# when does flourite settle?



## Schmoop (Feb 10, 2004)

I'm super-new to planted tanks, and I've begun to set up a 33g. I've got 30lbs of flourite (red) in there now (which I rinsed well). It's been 4 days, and I've rinsed out the filter media everyday. The sludge finally settled last night, and today I syphoned off about 10g of water, sucking lots of silt up from the bottom. After, I stirred up the flourite some more to let the filter grab some silt. What I'm wondering is...if I put a layer of regular gravel or sand on top, will the silt stay under that until I vacuum the bottom, or will it leach through to cloud my tank? (I know the two substrates will mix, and I'm not too worried about that) I'm hoping that eventually the fine silt that's clouding the water will be gone from the tank...I'm dreading the possibility that it will always be there to cloud my tank after water changes. It's just not a pretty sight. Am I doing something wrong, or not doing something I should be?


----------



## GulfCoastAquarian (Jul 30, 2002)

The finer particles will eventually settle to the bottom, where they are less likely to be stirred up. Just stay on top of it for now and it should settle in a little while.


----------



## Anonymous (Mar 2, 2003)

Does it have to be completely gone to add plants? The silt will cover the plants if I don't wait, won't it?


----------



## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

> I'm super-new to planted tanks, and I've begun to set up a 33g. I've got 30lbs of flourite (red) in there now *(which I rinsed well)*It's been 4 days, and I've rinsed out the filter media everyday. The sludge finally settled


You did not rinse well :lol: 

Only time will heal it. Give it a couple weeks and you will forget it was ever a problem... :wink:


----------



## Anonymous (Mar 2, 2003)

> You did not rinse well


Ha ha. :wink: Okay....but I rinsed and rinsed and rinsed and rinsed and rinsed and RINSED!!! Actually, the packaging said,"pre-washed so only light rinsing required". Whatever. I can only imagine the mud I'd have if I did just give it a squirt!
Thanks. I'll just wait it out. I read somewhere that fishkeeping was a hobby that required much patience...and it really does, in so many areas. *sigh* Time for my Zen-mode 8)


----------



## Momotaro (Feb 21, 2003)

Welcome Schmoop!

Seems like you rinsed and rinsed and rinsed and rinsed and rinsed and rinsed, when you should have rinsed and rinsed and rinsed and rinsed and rinsed and rinsed _and _rinsed!  

Flourite can be a real mess. Just sit tight and like the others have told you it will settle! :wink: 

Mike


----------



## all4funwfish (Jan 18, 2004)

HaHA.....you forgot to rinse again after you thought you were done!.......yeah, its a waiting game.


----------



## Schmoop (Feb 10, 2004)

Yeah, everyone laugh at the newbie! :lol: Now I know, though, that it's just a matter of time til it's cleaned up. Thanks!


----------



## Aquachromis (Aug 14, 2003)

A couple of tricks I've read about re: fluorite. After rinsing, let it dry before adding it to the tank, then when filling the tank with water, cover the gravel with a trash bag. Slowly remove trashbag after filling and you should have very little dust in the water. Of course, when planting, you will kick up a little dust.

Adam


----------



## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

When I set up my 10 gal with Flourite, I was prepared for some red-foggy sight for a few days or weeks. I did not rinse it as often as Mike :mrgreen:
I think the trick is how you fill in the water. Trashbag is a great idea, or some kind of cloth. I used a saucer, turned on it's face.
When planting into the new flourite, you naturally create a mess. So the solution is to plant, then suck out as much water has possible, and then fill it up again _really_ slowly, using saucer or trashbag or whatnot to not upset the dust. The finer particles will move down in between the larger particles by themselves.


----------



## Schmoop (Feb 10, 2004)

I'm trying to rid my tank of as much silt as possible (by filtering and vacuuming) before I add plants, because I know that as soon as I muck around in there, or even vacuum for maintenance, that I'll stir up a cloud again (which, I'm imagining, will settle over everything in the tank, making it all look dusty/dirty). But, now I'm wondering if that's wise...is there something about the powdery silt that benefits the plants? Is it easier for the plant to draw minerals and such from the fine grind? Or is it merely a nuisance?


----------



## all4funwfish (Jan 18, 2004)

It most likely will not hurt to have it in the tank, as it will settle to the bottom through time...In order to accomplish a finer grain I added sand to my flourite.....which, turns up to be a mess close to what you have with the red water...as far as it goes...some people probably swear by keeping it in, and some swear by taking it out....A lot of this is more a science experiment than an exact science...everyone finds their own balance, taking advice from others..some things you just dont do...others...are...well...debateable. (spelling has to be wrong on that)


----------

