Help!! Dirt?!?!

[hobbez01]

My two foot planted tank is about one week old. A layer of grey "dirt" seems to have settled on my plants. Its more obvious on my nana with big leaves and makes the tank look dirty. And I have no idea where it comes from. Using internal ocean free filter and curently cycling so having no fishes. Help!!

[loupgarou]

what's in your substrate?

[vinz]

Probably sediments that were floating in the water after setup.... just wave your hand over them or rub gently with fingers...

[hobbez01]

substrate is sera substrate... problem is that i use my hands to clean the plants leaves and then the water will have a lot of particles .....then after some time they settle on the plants again

[kennedy_ng]

hey u r not the only one with this problem mine is worse settle on my moss very hard to remove

[sherchoo]

huh... scang7 = hobbez01?

[loupgarou]

a) get the sediment stirred up.
b) water change immediately.

rinse and repeat.

---
it all depends on your substrate/gravel mix, how many cm of each?
did you wash the gravel?

I once used kitty litter and it will have this suffocating sediment that will kill every plant in the tank by blocking the light.

[bclee]

Are you using Sera Floredepot?

This is supposed to be a bottom gravel. It is recommended that you have a layer of covering gravel over the Floredepot.

BC

[Goondoo]

Actually, why bother? (unless it covers your plants completely)

Let the tank cycle and after that, while doing a water change before adding more fishes, syphon them out.

[vinz]

I sometimes get the same problem but much less, when I uproot and replant. If you have fishes, their foraging and general swimming about will usually clear the layer within a day or two. Shrimps help too.

No fish/shrimp? DIY.

You should clear it so that your plants can get the light.