Did my water go stagnant?

[Anansi]

Hello everyone,

About a week ago I finally got to the point of putting sand/rock/water in my tank.
My tank is a conventional 75g.

The first thing I did was place my rock work which consists solely of BRS Reef Saver dry rock. After that I put my live sand in (Arag-Alive Fiji Pink). With the sand in, I put about 10 gallons of mixed RO/DI saltwater to help keep the sand wet.

It took me about 3 days to get my tank fully filled with Salt mixed RO/DI.
My plan was initially to fill the tank and use a powerhead to circulate the water. The dust cloud from the sand was so intense that I didn't want to use my powerhead and risk breaking it. I decided to let the tank sit for a couple of days to let the dust subside but I ended up messing with my rocks a little bit and started the cloud all over again.

I don't know the exact amount of time the water has been sitting still but, I think it's been about a week or a tiny bit more. Just yesterday I added my heater and pump to the tank and got things moving a bit.
The water has a slight smell to it but I'm thinking it's just the smell of the rock and the sand that's still in the water column. The smell is only slight and its not like rotting eggs or anything.

I'm wondering if the water has gone stagnant in that amount of time or if its ok to install my sump and turn on my overflow and start cycling the tank.

The baffles in my sump just finished curing so I was planning on adding it today.

If I need to replace the water, with my current class schedule, it would most likely take me another 2-3 days to fill the tank with RO/DI and salt. Wouldn't that just lead to the same problem?


If my water is stagnant, can it be reversed without a water change?

 

[06bug]

You should always keep your tank circulating from day one . I would go ahead and start the circulation asap. Add carbon in a sock and place it in your sump where the return chamber is. Grab a couple cups of live sand from another reefer's healthy tank. Create a few craters in your existing and and place the healthy and in them. This will help start the biofiltration. You can also add a couple pieces of live rock to the dead ones you started with. This will help Jumpstart things for you.

 

[chimmike]

so, it's a standard 75, what kind of overflow do you have that you haven't installed the sump yet?

is it one of those you have to manually start the suction on?

 

[06bug]

Also, just run your powerheads even if you have a cloudy mess. This is normal when placing sand in a tank. The cloud will go away anywhere from 1 hour to a full day. Good luck.

 

[DrewHaus]

Also, just run your powerheads even if you have a cloudy mess. This is normal when placing sand in a tank. The cloud will go away anywhere from 1 hour to a full day. Good luck.

Agreed, the powerheads aren't going to get damaged from cloudy water.

 

[06bug]

I have always had tanks with the built-in overflows.

 

[06bug]

Just start the circulation with your powerheads in the tank if your sump is not yet installed.

 

[Anansi]

I know this will get a negative response but I have a HOB overflow.
I could not drill my tank and sometime in the future I plan to upgrade my tank and get it pre drilled.

I have a heater and powerhead in my tank right now. The powerhead is pointing to top so it can agitate the surface.

The reason I didn't have my sump already installed was because i was gluing my baffles and I was told that starting the cycle on my tank wouldn't be a problem without it.

The reason I didn't use my powerhead from the start was because i read countless threads of people saying that the sand will clog it and possibly ruin it.



I appreciate the quick replies but i'm still kind of lost.

If i install my sump today and get everything running, will I have to change my water? Or will the circulation be enough to keep the water healthy?

 

[morpheas]

I know this will get a negative response but I have a HOB overflow.
I could not drill my tank and sometime in the future I plan to upgrade my tank and get it pre drilled.

I have a heater and powerhead in my tank right now. The powerhead is pointing to top so it can agitate the surface.

The reason I didn't have my sump already installed was because i was gluing my baffles and I was told that starting the cycle on my tank wouldn't be a problem without it.

The reason I didn't use my powerhead from the start was because i read countless threads of people saying that the sand will clog it and possibly ruin it.



I appreciate the quick replies but i'm still kind of lost.

If i install my sump today and get everything running, will I have to change my water? Or will the circulation be enough to keep the water healthy?

No negative response here, I have the same thing (smaller tank though). One advice I could give you is to go ahead and buy a high quality CPR overflow box with a auto start siphon (that's the best thing to do with an external overflow IMO) and an aqualifter pump.

I think if you start the circulation the water will be aerated and any smell/fouling will be gone. Also the carbon will help too.

 

[gottalikesharks]

No negative response here, I have the same thing (smaller tank though). One advice I could give you is to go ahead and buy a high quality CPR overflow box with a auto start siphon (that's the best thing to do with an external overflow IMO) and an aqualifter pump.

I think if you start the circulation the water will be aerated and any smell/fouling will be gone. Also the carbon will help too.

I disagree with using the cpr hob that requires a separate pump to start the siphon. Never had an issue using the Eshopps hob.

 

[Anansi]

Yeah I have an Eshopps Hob overflow that worked really well when I was testing it months ago. I never had any issue with bubble buildup or losing siphon.

The main reason I made this post was to figure out if my water was safe for fish once the cycle is complete or if it sitting still for about a week with live sand made it stagnant.

 

[sde1500]

You should be fine. You'll want to do a water change after the cycle completes anyway.

 

[Anansi]

Awesome thanks.
I do plan on doing a water change prior to putting any livestock in once the cycle is complete.

 

[gottalikesharks]

You should be fine. You'll want to do a water change after the cycle completes anyway.

I agree that you should be ok.....