Made a really dumb sand substrate move...any advice?

[ZeldaNerd]

Hi! So this is my first post on this forum, but I really wanted some advice on a dumb fish-tank move on my part. I just got a new tank today, my betta sadly passed away, but I wanted to get a bigger tank so I can get more types of fish. So I upgraded and finally just bought a 10 gallon tank on the PetCo deal (I wanted a 20 gallon, but I didn't have enough room for a stand and I didn't want my desk to collapse under the weight lol). I really would like to get Kuhli Loaches (I'm in love with the idea of them!) and got some Aquarium Sand. Long story that isn't relevant, one of my family members got me some Marimo Balls for my betta, but he died sadly. I didn't want the plants to die though, so this was just an excuse for another fish tank. I also have a Java Fern I picked up today that I'm going to attach to some driftwood I found. I need to put them in the water, so I did a brain-dead move and just immediately dumped the sand in and started to fill the tank. I'm worried now it might not go away and I'll have to start over, but I was wondering if it will just fade away with time. It's not bad at all (especially when compared to other pics I've seen on the internet), but when compared to my old 3.5 gallon-er it's definitely not all that clear. But, I also just bought some sand that was produced for fish tanks, so it's not that hazy but not as clear as it can be. (After my betta died, I wanted more fish but was so crushed that I couldn't do anything to save it I was going to take a break on fish for a while. But, the tank is so cute, I was just going to keep it there, so the water is very clear. Obviously my anti-fish ways didn't last long)
But, I also just bought some sand that was produced for fish tanks, so it's not that hazy but not as clear as it can be. Do y'all have any advice, and thank you in advance for your help

***Also, so sorry for the long paragraph lol, I tend to ramble. Also, I want to include pictures of my tanks but my internet is acting up and I can't upload them, so sorry. I'll try again tomorrow though

 

[Frank the Fish guy]

If you try to use sand that is not for aquariums, you may end up with fine sand in the water that never settles. Look up Brownian Motion! Sand for aquarium is the right size so that it does settle out after a few days. If you have been more than a few days, and are using non-aquarium sand, and you are still cloudy, it is time to switch over to aquarium sand.

 

[Dechi]

Since it’s such a small tank, I would just empty it, take the sand out and really clean it well under the tap for a good 15-20 minutes.

This way you won’t have to look at sandy water for so long !

 

[ALonelyBetta]

The water will clear up, no need to start over. Just takes some patience (which I don’t have so I use water clarifier). It settles down eventually.

 

[ZeldaNerd]

Oh my gosh, thank you so much for the quick replies! I didn't think I would get any so fast, sorry for posting late too, I'm a night owl

I'm looking back and realized I wasn't too clear on some things in my post, but this is just 10 pounds of Aquarium Sand I bought (the brand is Super Naturals if you've ever heard of it, this is my first time buying sand for my tanks). And I'm still deciding which fish to get for my 10 gal, I just wanted to get the cycling out of the way lol

 

[ALonelyBetta]

I use Super Naturals too! Check the bag it arrived in and see if it mentions something about a Biomagnet Clarifier. Some of the bags come with a sample of the clarifier which should help clear up the water. (Sometimes it’s at the bottom of the bag which requires some digging)

 

[ZeldaNerd]

I use Super Naturals too! Check the bag it arrived in and see if it mentions something about a Biomagnet Clarifier. Some of the bags come with a sample of the clarifier which should help clear up the water. (Sometimes it’s at the bottom of the bag which requires some digging)

Yay, I'm glad that it's a reliable product

Now I'm really questioning weather I have eyes, I totally just threw the little bag to the side without reading it. I guess Christmas is messing with my brain and I'm immediately assuming that it was a bag of that poisonous stuff you find in gifts. This has all been a lesson for me on using my brain (I need to be more attentive)! Thank you so much for mentioning that, it felt like finding a toy haha