# Pool Filter Sand - cloudy water?



## dsmdylan (Feb 21, 2010)

Hello all,

I have just purchased a 20 long with the intention of planting it and a couple of cories and a couple of dwarf puffers. I'm using pool filter sand as a substrate and I cleaned it pretty thoroughly. I put it in a bucket and ran a hose to the bottom and swished the sand around for 20 minutes or so with my hands then i just let the bucket overflow with water for about 2 hours. When I went back to check on it, the water was clear. I swished around the sand a little bit and it settled right back down and the water stayed clear.

SO, I put the sand in the tank and filled it up with water but the water is quite cloudy. It's been probably 2 hours. This is my first time using PFS so I'm just wondering if this is normal. Should I turn the filter on? (Penguin 200)


----------



## zenfish (Jan 29, 2006)

turn it on


----------



## webgirl74 (Dec 2, 2009)

The PFS is heavy so shouldn't get sucked into your filter intake, unless you have fish that like to pick it up and spit it out elsewhere in the tank. Same thing happened with my PFS. Took about 3-4 days, but it cleared and has been 100% clear since.


----------



## dsmdylan (Feb 21, 2010)

Awesome! Just the advice I was looking for. Thanks


----------



## dsmdylan (Feb 21, 2010)

if anyone's interested, the sand already settled and i've already got some anubias in the tank  it's kind of bare right now but this is my first planted tank so i'm still learning.


----------



## Tamelesstgr (Jan 11, 2008)

My 20 gallon High with PFS always clears up in about 10 minutes when running the filter. I love the look, but it seems to flatten out very easily.


----------



## dsmdylan (Feb 21, 2010)

nice. i like how that needle java looks. any suggestions on where to buy plants online? this anubias is all i could find at the LFS and it's pretty beat up.

nice t/a too. i like picking on v8's from time to time


----------



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

You need to make sure that the rhizomes (the thick green "stem" that the leaves grow out of) on those Anubias aren't buried- they need to be exposed to light or they will die.

Check out the Swap n Shop here on the forum for plants. I've seen quite a bit of needle leaf Java fern for sale recently from other hobbyists. If you don't see anyone with some for sale right now, post up a WTB (want to buy) thread. You'll always get more and better condition plants for your money from a fellow hobbyist. roud:


----------



## Burks (May 21, 2006)

Just turn the filter on. It'll catch a majority of the small particles causing the problem. After it is clear, clean the filter and the impellar housing. Don't want a grain of sand to get stuck and burn up the filter (been there, done that).


----------



## Super Noob (Sep 7, 2007)

lauraleellbp said:


> You need to make sure that the rhizomes (the thick green "stem" that the leaves grow out of) on those Anubias aren't buried- they need to be exposed to light or they will die.


Do they need to be exposed to light or just not buried because they will rot? Possibly just a matter of semantics but it is a bit of a difference. I think the important thing is they need water flow around the rhizome, not necessarily a certain level of light.


----------

