[Wingz]

I've just added topsoil to the base of my substrate. Do you guys leave the filter and power head on or off after filling up the water? How long does it normally take to clear up?

Thanks in Advance

 

[Optix]

turn on filter...add plants...wait for tank to cycle....add fish

 

[Wingz]

Is it normal for my water to stay cloudy (approx. 24hrs later)? How long does it take to clear up?

 

[shrimpNewbie]

yes it can take quite a while depending on how thick you made your cap and how strong your filter is =p

 

[Dr. Acula]

Cloudiness from a mud substrate takes forever to go away, in my experience. I'd definitely go ahead and run the filters, and I'd suggest doing big water changes to hurry it along. Just be careful not to disturb the substrate too much when you're adding water back in, else you'll be back to square one, or worse off than when you started.

 

[Wingz]

Thanks folks, I thought I did something wrong :s

 

[Daximus]

Mine is still a little yellow and cloudy after a three days, and I did about 3 50% water changes, filter running the whole time. The cloud is so fine, I'm not convinced any amount of normal filtration would un-cloud it. I think the kind of soil used effects this as well. In my tank, it's more of a stained water than a cloud, but it's really starting to look nice on day three. I'm thinking one more water change and one more day mine should be perfect.

 

[Wingz]

I might try and add some scheme clearity to see if it helps.

 

[Daximus]

I might try and add some scheme clearity to see if it helps.

I might have missed this...but did you plant some plants yet?

 

[Wingz]

I might have missed this...but did you plant some plants yet?

Yes, I have some moss, one amazon sword, and spaced out some Glosso on the foreground.

 

[Wingz]

Did anyone took pictures of their dirt setup from day1 untile the water is clear? BTW does adding alot of plants from the start help the water get clear faster?