Sick as a chip

OK, its 4 weeks and my sand is still blowing around the tank ?
Surely I must be doing something wrong ? i dont turn my fans on, becasue they are too strong for the tank ? (apparently) If i clean the sand dust off the glass, it then sticks to the rocks, so I use the turkey baster and blow it off, and it sticks to the glass ?

Im just about to convert this 90 gallon pain in the ASS into a tropical tank !

SOS - SAND ON SAND


Ahhhhhhhhh ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

 

oh, and the tanks been set up for 4 weeks
Just running the filter pump

 

remind us again what the fans / pumps/ wavemakers you have are?
an image would be usefull so we can check out the direction of everything including the return lines

what sand did you use?

Steve

 

I have a external canister EHEIM 2128, the "fans" are Koralia 4 -1200 gph (2) of them, I havent run the fans as i was told they are too powerful for the tank (I was sold them with the tank set up by the pet store), - Skimmer (still in box)

The tank is a 3 foot x 3 foot x 3 foot high cube.

Sand is called Ocean Direct - Caribbean Live Sand (40 Llbs), I have 85Lbs live rock, and the water temp is 78.

All my tests came back great.

I dont know what i have done wrong ?

 

I cant figure it out either from above Scuba Ken

where is the return from the Ehiem located
its not pointed at the sand bed is it?

Steve

 

Bacteria bloom?

The amount of flow you have shouldn't do this unless the flow is right on the sand bed...

I agree with steve, a picture will definitely help.

 

are you sure its sand dust?
could it be diatoms? as a 4 week old tank could well be getting some of that fine cocoa powder looking stuff on all surfaces at this stage

Steve

 

the return is right at the top, its just about covered with water.
I am attaching a photo of the tank as new and a photo as "sand storm", as I say I have only ever turned the fans on once, the effect was terrible, I couldnt see anything at all, and it took 4 days to clear up.
In the sandy photo, you can see how the sand sticks to the glass as well.

 

Its been like this since day 1, I have diatoms as well, and its definatley sand/dust, when i use my turkey baster to try and clean my rocks, its comes off in clouds.

should I start it again ?

A friend of mine said, I should put a whisk in there and stir it up and start from scrtach ? seems a bit harsh to me ?

 

Scuba Ken

I know you say the fans are not on
but the depression on the sand bed in image 2 above was caused by the fan being on and its pointing directly at the sand bed
so the damage was done whislt it was on, and you need to relocate that fan. move it up and point it either towards /along water surface or at the rockwork, just not at the sand bed

I would add some filter wool to the ehiem for a few days and that would remove the fine particles that are still suspended in the water column in image 3

Steve