nina_k

i set up my 55g tank about a month ago. the people at my LFS said to use laterite under the gravel to fertalize the plants so i did and since i added water there has been red dust all through the tank. its on the plants and tank equipment and the water is really foggy. did i do something wrong and can i fix it? thanks

clinton1621

You have to rinse laterite extremely well to get all the dust out... sounds like thats the problem. Rinse your filter media out lightly with dechlorinated water once a day, and do a 25% water change once a day until it clears up. It will clog up the filters if you dont do this... its also bad for the gills of your fish to have particles suspended in the water.

nina_k

thanks i will start that now. the person who sold it to me told me NOT to rinse it. i wish that i had asked first!

clinton1621

Let me guess, someone at a pet store said that right lol. You definitely needed to rinse laterite extremely well... but all is not lost, in addition to what I recommended above you should also get a filter bag that you can put behind the cartridge on your hang on filter (if thats what you have) fill the filter bag with fiber floss (most pet stores sell it in a large bag that looks like pillow stuffing) this will filter out the fine "dust" particles very quickly, and you can just toss the fiber floss out every day and refill the filter bag.

COBettaCouple

You might also want to check local shops for something meant to clear the water by drawing the small particles together. It's not necessary but might speed up the process a bit. I used to use something like that when we first started and put gravel in the tanks to help with the gravel dust.

nina_k

yeah i might check for that water clearing stuff, its a bit annoying looking at murky water every time i walk in the door. i have a canister filter so i don't know what to do about a filter bag thing. also, will the gunk on the plant leaves just clear up or do they need to be cleaned somehow? thanks