xathine

I just switched my substrate over from sand to this flourite stuff for plants.

its been about 2 days and the tank is still REALLY cloudy, anytime i make the least little movement in the tank it stirs up.

i've been keeping my fish in a 5g bucket and i'm super worried about them.

is it safe to put them back into the tank with the cloudy mess?


link:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=2753891

Nick G

I've no idea what Florite is, but it seems strange that the water should be cloudy after 2 days. When I changed my 90gal from gravel to sand the water was so cloudy that I couldn't see the back of the tank, but it only took about 12 hours for the water to become crystal clear again.

xathine

Well I keep messing around with it.

I let it sit, and after a day it was 'okay' so I started to add my plants and decor and it stirred it all back up again.

Woke up today and figured I'd put some more plants / decor in and the least little movement creates a huge murky mess

So do you think its safe for them to be in there?

I can put them in my 10g, but i'm currently treating a few fish in there for ICH.

Nick G

What exactly is the product? I can move stuff around and even stir the sand in my tanks and it doesn't cause the water to get cloudy. Are you sure it isn't a fertilizer thats suppossed to go underneath a gravel substrate?

xathine

I linked it in the first post.

Says it goes best as the main substrate.

there is 1/4" left of sand in the bottom of the tank. With this stuff on top of it.

Maybe I just didn't wash it enough.

peacemaker92

Hmm.. Flourite by Seachem. I've seen this product at many pet stores. Not many people would buy them because of the feedback given that it doesn't really work well. People would rather spend their money on Amano's substrate gravel.

Well, to solve your problem a bit. I'd suggest doing all you want to do first such as adding the plants, decorations and editing it here and there before moving your fish in. So that you can finish everything without bothering the sand later, then when it clears up completely, you can add your fish. I wouldn't add them while the tank is still cloudy because when they breathe in the water, the sand particles might enter their system and either choke them or just make them unhealthy. So finish everything you have to do in your tank, and when you are satisfied and happy with the layout and you know that you won't bother your sand anymore, you can add your fish.

Hope my suggestion helps. GOOD LUCK and keep us updated.

jdhef

I don't have any personal experiance with flourite, but I believe I've read here in the past that it needs to be rinsed really, really well or it will cause cloudiness.

xathine

i just removed all of it from my tank put it in a big tote and took it out back and put the garden hose in it.

I'm gonna let the hose sit in it for an hour or so, hopefully that will clean it really good.

ApolloX54

That what I was gonna say do... that's how I wash everything, even sand from my creek when I was keeping herps.

I remember when I switched from gravel to sand... never going back... and I used pool filter sand. Some say you don't have to wash it. I didn't and water became irrecoverably cloudy. Then I was in your position with a hose a bag... but everything is good now.

peacemaker92

I was nearly in the same situation too. Recently bought my sand and the shopkeeper told me I don't have to wash it. Just dump the whole thing in there and it'll be fine. Well, of course I'd listen to an experienced person, so I filled my tank with the whole bag and the whole water went cloudy for a day. But now it's settled, but every now and then when I put in new plants, the sand would be messed up and I would have a bit of cloudiness here and there.

aquarist48

Hello Xathine. Sounds like you've been given some great advice above. I don't have personal experience with the product myself. I hope you can get things settled soon and return your fish to their home.

Best of luck
Ken

kelacon

I think that you didn't clean the fluorite enough. That happened to me, only they were pebbles that where very white

xathine

I think the problem was when I mixed the flourite with the sand, it created a muddy murky substance.

I ended up taking it all out of the tank, putting it in a tote and letting a garden hose fill it up for 4 hours yesterday. I went out and stirred it up every 10 minutes or so.

Water was finally clear in the tote so I dumped the water and put the substrate in my tank and filled it with water but it still created a huge cloudy mess.

Tank looks okay now, still a little cloudy though. But now the flourite is mixed in with the sand and it looks horrible. Not what I wanted to to look like but oh well.

peacemaker92

I'm sorry to hear that.