Mistake While Using Activated Carbon

[SnakeEyes27]

I've been cycling my tank for ~3 weeks now and heard alot of good things about Chemi-Pure Elite so i followed the directions and rinsed lightly and added it to my sump yesterday.

I woke up this morning to a black tank! Since removing the LR visibility is almost zero.

I called my LFS and they let me know that i should have vigorously washed out the chemi-pure to get some of the smaller carbon out. They also said the water will be fine but its just gona be a pain in the ass to get off the sand.

Whats the best way to remove the carbon from the water? Right now I've hooked up filter floss to my returns, but thats really it. I plan to siphon the sand once the cloud falls again.

Please advise!!!

Also:
Should i just scrap the water and refill? Again I am just starting out cycling the tank. I would hate for the carbon to give me problems down the road.

 

[CHEMCHEF]

Diatom Filter. Buying one is beneficial. You will use it often

 

[NYreefNoob]

use a filter with floss pad, ( polishing pad )very small micro

 

[SnakeEyes27]

How much do these go for? If its something that I will use frequently I gues I should buy one ASAP.

Also do you think the best idea would be to drain the tank?

 

[NYreefNoob]

if you have a sump you could place the floss pad blocking before return pad
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4136+4335&pcatid=4335

 

[SnakeEyes27]

After two hours and pulling alot of carbon out of the floss with no noticable improvement Im gona drain the tank. I dont think it is necessary, but it may be the easiest and cheapest solution. I think It'll make it easier to clean the sand and it will only take 24 hours and cost me salt...

 

[reefnhard]

i did the same thing thank god it only happen while it was in the sump and i have a filter on the pump b4 it goes bak to the tank

 

[SnakeEyes27]

Reefnhard,

I dont have a fliter on my sump pump. What kind do you use? Any recomendations?

 

[reefnhard]

its just a regulare sponge filter dont know if itll work because its already in the tank if you can gently sifon your sand but u may suck to much bacteria trying to get it out so scoop off whats black instead

 

[SevTT]

Should i just scrap the water and refill? Again I am just starting out cycling the tank. I would hate for the carbon to give me problems down the road.

The carbon won't cause any problems, it'll just be ugly. At this point, your best bet probably is just to drain the tank, clean/syphon off the top blackened layer of sand, and then refill and add some more clean sand on top. You probably will wind up with a thin dark line at some depth in your sandbed, but you can just tell people it was from a meteor impact.

 

[CHEMCHEF]

If you buy a vortex diatom filter, and use the output hose to stirr things up a little. the carbon will be gone within 2 hours. Guaranteed. The added benefit is that you will be polishing your water with the very same carbon while you clean your tank.
Aside from the fact that you will probably find alot of uses for it down the road.
http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/pro...8wgPq54iSsDo9XRHYaxZ13fsspCnLmCoCfg46jqwJjRLQ__

 

[aznt1217]

I just used filter floss... and my tank was fine? lol. I didn't even rinse the chemi pure..

 

[SnakeEyes27]

Haha, i like the metoer impact story. Tank will be filled up again tomorrow, gona ave to buy more salt though...

 

[SevTT]

Haha, i like the metoer impact story. Tank will be filled up again tomorrow, gona ave to buy more salt though...

Your very own K-T boundary in miniature! Just add iridium!