We Have A Sandy Bottom!

[wegotcrabs]

Thanks to all the fabulous information we have received here at TFF, we have really learned alot about our cichlids. We have decided to change our setup to a more natural setup. We washed our sand and put it in the tank, unfortunately the water has become very cloudy. We were wondering should we leave the Cannister Filter running or shut it off? We are putting lots of rocks in to make a better malawi habitat, so the sand is constantly being stirred up. Also, how long will it take to clear up? We have a 55 gallon and are using a Cascade 1000 Cannister.

 

[Ferris]

I'd leave the filter running but bear in mind it will clog up quicker than usual due to the substrate change. If you switch it off though the water will take forever to clear.

Should easily clear overnight if not before.

 

[denis coghlan]

Also of note: If you switch off your filter for a night say goodbye to your beneficial bacteria. As ferris said, keep the filter running and it should be clear by morning. Sand it notoriously difficult to clean, ask nick sw, if i recall correctly he spent the best part of his life cleaning the sand for his first mbuna setup.