5 days and still have sand flying around.

[dannieboiz]

It's been 4 or 5 days now that the new tank is up but those little particals (sand) never seems to settle down. I'm having pretty much the same flows as b4 so I'm not sure what's the deal here.

Before 60g 48L
mag 12 return to SCWD
2X Seio 820=1600gph

Now 100g W
same Mag 12 but no more SCWD Teed to 2 side
Iwaki MD-70RTL to a super Squirt (1500gph @ 4ft head)/2=750gph each side

so technically speaking there isn't a tremendous differents in flow but the same sand in the tank b4 still have not settled yet.

Should I turn off all the pumps and let it sit for a few days?
I've tried turning off the Iwaki for a day but still no go.

 

[AllenFord_SC]

Sounds like you have the flow aimed to much towards the sand. Try lowering your seios and aiming them towards the surface. If this doesn't work do as you said turn off all pumps and wait a day or two. You will notice when you turn the pumps back on what the culprit is for the sand problem.

 

[dannieboiz]

No i don't have the Seio anymore I have an Iwaki pump on a closed loop with a super squirt.

All of my nozzles are loc-line and is either pointing upward or straight across nothing downward.

 

[AllenFord_SC]

Sorry misread your post. Ok just re-read the post and that is a tremendous amount of flow for a 100 gallon tank. So to make sure iI am understanding correctly you have 1500GPH from the Iwaki and a Mag 12 as well? The Iwaki alone is giving you a turnover rate of 25x an hour and the Mag 12 is adding an additional 1100GPH if it is a return pump with 4 ft of head loss. That totals 2600GPH which is a 26x turnover rate! Most people with that much flow are BB because of the fact sand sand can't stay settled.

 

[dannieboiz]

Yes I understand that's why I spent the extra money and bought loc line so I can put everything slightly upward.

I figured the 2 Seio 820 do roughly 800gph ea and I had 2 that's 1600gph

compared to the 1500gph coming from the Iwaki b4 considering the flow lost due to the ten thousand elbows I have connected to it. LOL so again, this is a larger tank with roughly the same turn over rate.

 

[Pandora]

Regardless of flow, it's not uncommon to see cloudiness 1 week after setting up a new tank (some complain even over a week). This is because some of the silt particles are microscopic, and need bacteria to form nucleii out of them before they will weigh down; not enough bacteria in a new tank. Give it some time and it'll settle; it may help to seed your sand with LS.

 

[dannieboiz]

thanks lets give it a few more days, never thought tiny particles can be explained in such scientific ways. learning more everyday.

BTW: This is the same sand I used in my old tank. I did a complete swap so they are technical alive.

 

[Mykayel]

You might want to try a small HOB filter to use temporarily to filter out the fine stuff. That's what I did when each time I set up my tank. Then a couple of times a day I would wrinse out the filter and all of those suspended fines would go down the drain while also preventing bacteria to grow on the filter.

 

[dannieboiz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6604499#post6604499 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mykayel
You might want to try a small HOB filter to use temporarily to filter out the fine stuff. That's what I did when each time I set up my tank. Then a couple of times a day I would wrinse out the filter and all of those suspended fines would go down the drain while also preventing bacteria to grow on the filter.

I have filter socks in there at the moment... my external OF takes up all the rear opening that would allow me to hang anything through this slot..

 

[Mykayel]

You can hang one of those off any side... I acutally did so off the front because I knew it was going to be temporary.

Is the filter sock fine enough catch the fines? When you wrinse it off, are any of the fines washed away? If not you might want to look at a finer filter materail.

 

[dannieboiz]

yup finer than fine.

 

[piranhaking]

i have CaribSea seaflor special grade reefsand (1-2 mm) which was all i could find when i set the tank up and before i really knew much about sand beds, and a few cups of sugar sand that i got from a friend to seed it with. I have 66x turnover in the tank, and no problems what so ever with flying sand, but mabey thats just me? but i did have alot of cloudiness in the tank for around a week when i added some more sand a little while back.

 

[dannieboiz]

thanks guys.... tank is clearing up..... those particles are settle down.

 

[pjhaddock]

Thats good to hear.. In my 75G I have a Reeflo Dart running a closed loop so I dont think too much flow is the problem. Sounds like its settling (no pun intended) itself out though.