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#1
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Onyx Sand Cloudiness
I finally got around to replacing my cheap coated gravel substrate with Onyx Sand, in my 10 gallon. Im using an AquaClear 150 mini.. I rinsed off the sand in a bucket for about 30 times (alot of water), and after a certain point, I just felt, well, no matter how many times I rinse this stuff, there is always going to be a cloud, so I just put it into my aqaurium and filled up the water. Now the "slight initial cloudiness" (as predicted by the bag) is not so slight, nor is it not so initial.. The cloudiness is really starting to bother me. My aquaClear sponge is seemingly much too porous to grab up ultra micorscopic silt, and im wondering at this point, should i just put in my powerhead filter to really help ? Whats the deal with the cloudiness? I just dont see the small aqua clear sponge trapping all that cloud. Help wanted. -- |
#2
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Onyx Sand Cloudiness
Don't worry, it will clear eventually.
You might want to add some cheap filter floss to your AC. It will trap the sediment, and you can just throw it away rather than trying to rinse it. If there are fish in the tank, don't remove the sponge. Add the floss to the sponge. If there aren't any fish in the tank yet, you can take out the sponge and stuff the filter with floss. Leigh http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/ |
#3
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Onyx Sand Cloudiness
"David Wee" wrote in message ... I finally got around to replacing my cheap coated gravel substrate with Onyx Sand, in my 10 gallon. Im using an AquaClear 150 mini.. I rinsed off the sand in a bucket for about 30 times (alot of water), and after a certain point, I just felt, well, no matter how many times I rinse this stuff, there is always going to be a cloud, so I just put it into my aqaurium and filled up the water. Now the "slight initial cloudiness" (as predicted by the bag) is not so slight, nor is it not so initial.. The cloudiness is really starting to bother me. My aquaClear sponge is seemingly much too porous to grab up ultra micorscopic silt, and im wondering at this point, should i just put in my powerhead filter to really help ? Whats the deal with the cloudiness? I just dont see the small aqua clear sponge trapping all that cloud. Help wanted. I had this as well, and though Leighmo is correct, it will clear, I didn't find it worth the trouble. Every time I move something, or prune my plants, the tank is cloudy again for another 8 hours. My next tank, I used some play sand, avaiable at Home Depot for 3 bucks a bag. Not as fine as the Onyx, but it's still working great and almost zero cloudyness after 24 hours. Since you've already got the stuff, I'd be sure the filters aren't stirring up the bottom, and just be patient. I did a couple large water changes as well, seemed to help. -- |
#4
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Onyx Sand Cloudiness
See, thing was, all my friends make fun of my tank since it *used* to be a green water gross out festival. So as fortunate circumstances came about, Im having a date and they told me she would run if she saw that tank. So i got new Onyx sand, cleaned the tank out 100%, and put everythign back in, now there was this cloudiness to worry about caused by the sand. In a fit of fright, i went to the LFS and got Kordon's "TransClear". Oh my god, this stuff is amazing. Just half an hour or so ago the water was still in its dream like state (i.e. cloudy, hazy, and somewhat ethereal), and now the water is pristinely clear. Oh my. OKay well, im sold on this stuff. if all my fish and plants die tomorrow morning because of the "TransClear" ill let you guys know. David In article QWbBa.154688$rt6.45593@sccrnsc02, WD wrote: "David Wee" wrote in message ... I finally got around to replacing my cheap coated gravel substrate with Onyx Sand, in my 10 gallon. Im using an AquaClear 150 mini.. I rinsed off the sand in a bucket for about 30 times (alot of water), and after a certain point, I just felt, well, no matter how many times I rinse this stuff, there is always going to be a cloud, so I just put it into my aqaurium and filled up the water. Now the "slight initial cloudiness" (as predicted by the bag) is not so slight, nor is it not so initial.. The cloudiness is really starting to bother me. My aquaClear sponge is seemingly much too porous to grab up ultra micorscopic silt, and im wondering at this point, should i just put in my powerhead filter to really help ? Whats the deal with the cloudiness? I just dont see the small aqua clear sponge trapping all that cloud. Help wanted. I had this as well, and though Leighmo is correct, it will clear, I didn't find it worth the trouble. Every time I move something, or prune my plants, the tank is cloudy again for another 8 hours. My next tank, I used some play sand, avaiable at Home Depot for 3 bucks a bag. Not as fine as the Onyx, but it's still working great and almost zero cloudyness after 24 hours. Since you've already got the stuff, I'd be sure the filters aren't stirring up the bottom, and just be patient. I did a couple large water changes as well, seemed to help. -- -- |
#5
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Onyx Sand Cloudiness
Don't forget to post about the date. Especially since your aquarium seems
to figure prominently in your "success" (or lack thereof)! "David Wee" wrote in message ... See, thing was, all my friends make fun of my tank since it *used* to be a green water gross out festival. So as fortunate circumstances came about, Im having a date and they told me she would run if she saw that tank. So i got new Onyx sand, cleaned the tank out 100%, and put everythign back in, now there was this cloudiness to worry about caused by the sand. In a fit of fright, i went to the LFS and got Kordon's "TransClear". Oh my god, this stuff is amazing. Just half an hour or so ago the water was still in its dream like state (i.e. cloudy, hazy, and somewhat ethereal), and now the water is pristinely clear. Oh my. OKay well, im sold on this stuff. if all my fish and plants die tomorrow morning because of the "TransClear" ill let you guys know. David In article QWbBa.154688$rt6.45593@sccrnsc02, WD wrote: "David Wee" wrote in message ... I finally got around to replacing my cheap coated gravel substrate with Onyx Sand, in my 10 gallon. Im using an AquaClear 150 mini.. I rinsed off the sand in a bucket for about 30 times (alot of water), and after a certain point, I just felt, well, no matter how many times I rinse this stuff, there is always going to be a cloud, so I just put it into my aqaurium and filled up the water. Now the "slight initial cloudiness" (as predicted by the bag) is not so slight, nor is it not so initial.. The cloudiness is really starting to bother me. My aquaClear sponge is seemingly much too porous to grab up ultra micorscopic silt, and im wondering at this point, should i just put in my powerhead filter to really help ? Whats the deal with the cloudiness? I just dont see the small aqua clear sponge trapping all that cloud. Help wanted. I had this as well, and though Leighmo is correct, it will clear, I didn't find it worth the trouble. Every time I move something, or prune my plants, the tank is cloudy again for another 8 hours. My next tank, I used some play sand, avaiable at Home Depot for 3 bucks a bag. Not as fine as the Onyx, but it's still working great and almost zero cloudyness after 24 hours. Since you've already got the stuff, I'd be sure the filters aren't stirring up the bottom, and just be patient. I did a couple large water changes as well, seemed to help. -- -- |
#6
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Onyx Sand Cloudiness
"David Wee" wrote in message ... So i got new Onyx sand, cleaned the tank out 100%, and put everythign back in, now there was this cloudiness to worry about caused by the sand. In a fit of fright, i went to the LFS and got Kordon's "TransClear". From what I've read, that product works by reducing the turbidity of the water, though I'd really like to know how it does this. The sand particulates probably won't come back up when the chem dissipates, unlike algae blooms and such. People use this product for those, then they just return 3 days later. I have also read that many people believe Transclear will adversely affect the cycling process. billy |
#7
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Onyx Sand Cloudiness
I had this as well, and though Leighmo is correct, it will clear, I didn't
find it worth the trouble. Every time I move something, or prune my plants, the tank is cloudy again for another 8 hours. That will go away, too. I replant my tank all the time, and it clears very quickly. I would have no qualms about replanting the tank a half-hour before company was due. g I did have to remove the whilte filter pad from my Eheim two weeks after setting up the tank, and throw it away. It was full of gray silt. Leigh http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/ |
#8
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Onyx Sand Cloudiness
Oh my god, this stuff is amazing. Just half an hour or so ago the water
was still in its dream like state (i.e. cloudy, hazy, and somewhat ethereal), and now the water is pristinely clear. It sounds like a flocculant. I sometimes use Brite n Clear, Mardel Lab's version. It's safe to use. Basically, it causes fine particles to clump together into bigger ones, so they can be trapped by the filter. I wouldn't use it all the time, but it is nice for emergencies. Leigh http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/ |
#9
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Onyx Sand Cloudiness
David Wee wrote: I finally got around to replacing my cheap coated gravel substrate with Onyx Sand, in my 10 gallon. Im using an AquaClear 150 mini.. I rinsed off the sand in a bucket for about 30 times (alot of water), and after a certain point, I just felt, well, no matter how many times I rinse this stuff, there is always going to be a cloud, so I just put it into my aqaurium and filled up the water. Now the "slight initial cloudiness" (as predicted by the bag) is not so slight, nor is it not so initial.. The cloudiness is really starting to bother me. My aquaClear sponge is seemingly much too porous to grab up ultra micorscopic silt, and im wondering at this point, should i just put in my powerhead filter to really help ? Whats the deal with the cloudiness? I just dont see the small aqua clear sponge trapping all that cloud. Help wanted. I got a paint strainer bag at Lowe's to clean the flourite and Onyx sand for my first planted tank. The tank has bottom 2 inches of Flourite regular mixed with a little less than 50% same size natural quartz gravel. The top 2+ inches are one bag of Onyx sand mixed with a 5 lb. bag of black Estes gravel about the size of Flourite and a couple of handfuls of moon sand. I used the paint strainer bag (which is a fine mesh that looks similar to a curtain sheer) to wash all this stuff. It worked great, took very little time. Put about 5 lbs. of whatever in the bag, lowered it into a 5 gal. bucket and stuck one hand in and swished/stirred for 5-10 minutes. Drained, ran the spigot into the bag for about a minute while swishing, and done. The fines from the Onyx were shocking. Gray mud! Anyway, very little cloudiness in my tank, and what was there went away in about 2 days. Only real annoyance is that the silt likes to stick to the glass, where it's really noticeable. I would recommend this method, even though the tank isn't planted yet. Digging around does raise the silt, but not so badly as some have described. James |
#10
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Onyx Sand Cloudiness
See, thing was, all my friends make fun of my tank since it *used* to be a green water gross out festival. So as fortunate circumstances came about, Im having a date and they told me she would run if she saw that tank. So i got new Onyx sand, cleaned the tank out 100%, and put everythign back in, now there was this cloudiness to worry about caused by the sand. In a fit of fright, i went to the LFS and got Kordon's "TransClear". Oh my god, this stuff is amazing. Just half an hour or so ago the water was still in its dream like state (i.e. cloudy, hazy, and somewhat ethereal), and now the water is pristinely clear. Oh my. OKay well, im sold on this stuff. if all my fish and plants die tomorrow morning because of the "TransClear" ill let you guys know. David In article QWbBa.154688$rt6.45593@sccrnsc02, WD wrote: "David Wee" wrote in message ... I finally got around to replacing my cheap coated gravel substrate with Onyx Sand, in my 10 gallon. Im using an AquaClear 150 mini.. I rinsed off the sand in a bucket for about 30 times (alot of water), and after a certain point, I just felt, well, no matter how many times I rinse this stuff, there is always going to be a cloud, so I just put it into my aqaurium and filled up the water. Now the "slight initial cloudiness" (as predicted by the bag) is not so slight, nor is it not so initial.. The cloudiness is really starting to bother me. My aquaClear sponge is seemingly much too porous to grab up ultra micorscopic silt, and im wondering at this point, should i just put in my powerhead filter to really help ? Whats the deal with the cloudiness? I just dont see the small aqua clear sponge trapping all that cloud. Help wanted. I had this as well, and though Leighmo is correct, it will clear, I didn't find it worth the trouble. Every time I move something, or prune my plants, the tank is cloudy again for another 8 hours. My next tank, I used some play sand, avaiable at Home Depot for 3 bucks a bag. Not as fine as the Onyx, but it's still working great and almost zero cloudyness after 24 hours. Since you've already got the stuff, I'd be sure the filters aren't stirring up the bottom, and just be patient. I did a couple large water changes as well, seemed to help. -- -- |
#11
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Onyx Sand Cloudiness
David Wee wrote: I finally got around to replacing my cheap coated gravel substrate with Onyx Sand, in my 10 gallon. Im using an AquaClear 150 mini.. I rinsed off the sand in a bucket for about 30 times (alot of water), and after a certain point, I just felt, well, no matter how many times I rinse this stuff, there is always going to be a cloud, so I just put it into my aqaurium and filled up the water. Now the "slight initial cloudiness" (as predicted by the bag) is not so slight, nor is it not so initial.. The cloudiness is really starting to bother me. My aquaClear sponge is seemingly much too porous to grab up ultra micorscopic silt, and im wondering at this point, should i just put in my powerhead filter to really help ? Whats the deal with the cloudiness? I just dont see the small aqua clear sponge trapping all that cloud. Help wanted. I got a paint strainer bag at Lowe's to clean the flourite and Onyx sand for my first planted tank. The tank has bottom 2 inches of Flourite regular mixed with a little less than 50% same size natural quartz gravel. The top 2+ inches are one bag of Onyx sand mixed with a 5 lb. bag of black Estes gravel about the size of Flourite and a couple of handfuls of moon sand. I used the paint strainer bag (which is a fine mesh that looks similar to a curtain sheer) to wash all this stuff. It worked great, took very little time. Put about 5 lbs. of whatever in the bag, lowered it into a 5 gal. bucket and stuck one hand in and swished/stirred for 5-10 minutes. Drained, ran the spigot into the bag for about a minute while swishing, and done. The fines from the Onyx were shocking. Gray mud! Anyway, very little cloudiness in my tank, and what was there went away in about 2 days. Only real annoyance is that the silt likes to stick to the glass, where it's really noticeable. I would recommend this method, even though the tank isn't planted yet. Digging around does raise the silt, but not so badly as some have described. James |
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