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Re: Tetra Initial Sticks - What a Mess
Mark Stahlke wrote:
>
> Hello APDers,
> I'm setting up a new tank today. A beautiful 46g bow front. The substrate
> *was* enriched with Tetra Initial Sticks dosed per the directions. I say
> *was* because it isn't anymore. I stirred up the gravel quite a bit while
> installing a large piece of driftwood. I'd soaked the driftwood for a week
> and it's screwed to a chunk of slate but I still had trouble with it
> floating.
It's usually best to install driftwood, large stones and the like before
the substrate goes in. You probably figured that one out :-).
I suggest that you drain as much of the water out of the tank as you can.
Install the driftwood and whatever with the water level low or gone, then
refill. Be very careful not to disturb the substrate when you refill.
After its refilled, use a floculent (several brands, should be available
at your LFS) to aid in filtering and settling the suspended material.
This gives you an alternative to pulling out the substrate, washing it out
and starting over with the additive limited to the lowest layer of the
substrate. Unfortunately, you may have mixed your substrate enough already
that any further disturbances (like plantintg) will give you big cloudy
water problems.
Roger Miller