Used Sand With Dark Cloudy Water

[Kevinmc]

Hey,

 

Just a quick question about buying used live sand. If it is used mixed live sand from a few tanks and it has a medium to dark brown water on top.

 

1. What is that a sign of? (scratch)

 

2. With a good rinse, then stir it while in the tank and skimming, will that help?

 

3. I have added bagged coral rubble with bacteria added over the top, will that change anything with the quality of the sand being put into my tank?

 

4. Is there a product that is out there the is a good bacteria that can be added on top like after water changes if some of the other sand is later removed?

 

I am concerned about good health, water quality, and healthy sand. Can anyone help out?

 

Thanks

 

Kevin

[mister crabs]

I personally wouldnt purchase used live sand unless I saw the tank running that it was coming from. Could of been a big 'ol box o' death sorta tank where nothing ever lived. You never know. but rinsing it really well is a good start. Although I believe if you rinse it too much you lose the beneficial stuff in the sand. And dont quote me on this but I understand that a DSB shouldnt be reused since stirring it up gives you all the nasties that have been in it. HTH.

[Kevinmc]

I don't know that I made my very clear about the used sand. So, maybe I am not getting the best responds.

 

This sand was not dead in a bucket, it was in a sump with lights and pump, it had brown and reddish alge on the sides of the sump. It was live sand with starfish and other life in it, it was just needing a good cleaning. I think that regular cleaning were neglected in the cleaning department. There was a saltwater smell with no odor, just a lot of dark brown cloudy merc that settles.

 

I think that I will just use a suction vac and dump the water into the skimmer as I clean it.

 

Does anyone have a idea of a good sand sifter that will help maintain the sand bottom? (scratch) I may put a few in to go to two, they just need to clean where the flame scallops are not getting, like under the sand.

 

I am not concerned about the water, because I I have tested my water for more then a few weeks the only thing with any reading is the following. (scratch)

 

Salinity 1.026-1.027

PH 8.0-8.2

 

Nothing else has a reading as of yet, so I am just guessing that it will be fine until later. (scratch)

 

Ammonia is 0

Alkalinity is Normal

Nitrate is 0-0.05

Nitrite is 0

 

So with those reading I may have a concern down the road, and I don't plan to fill it full of fish today and tomorrow. I am going to take it very slow to see what is going to happen. I currently have 4 flame scallops, 4 emerald crab, 1 arrow crab and tons of snails. To sacrifice for the sake of testing the water I put 2 damsels in and that are all doing fine.

 

Hey, thanks for the reply, I will do more reading to see it I can find an answer to my problem. DOH!

 

Thanks

 

Kevin (rock2)

[mister crabs]

you should be ok then of its from a sump. just get rid of the water and start over with that and i would skim the hell out of it.

[dsoz]

Nassarius snails are some of the best sifters out there. And kinda cool to watch.

 

I think you are trying to take things too fast. If you just added sand, you should probably not have any animals in there until the tank runs clean, and the cycle is over.

 

I sat with a glass box full of water and rocks for a month before adding anything more than a handful of hermit crabs, and now I will admit that I tried adding animals too soon.

 

Slow down and you will enjoy the end product more.

dsoz