Hi so I finally got my stand set up but its the middle of winter so i cant go and wash stroebought sand. I am going in a week or two to go and collect some stones from a clean river because its so much cheaper than ordering, I was wondering if i could also collect substrate there. The river should be in the low 30's due to it being in new hampshire and it beging fed by moutian springs. If I did collect the substrate could I just put it straight into the tank or would I still need to wash it?
Collecting Substrate
- Thread starter TheFishDodo
- Start date
You’d still need to wash it. And I’d be worried about contamination. Rocks can easily be bleached, but substrate would be a pain in the butt. It would just be best to buy some from a store.
I bought sand last month. It was tedious washing it, but worth it.
To wash it you just need to put a few inches into a 5g bucket, fill with water while sloshing it around, then dump outside. Repeat as needed.
This is easier if you have a python or similar hose so you can be close to the door, or in my case a window with the screen removed.
I bought sand last month. It was tedious washing it, but worth it.
To wash it you just need to put a few inches into a 5g bucket, fill with water while sloshing it around, then dump outside. Repeat as needed.
This is easier if you have a python or similar hose so you can be close to the door, or in my case a window with the screen removed.
Rocks are fine, I would not collect the substrate, too much risk of there being pollution in it, which would be difficult to remove.
I do but my house runs on a septic system so a lot of silt in the system is a big nono
You could get Pool filter sand. Why can't you wash sand outside in the winter? You could get an adapter to hook a garden hose up to a faucet if the outdoor spigot doesn't work in the winter.
Seems like the consenus is no for collecting substrate. To answer a few things.
I think i should be able to convince my mom to let me turn on the spigot on sunday because its not supposed to get below freezing for a few days then. I might be able to use a faucet adapter at my dads house though.
I am not really fond of the color of Pool filter sand. About the adapter all of the faucets in my house have heads which are not adapter friendly.
I would so it but I'm still in highschool so my mom calls the shots and she says no which doesnt make sense because it seems washing sand is the same thing as flushing hydrants in the terms of particles.It's never stopped me.
I think i should be able to convince my mom to let me turn on the spigot on sunday because its not supposed to get below freezing for a few days then. I might be able to use a faucet adapter at my dads house though.
I have a septic system as well. Like is said, just fill whatever buckets you can with a few inches of substrate and the rest with water. Slosh them around then take them outside to dump. I did this with a whole 50lb bag of sand. You gotta do what you gotta do. Lol
Ill try and do this. Quick question I am going to use all purpose sand is that aquarium safe if not is there another natural looking aquarium sand?