Cloudy water help (update)

[POIUY678]

I put the water in the new aquarium on Dec 31st and by now (jan 4th), it still hasnt cleared up yet.

The rocks are "caribsea dry life rock"
The sand is called "AQUANATURAL oolitic aragonite sand"

I've rinsed the sand until is clear prior to adding it into the tank

I am only running my 2 heaters at the moment (my 2 powerheads and protein skimmer are turned off) and I started cycling the tank yesterday with fritz turbostart 900 and fritz fishless fuel (ammonia)

I've only owned freshwater tanks before and for those, the water usually settles in 24 hours so I am a bit worried/confused with this.

How long does it normally take for the water to clear up? Is this normal or is there something wrong?

 

[Lavey29]

Looks like it's progressing fine to me. Are you running socks in the sump. You can run your piwerheads so the dust is suspended in the water column and your filtration removes it.

 

[POIUY678]

Looks like it's progressing fine to me. Are you running socks in the sump.

Im only running a protein skimmer with this tank, no sump.

How long does it take usually for the water to become clear? (55 gallon tank)

 

[Rtaylor]

Oolite is super fine. I used it once and ended up adding bigger sand to it as it blows everywhere even with gentle flow. That could be the problem, particularly if you don’t have any mechanical filtration that will catch the sand (socks, filter floss, etc).

 

[Lavey29]

Im only running a protein skimmer with this tank, no sump.

How long does it take usually for the water to become clear? (55 gallon tank)

Mine took a couple days but I have a sump with socks.

 

[POIUY678]

Oolite is super fine. I used it once and ended up adding bigger sand to it as it blows everywhere even with gentle flow. That could be the problem, particularly if you don’t have any mechanical filtration that will catch the sand (socks, filter floss, etc).

I turned on the powerheads before and it didnt seem to blow everywhere, but what kind of sand did you add on top of it? Just incase if it does blow everywhere in the future

 

[POIUY678]

Mine took a couple days but I have a sump with socks.

Should I try doing a water change (idk 10-15%) to help speed up the process since I dont have a sump?

 

[AydenLincoln]

Should I try doing a water change (idk 10-15%) to help speed up the process since I dont have a sump?

No! It will do the opposite and slow it down. You shouldn’t have rinsed the sand as it was full of beneficial bacteria but too late. There’s really no need to do water changes until after the cycle finishes and after the livestock has been in the tank for a little while. For cycling you want an ammonia source like fish food or bottled ammonia and a bottled bacteria or live ocean rock. I recommend reading the articles on here and watching BRS on YouTube. They have some great series!

 

[Lavey29]

Should I try doing a water change (idk 10-15%) to help speed up the process since I dont have a sump?

No just let it run its course. Your first water change should be after your cycle completes and you show good nitrates numbers.

 

[Rtaylor]

I turned on the powerheads before and it didnt seem to blow everywhere, but what kind of sand did you add on top of it? Just incase if it does blow everywhere in the future

I think it was the Fiji pink I used, it’s heavier and stays put much better

 

[POIUY678]

Oolite is super fine. I used it once and ended up adding bigger sand to it as it blows everywhere even with gentle flow. That could be the problem, particularly if you don’t have any mechanical filtration that will catch the sand (socks, filter floss, etc).

I ended up getting a filter, but the filter has foam, activated carbon, and biological media. Should I let it run or will it affect cycling? (I'm cycling my tank with fritz turbostart (beneficial bacteria) and fritz fishless fuel (ammonia) at the moment)

 

[Lavey29]

I ended up getting a filter, but the filter has foam, activated carbon, and biological media. Should I let it run or will it affect cycling? (I'm cycling my tank with fritz turbostart (beneficial bacteria) and fritz fishless fuel (ammonia) at the moment)

Leave the carbon out for couple weeks till cycle completes. Foam will help the dust in the water.

 

[POIUY678]

Leave the carbon out for couple weeks till cycle completes. Foam will help the dust in the water.

Doesnt carbon help with clearing the water? Is there any effects to why some people prefer to not use carbon?

 

[anthonygf]

Doesnt carbon help with clearing the water? Is there any effects to why some people prefer to not use carbon?

Hello. Carbon will/may remove the beneficial bacteria that is suspended in the water column before it has a chance to settle in the rocks. You can start using carbon after your cycled.
edit, yes the carbon helps clear the water, when your tank stabilizes and cycled.

 

[anthonygf]

I only use carbon maybe a few days a month and then trash the carbon. Carbon most likely gets clogged up after a few days to a week in reef systems as compared to fresh water will last a month.

 

[Lavey29]

Doesnt carbon help with clearing the water? Is there any effects to why some people prefer to not use carbon?

You don't want carbon in while trying to cycle a new tank.

 

[Crofty]

Im only running a protein skimmer with this tank, no sump.

How long does it take usually for the water to become clear? (55 gallon tank)

The 32 gallon I recently set up took at least a week to clear up after sand addition and I was running with fine filter floss. The floss did pick up a lot of fine particles and I had to replace it after the first week.

I think you just need to be patient. I'm also new to saltwater and it took me a while to really understand that good things happen much slower than expected and desired!!