# Tahitian Moon Sand - cloudy water



## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

In my 10 gallon I have tahitian moon sand. I rinsed the sand off for a good half hour, constantly agitating it to get rid on the smaller particles. This left my hands with a black tinge, but that came off in a few hours.


In my tank now, it appears that there is a greyish hue to the water. 
Is this just my eyes or could it be particulate matter fogging the water?


----------



## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

It's dust from the sand. It should get picked up by a filter. If not stuff filter floss in the last stage it'll pick it up.

If the tank is still 'unfished' you can just get some cheap flocculant like brite n clear. It's like 2 or 3 dollars. Just floc it into chunks then remove with net.


----------



## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

I will go for the filter floss. 
My plan is to modify my Whisper 10 to not need replacement cartridges. I've just had really good results using this filter in the past.


----------



## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

All you need to do is stuff a sponge in there and it's modified


----------



## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

I use a slice of fairly large-celled foam, plus a piece of floss, to make a coarse+fine reusable media pad for my "buy-more-media" filters like the aqueons. I don't have any tetras but I imagine that should be about the same.

W


----------



## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

KhuliLoachFan said:


> I use a slice of fairly large-celled foam, plus a piece of floss, to make a coarse+fine reusable media pad for my "buy-more-media" filters like the aqueons. I don't have any tetras but I imagine that should be about the same.
> 
> W


They would be similar I'm sure.

Do you use this type of filter for your khuli's? that's one of the residents that will be in this tank. I hope they like the moon sand!


----------



## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

I use an AquaClear 110 filter on a 29g for my Kuhlis. They would love the tahitian moon sand, as they like to be buried.

W


----------



## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

BettaBeats said:


> They would be similar I'm sure.
> 
> Do you use this type of filter for your khuli's? that's one of the residents that will be in this tank. I hope they like the moon sand!


The formula may have changed, however, up until about 2006 for sure, Tahitian Moon Sand had a warning on the back of the bag _not_ to use it with sensitive bottom dwelling species, including loaches. I have no idea why. I would double check.


----------



## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

Really? Well, these loaches are micro-scaled or no-scaled and very sensitive.

W


----------



## dl88dl (Mar 8, 2010)

KhuliLoachFan said:


> I use an AquaClear 110 filter on a 29g for my Kuhlis. They would love the tahitian moon sand, as they like to be buried.
> 
> W


Wow, AC110 on a 29gal tank...hows the current in that tank. With all that filtration the tank must be crystal clear. I always like to over kill my filtration too.


----------



## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

AquariAM said:


> The formula may have changed, however, up until about 2006 for sure, Tahitian Moon Sand had a warning on the back of the bag _not_ to use it with sensitive bottom dwelling species, including loaches. I have no idea why. I would double check.


You are correct. It is a abrasive. That changes that plan. 
I like the little snake look and the quirkyness of the species.

Any ideas on substitutes?

It's a shrimp tank.. with possible dwarf rasboras.


----------



## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

3M color quartz T

Playsand

Silica sand

I like silica sand myself. It's soft like icing sugar-- especially if you get micrograin. Menagerie sells it loose @ $1/pound. It's pretty light. 20lbs did my 36x12
It's white but it looks nice.


----------



## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

AquariAM said:


> 3M color quartz T
> 
> Playsand
> 
> Silica sand


I'm going to keep the moonsand.

I was talking about a replacement for the kuhli's


----------



## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

BettaBeats said:


> I'm going to keep the moonsand.
> 
> I was talking about a replacement for the kuhli's


Oh.

I wouldn't keep any bottom dweller on an abrasive substrate. You're going to get barbel damage. Maybe some tougher loaches... Maybe yo yos or something. I still wouldn't do it.


----------



## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

AquariAM said:


> Oh.
> 
> I wouldn't keep any bottom dweller on an abrasive substrate. You're going to get barbel damage. Maybe some tougher loaches... Maybe yo yos or something. I still wouldn't do it.


Ok, thanks for the advice.


----------

