ok so yesterday i started up my 125 gallon saltwater tank and it has been running for about 24 hours and it is so cloudy when i stick my finger in i can only see it about and inch away. there is also a white slush all over the power heads and the live rock. i know its from the sand because i bough 120 pounds of Caribbean live sand and it said do not rinse so i just put in about 4 inches of water into the tank then the sand and it became cloudy then when i put the rest of the water it was still cloudy so i never got to see the tank with clear water. how can i fix this and im really trying to avoid a water change because i just used about 45 pounds of salt and i don ' t want to make my parent go buy another bucket when i just got this one.
Get some marine tank clarifier, it works great at removing clouding caused by the sand. Then, run polishing pads in the filters to grab as much of the silt as possible.
Turning off the filters might clear it, but it never really works as most times it just gets kicked up again or you end up with a dust over everything! Use the clarifier as it grabs the particles, and then let the filter pads pull the stuff out.
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Just leave it alone for a few days. It's going to need to cycle for several weeks before you add any fish anyway.
You are correct that it will be silt from the sand, most of it will settle back into the sand over time, that's the white sediment that you see settling already.
If you had rinsed the sand first in fresh water you would kill any organic marine life in there, and then it wouldn't be "live" sand any more, and would not help cycle your tank.
Ian
I am not a saltwater owner but i think the sand is all kicked up so i would turn the filter off and let it all go down even if it isnt sand it will so go down (i have a gravel filter and a normal one to keep the fog away) so i recemend maybe getting a gravel filter to help keep the sand from sturring so much
First turn off the filter to see if the sand settles. If that doesn't work look up the correct PH balance and try to fix it. If neither of those works go to your local fish store and consult an expert.
it could be the sand. turn the filter off for now and allow it to settle. if its not, it could be the buildup of bacteria. thats ok.
Give it some more time and I am sure it will clear up on it `s own.A salt water aquarium has to cycle just like a fresh water aquarium.See fosterandsmithaquatics.com info and articles on setting up a salt water tank.
GET A FILTER
Cloudy WHITE? if so you just started your tank, that would be Beneficial bacteria building up, they eat Ammonia, do a 25% water change, and soon enough it will balance out.
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the water will clear up, you can also put Carbon in your filter, that clears up water from Dyes and stuff, but if its white its just the bacteria which you want, but it will balance out. your tank is just going through its Nitrogen Cycle.
dont change ALL your water, that will make the cycle start over, it takes 6 weeks or so for it to be done cycling if you have fish in it, but the cloud should go away in a matter of time.
did you check your Salt levels to make sure they are ok for your fish, you can add to much and kill them. when you added the water you could have kicked up the Sand ... the bacteria live in the sand and your filter. .. then they are in the water and bloom .. but go back down to the sand and filter
