Cloudy water in new tank

[TonksKingsley]

Me again. I set up a new tank yesterday and it's still really cloudy. I got sand and clearly didn't wash it properly. I have changed half the water, had the filter on, had the filter off and it just doesn't seem to be settling. I guess my main question is, can I put my axolotls in while it's still this murky?! I have a picture below...

 

[Blackbun]

Hi TonksKingsley. Keep your filter running and give it a chance to do its job. Remember a decent filter is not just about removing solids it's also about developing a healthy microbial population which will help break down some of your animals' waste and they need a constant flow of water to provide them with oxygen. Turn it off, and you'll create anaerobic conditions and open a whole new bag of problems. Very fine, particulate material held in suspension will eventually settle if there is no water agitation. With a filter running, this isn't the case and so I'd advise increasing the density of your filter medium or the size/length of the filter column. Mostly, this cloudy suspension is just not aesthetic, It looks horrid but does not impede gaseous exchange by the gills. I'd be happy to put an animal in this water, despite the cloud, providing the water has been allowed to age but I'd keep an eye on the health of the gills and let that be your judge. It's actually the things you can't see dissolved in the water, which causes the biggest issues to your animals.

 

[AxolotlChris]

If your tank is not cycled, you can empty the tank and clean the sand properly. I used a large pillow case and poured all my sand into it, then ran water with a hose into the pillow case. You can keep rinsing the sand and mixing it until the water draining from the bottom of the pillow case runs clear. Then when you fill your tank up with water you would be better off filling it using a hose otherwise pouring buckets of water in stirs the sand a lot.

I would always heavily clean my sand first just so I don't have any hassle when it's in the tank.

 

[Axy239]

They both have excellent points. But like Chris said, if youre not cycled yet, clean the sand. First siphon or decoration change and it more than likely will cloud back up.

You could try making a water polisher with a powerhead and a some filter floss. All that fine sand can get into the filter. Even heard a story about some getting into a vortex and spinning a hole through the filterbox.