Dear hobby:
Okay, that’s cool — it’s important to take all the time you need when setting up a new aquarium so that you are comfortable with the process and know that everything is progressing according to plan.
It’s customary to add the substrate and rockwork to a new aquarium before it is entirely filled with water because the sand and rocks, etc., will displace a considerable amount of the water and you don’t want your tank to overflow. But you can simply remove a portion of the saltwater when you’re ready to add the substrate and rockwork, so that’s not really an obstacle at all.
If the new aquarium is filled with freshly mixed saltwater, do you have the pumps and filters operating to circulate the water? If not, I would expect the cloudy water to clear up once you turn on or plug-in the pumps and the filtration equipment begins to circulate and filter the water. That will help to dissolve the salt mix more thoroughly and remove any fine particular matter or suspended particles.
Keep the viewing surfaces of the aquarium clean and keep the newly mixed saltwater circulating throughout the filtration system, and the water should be crystal clear before you know it.
Good luck and keep us updated on the progress of the cloudy tank.
Respectfully,
Pete Giwojna
Ocean Rider, Inc. is an Organic Hawaiian-Based Seahorse Aqua-Farm & Aquarium that Follows Strict Good Farming Practices in Raising Seahorses and Other Aquatic Life.
