# crushed coral cloudiness??



## sprtslvr785 (Mar 3, 2005)

I got atlantic crushed coral to put in my tank. I rinsed it until the water ran clear and it is now 5 days later and my water is still cloudy. It is clearer than on the first day but its still not anywhere close to being normal. I stirred it up a little and the water got just as cloudy as it was on the first day. Should i drain the water and re-rinse the coral? because i dont want it to make my tank cloudy everytime i go to clean the tank.


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

I am not familiar with Atlantic brand but when i introduced Carib Sea Aragonite formula crushed coral to my 75 gallon i had the same experience but only for a day. Stirring it is what you don't want to do because in the crushed coral there are different grades of fineness some finer than sand which i suspect is cloudying up your water a milky white color. When my cariba get a little skittish and hit the substrate you can actually see like a puff of smoke it looks like but it settles almost instantly... To add only minimal rinsing is required with crushed coral so that is not your problem. I would just let the tank settle on its own.


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## sprtslvr785 (Mar 3, 2005)

Ok ill just leave it another week and see what happens. I didnt really stir it I guess, I just stuck my python in the substrate and kinda swirled it around and a big cloud of milky white color came out, like you said. So I wasnt sure if I didnt get it rinsed enough or what, I mean it has lighted up but not to much. Today you could finally start to see the back of the tank but it was quite blurry.


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

It shouldn't take that long... Hows your filters ? Are they picking up alot of white crap ? Also what i have noticed with the crushed coral is that its similar too maintaining sand but better. Just have to vac the top of it..


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## sprtslvr785 (Mar 3, 2005)

The filter are picking up a little of it but its stil pretty cloudy. Im not sure what mm the sand was but it was the bigger gravel kind.


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

I don't think crushed coral is a good idea in the first place, unless your water is for some strange reason really super acidic to begin with.
Coral increases the pH in water, whereas the waters of the Amazon Basin are on the acidic side.


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

Piranha_man said:


> I don't think crushed coral is a good idea in the first place, unless your water is for some strange reason really super acidic to begin with.
> Coral increases the pH in water, whereas the waters of the Amazon Basin are on the acidic side.
> [snapback]1001948[/snapback]​


I can't speak for sprtslvr785's parameters but mine GH is 71.6 and KH is 53.7 ppm
with a PH of 7.0. You can see why i need it. My params with the crushed coral are GH = 125.3 , KH = 107.4 ppm, and PH = 7.6 and this is after a week before my scheduled water change.


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## sprtslvr785 (Mar 3, 2005)

Piranha_man said:


> I don't think crushed coral is a good idea in the first place, unless your water is for some strange reason really super acidic to begin with.
> Coral increases the pH in water, whereas the waters of the Amazon Basin are on the acidic side.
> [snapback]1001948[/snapback]​


I am going to put cichlids in this tank, and they require a higher ph than piranhas.


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## sprtslvr785 (Mar 3, 2005)

Ok so the tank is still cloudy as of today. What should I do? Its been 2 weeks


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## Methuzela (Apr 27, 2004)

my PH is really low, like off the scale. would crushed coral bring it up?? if so let me know how much to use etc. don't mean to hijack the thread or anyhting.....thanks


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

sprtslvr785 said:


> Ok so the tank is still cloudy as of today. What should I do? Its been 2 weeks
> [snapback]1012005[/snapback]​


Can you add on mechanical filtration ? Is your current filter clogged ?? Your experience is bringing back memories the first time i threw sand in a tank full of water and did not clean it. Took a f'n month for me in that case.


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## sprtslvr785 (Mar 3, 2005)

jerry_plakyda said:


> sprtslvr785 said:
> 
> 
> > Ok so the tank is still cloudy as of today. What should I do? Its been 2 weeks
> ...


I just ordered an Xp3 filter for the tank last night. I also ordered, ceramic rings, stars and a micro pad. So ill see what that does to it.


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## sprtslvr785 (Mar 3, 2005)

Hooked the XP3 up tonight, so we will se what happens


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

sprtslvr785 said:


> Piranha_man said:
> 
> 
> > I don't think crushed coral is a good idea in the first place, unless your water is for some strange reason really super acidic to begin with.
> ...


Ahhh, cool. 
Africans?


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