethenparty]

I just got a 55 gallon tank with everything including stand for 100 on craigslist.I got a 50lb bag of playing sand (darkest they had) that has a light brownish kind of look. I did some research (not on this site) and found most people saying it was the best choice. Well I had maybe 4 inches of water in the tank to check for leaks and then i added all the sand. After i filled it half way with tap water. The filters off, heaters off and I just let it sit. Planing to add my 29 gallon water to the tank with the fish inside it topping it off. Well it's almost 2 am and the water is a murky brown still. There is also a little bit of white foam on top and around the sides.

The packaging said "cleaned washed and dried" and of course like the typical American I didn't wash it before putting it in the tank to be sure. I'd hate to have to remove 50lbs of sand.

Do you think it will settle?
Should I turn the filter on?
Remove the water and replace it with fresh water?
Or go to the last resort and empty the tank of sand?

Any help offered would be great.

I got a 5inch Bichir and 4 inch Tiger Oscar(see if he fits when he gets bigger) going in there.
a while back, when i put my sand in for the first time (it wasn't play sand) it took about a day to get it all settled. it's going to take awhile, and if your tank is only half way filled, you should fill it up all the way, b/c when you do eventually fill it all the way, the sand will move and create a cloud. plus is the tank cycled?

[nothingsplace]

I was going to to take the water from the 29 and siphon it into a bucket then siphon it to the 55 trying to to disturb the sand to much. No its not cycled I just got it today. Its so murky i can't even tell if the sand is close to level without feeling around and making the water worse.

I wanted to try and "power cycle" it by putting in the water/filter/decor into the new tank. But no i just got it today its not cycled.

[HeatherB]

When I put playsand in, mine was murky too, and I had washed it for hours! I just threw my python on the sink and sucked out all the water, within like an inch of the sand, and then put a plate and a large cup (like a tumbler). Put the python inside the cupand the cup on the plate on top of the sand. I filled it up that was to minimize the sand getting all stirred up.

I had to do it twice but then it was great! Everything settled well and I was able to turn my filter on! Don't turn yours on until you are sure all the sand has sunk and is not like, suspended in the water. If not you may ruin your filter.

I only have a 10 gallon tank. So filling/refilling was not soo bad. For a 55 you may just want to fill it up like, 1/4 or 1/2 of the way and doing it that way.

If you change out the water and it is still murky, you may have to empty it and start all over (and that would suck!)

Just an idea that if it was the darkest color sand they had in the stack, like they didn't have different shades all picked and laid out, you just searched around for the darkest one in the stack, maybe it had an excessive amount of grime in it?

[gm72]

Well a few things. You have already identified that you probably should have rinsed the sand. I would do a few things:
1. Remove the sand and wash it.
2. Refill the tank with fresh water once the cleaned sand is put back.
3. Turn on the filter after about an hour or 2.
4. Perform a fishless cycle.

[Mvjnz]

You don't necessarily have to remove the sand, altho it's prolly the easiest thing to do. You could always clean it by doing repeated water changes and stirring up the sand until the water is clear.

[Northernguy]

Well a few things. You have already identified that you probably should have rinsed the sand. I would do a few things:
1. Remove the sand and wash it.
2. Refill the tank with fresh water once the cleaned sand is put back.
3. Turn on the filter after about an hour or 2.
4. Perform a fishless cycle.

Great post!^
I have yet to get a real cloudy tank directly after filling.
You really have to rinse the the sand out well!

[Mith]

Cleaning substrate is deceptful. My gravwel was cleanwd for what seemed for hours! It still made my water cloudy. You really can't spend enough time cleaning substrate....if you think its cleaned, its not!

Good luck with yours....eventually it will settle down.

[jb300m01]

I'd agree the easiest way is to take all of the sand out and wash it.

Fill a bucket about half with sand. Turn the hose on and push it to the bottom of the bucket. Use your hand to mix the sand. Empty the dirty water out and repeat. It works the best if you can prop the bucket up on an angle enough so the dirty water runs out but not too much that the sand runs out.

This takes a while but I did it for my 75 and the water was clear in an hour. Your water might cloud up if you stir the sand during regular water changes during the first month or so. About 3 months after adding the sand I could pick up a handful of sand and let it fall through my fingers without any clouding.

Like you said, it's a good idea to add the filter from the 29 to the 55 when you move the fish to their new home.

[Jaster]

Do lots of gravel vacs and water changes. This will pick up all the loose stuff you don't want and clear the suspended particles out of the warer. Leave the filters running but give them a slight shake off every couple days in some tank water.

[Lady Hobbs]

Just do a large water change. Lay a trash bag over sand bottom and refill your tank. The bag will help hold the sand down. Do not start your filters for about 15 minutes after filling the tank so the sand can settle. Make sure uplift tube on filters are about 4 inches from the bottom. They can be shortened with a hack saw if need be.

There's nothing wrong with doing a couple water changes when your tank is still cloudy. Best way to get it cleared up.

[nothingsplace]

Thanks guys.

I woke up then when out and it is now 12. so it has been about 17 hours. It looks like I'll doing a lot of water changes. last night at like 3am I put the 55 gallon filter into the 29 gallon. I thought this could help it in the cycling.

[Mith]

Thanks guys.

I woke up then when out and it is now 12. so it has been about 17 hours. It looks like I'll doing a lot of water changes. last night at like 3am I put the 55 gallon filter into the 29 gallon. I thought this could help it in the cycling.

also, you can throw a little "polishing" pad into the filter to remove the fine debris... I use a power head in my 125 and I change the polishing pad about every three days and its' always BLACK! (brown actually)

[nothingsplace]

Well, the filter looks like it was frm 1980 though the tank itself never looked to be resealed. I'm running to keep it running and if it breaks i replace it. Can i find these "polish pads" at petsmart?

[Mith]

Well, the filter looks like it was frm 1980 though the tank itself never looked to be resealed. I'm running to keep it running and if it breaks i replace it. Can i find these "polish pads" at petsmart?

I can't answer that, but trust me, they are SO much cheaper than buying preformed filters. I use a powerhead and you can buy those replacement filters (Very expensive). The polishing pads come in sheets just like material you buy at a cloth store and you just cut them to size and wrap them around the structure of the intake mechanism. I DO however, have to use wire to keep them firmly wrapped around the device. They are SOOOO much cheaper and work JUST as well and the preformed filters!

(wire probably isn't the idea thing to use to keep the filter cloth wrapped around the foundation.... but it seems to work for me and the wire's covered with plastic)

[nothingsplace]

Just and update. I took out all the water. Straightened the sand, filled it back up without disturbing the sand using a bucket filled with rocks at the bottom. Water is much much clearer. A tanish white and i can see the other side. I'm going to run the filter for a couple hours see if I need to swap all the water out one last time.

Thanks for the help.

[Mith]

Good luck! It's frustrating getting a new tank clear.... LOL... but they DO clear up.