Any tips on clearing the milk??
 

Anyone got any tricks on clearing up the milkiness from adding new sand? At the current rate, I won't see my rock for another week:)

Stuff the sump with filter floss and rinse it out as often as you can

J

Got an old canister filter or power head with filter attachment kicking around? Run one of those for a bit and it should help I reckon.

Find someone with a Diatom filter you can borrow, clear you right up in a couple hours.

Any kind of mechanical filter will work, you can use filter socks or floss as mentioned. Adding canister filters is a good idea as mentions and I've also found a skimmer to also be quite effective. Mine would always pull out a dark white milky substance and speed things up a little. Really it should only take a day or two before it's clear enough to deal with.

Is this the 180 gallon? What happened to BB?

The skimmer is doing a great job, but water quality doesn't seem to be improving.
Ya, I'd love to get my hands on a diotom filter, but I haven't seen one in years. Not sure you can even buy the earth anymore..

I'll try some filter socks, no cannister filters around here.

Maybe someone has a diatom filter you could borrow? I'm pretty sure you can still buy them but the question is whether it's worthwhile for just clearing out the milkiness since that is going to happen anyhow, given enough time.

I just used filter socks and the skimmer to clear it out on my 280g. Took about a week I'd say.

a week is kinda pushing it, after my "event" in the 90, I would like to get stuff transferred over today or tomorrow..

Ya, don't want to buy a diatom filter, just haven't even seen them in years. We used to have a LFS that would rent one for a day

Hagen powerhead Quick filters work the best if you can't find a diatiom filter. Clears it up very fast.

I have two HOT magnum 250's with the element filter.. they work great. come pick them up.

Steve

I have a diatom filter Brad and a hunk in bag of powder.. You can borrow it for a few days if you need. Can someone who has Brads number call him for me?

What happened in the 90, Brad?

Edit: never mind, found your other thread. Clam spawn .. yummy. Do you only have the one skimmer? I'd put a skimmer back on your 90 and let it clear out. Clam spawn on its own shouldn't be too hard on things so long as you don't have an O2 depletion (the real bigger immediate risk). But rushing through the pushover to the new tank has risks associated with it as well.

Steve, damn, just drove past your house, shoulda stopped in :)

Shelley, as discussed, I'll see you later today.

Tony, ya, only one skimmer and the sump is shut down, with no room to even put it in the tank. The O2 dropped but I've got a PH pointing at the surface, which has helped. The new tank is ready(ish) as soon as I can see, and I'll add as much existing rock to the sump as I can. I'll make up 50g of new water just in case, but I think I should be ok once the milk is clear...

Maybe put the call out to borrow a skimmer. Likely someone has one lying around they aint using...

I think the disaster has been averted in the 90 for now, but I don't want to push it, so if all goes well today, Ill be moving everything over tonight.

Which will result in a lot of frags available, I guess I should start a frag thread :)

Brad - I have an old Fluval 404 canister filiter that has been in the garage forever. You can have it if you want. I think all the pieces are there.

Thanks Tyler, but Shelley has a diatom filter I can use, just gonna run over and grab it. Should clear the tank in an hour.

How'd it go last night? Did you end up moving everyone over?

Half the stuff is moved, water is crystal clear. Just transferring lights now (after I replace a ballast) and then catch the rest of the fish. So far, so good...

Cool! Good luck with the rest, can't wait to see the new setup.

Good to hear it worked Brad.. Don't be too careful moving those corals tho.. I'm expecting a few outstanding frags :mrgreen:

Actually, so far I mostly have nothing, everything is coming off the rocks really well :)

Maybe it's time to start drinking?:wink: