Any time we disturb our sand beds in a large way we face the possibility of short term problems.

Its not the silicates that cause the Algea outbreaks, they contribute to diatom outbreaks. It is the decomposing of material bound to, or surrounding sand/mud that contributes to problems.

It takes upwards of three months for a new cycle to run its course after a large change to a sandbed. In this I am refering to the Micro life re-establishing a balance that directly affects the Nitrogen offgassing we are looking for.

The biggest detractor to non-calcium based sands is, they dont break down at the pH we attain in a deep sandbed. Grain size and cleanliness are the most important factors when establishing or adding material to a sand/mud bed.

Rinse really well with fresh water. Then soak for at least 24 hours in water change saltwater to establish a bio film on the particles that are going to be put into our system. This helps with the cloudiness and helps speed up the normal cycle of events in a sandbed.