Just starting out, need major help!

Yeah I bought 30 gallons of cycled water, and was only able to fit in about 22 gallons. The water seems really....murky. Will this clear over time? If so, how long will it take for the water to become clear?

 

You put the sand in and then the water and it became murky?

 

Yes, exactly.

 

Yes it will clear over time, how long depends on the grain size, if you rinsed prior, if you have mechanical filters.....

For what it's worth cycled water is a gimmick. Water does not have enough nutrifying bacteria to make any difference what so ever.

 

+1 to what Cheryl said. Basically, it should be a month or even two before I fish is in that tank; definitely not 3 days! Cycling a tank takes time, so just go slow and be patient

 

Welcome and i hope you are going to enjoy your great new aquarium most important is be patient and read ,read,read. If you are serious about being a conscietus aquarist i would go to garf.org and read the bullet proof tank. Just my 2 cents but go ahead and take a look. Good luck and there are many experienced aquarist on this site and i would take advantage of their knowledge.Most important is have fun and remember you are responsible for the beautiful creatures you put in your tank,and that includes invertebrates.

 

Thanks guys for such warm welcomes. I will let it cycle thoroughly and make sure all levels are where they need to be after testing. A couple of quick questions though. I need new lighting, as the one I have no flickers on and off at random. What would you guys recommend? Also, the filter that I have currently (no clue what brand/model), would it suffice?

 

For a FOWLR tank, lighting really doesn't matter. Just as long as it pleases you. What are the dimensions of your tank?

 

Depending on your money situation I would recommend led eBay had a lot of different set ups pretty cheap how a days. I would also recommend a sump tank for filtration if you have the room and the money.

 

You can find a good of T-5ho unit and it is not to expensive and you will have a quality light and you will also be able to add some soft corals if you decide to later. Also i would recomend a power head or two. They will give the tank water movement and keep the water table active,also helps with oxygen in tank when you add livestock. But remember read and do your homework