# how long does this take?



## Gilraen Took

Yesterday I set up my 20 with a bag of flourite. I pulled the fluorite out of the bag and rinsed it a few times before setting it on the bottom of the nearly empty tank. Then I slowly filled it. Water still became completely brown, which I expected, so I put a lot of filter floss in my HoB. I've been rinsing that stuff out every hour or so and the tank is still really cloudy. An hour or so ago I unplugged the HoB to see if that would help it settle, but left a powerhead going. How long should it take for the rest of the much to become clear again? I can see the intake of my filter foggily around 4-6" from the side of the tank with the lights on so far. I'd really like to get it started cycling soon.


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## epicfish

Rex Grigg said:


> Ok, here is the way I wash substrates that need to be washed. Go to the local home improvement store and get a paint strainer that fits over a 5 gallon bucket, if you don't have a 5 gallon bucket get one of those also. Take the strainer and place it over the bucket. Pour about 5 lbs of the substrate in question into the strainer. Use the hose to wash the substrate. Don't use a high pressure sprayer. You don't want or need to break it up just get it clean. Now pull the strainer off the bucket, dump the water and repeat till the water is fairly clear. Using this method will save the "fines" but get rid of the dust. Substrates that benefit from this method are Flourite, Onyx, and plain old sand or gravel. Don't wash Eco-Complete.


I would've washed it a TON before adding it to the tank.


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## Gilraen Took

I had a cup of it in a drinking glass and ran water from the tap into the cup until it overflowed clear, poured it out and repeated. Lol, assumed it'd be enough


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## DonaldmBoyer

I would quit the powerhead flow......if you have a Magnum350 canister, put your water polisher filter in it. If you don't, you could try diatom based filter. With enough water changes, it will eventually clear up! It is a pain!!!


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## BigRed27

I just rinsed my very very well and put it in the tank. There was a little cloudiness but it died off quickly. No big deal really.


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## freakmonkey1423

I made the mistake of dumping a whole bag in a pre-filled tank. MUD. I emptied all the water and refilled it while stirring the substrate. It took me 2 hours with two 5 gallon buckets filling continuously in the bath tub. I poured on in then took it out, got the next one repeat. It sucked but it is clear now. 

Short story, change the water over and over and over again. You could let it settle, but it will get kicked up easily.


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## mhoy

I put 2 cups of fluorite into a wire mesh colander and flushed a LOT of water though it with a tap and a spray. Next time I'll use a garden hose since it still clouded up for a day.


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## BigB

I rinsed maybe half a bag for my 10 gallon it never ran clear, so i just dumped the other half into the tank cause i got tired of rinsing. lol. Filled the tank very slow with a siphon and stuck the output into the gravel super mud!!! Shoved the AC 20 full of filter floss, around 9pm woke up at 10am tank was clear.

most of the time it will take 12-24 hours for it to clear up, on the bag it says may cloud water will clear in 2-24hours lol.


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## styderman

I never had this problem?


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## rs79

There's a trick to flourite - wash it outside then LET IT DRY.

For some reason this minimizes the increadable amount of cloudiness it usually makes.


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