I agree, go with pool filter sand. Its cheap and easy, and will help to avoid problems in the future. Plus detritus collects on top of it, rather than dropping down through the cracks and settling underneath. I have to do way more maintenance on my rock-bottom tanks than my sand-bottom tanks.
140 Gallon Indoor Turtle Pond Build
- Thread starter Jkessler623
- Start date
if you wah it well and the grain size isn't supper small it won't get sucked in... much. Keep the intake up off the bottom a little bit. Plus with canisters the pump is usually the last part so th sand gets stuck in the foam filter.
Pool filter sand should be heavy enough that you won't get much kicked up into your filter. Especially if you keep it at lest 4-6" off the bottom. They might root through the sand a lot, but I don't think they'll quite kick it up like some fish do (at least my false map turtle didn't).
Place the end of a garden hose in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket.
Fill bucket 3/4 full with sand.
Turn water on to a slow-moderate speed. You want to agitate the sand, but not blow it out of the bucket.
Slowly move the end of the hose up and down and around the bottom of the bucket.
As the water flows out and the sand is agitated, all the smaller, lighter particles will be carried out with the water. The larger heavier particles will stay in the bucket.
After about 15 minutes or so, the water coming from the bucket should be clear. At this point, dump the sand into the tank, and start with the next batch, repeating the above steps.
Fill bucket 3/4 full with sand.
Turn water on to a slow-moderate speed. You want to agitate the sand, but not blow it out of the bucket.
Slowly move the end of the hose up and down and around the bottom of the bucket.
As the water flows out and the sand is agitated, all the smaller, lighter particles will be carried out with the water. The larger heavier particles will stay in the bucket.
After about 15 minutes or so, the water coming from the bucket should be clear. At this point, dump the sand into the tank, and start with the next batch, repeating the above steps.
Conner;4003132; said:
Try only filling it 1/3 of the way with sand and putting in a garden hose full blast until the bucket is full, then turn the hose off and pour out the water, stopping when you start to get sand. Repeat until water is clear.
Make SURE you remove any sprayers from your hose, you WILL destroy them.
On the filter note, canister filters are largely unaffected by sand and my emperor 400 hasn't been affected yet.
jschall;4002623; said:
Isn't that the point of the filter? to collect waste rather than letting it float around in the main tank?
BTW, I've been using a Jebao 818 for a while now and have had no problems, besides the fact that the plumbing is all green, so it sticks out in my tank, but if you spraypaint it, you should have no problem.
Looks like a great build. GL
