Guys, Ive got a situation and Im hoping for some solid advice. My Dad has about 15 tanks in his basement. Filled with gravel of various colors but mostly red. 10 plus years ago he was no longer able to care for them because of work and health issues. He got rid of his fish and emptied the tanks of water, the gravel stayed and now is covered in dust and who knows what else. He now is retired and working on the health issue and asked me about getting the tanks cleaned up. I told him it is a pretty intense job as they are very dirty but Im willing toput in the elbow grease to clean everything up. I probably would have tossed the gravel and started over but thats not my dads style. So I guess my biggest question is how to clean this gravel and how to get the tanks clean. Thanks in advance.
old gravel
- Thread starter justwinbb
- Start date
Way I have cleaned old gravel that had dust build up is by putting it in a 5 gallon bucket or bigger and using water fill it up. Don't allow it to overflow just yet but use your hand and stir around the rocks till it gets cloudy. Put the hose back in and allow the old dirty water to just flow out. I've also used my hands to turn the rock while its overflowing also.
This has worked great for me
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I would pretty much the same except I would leave the hose in the bucket and keep it running and let the water over flow the bucket. While this is happening, I would vigorously run my hands throughout the gravel, mixing and churning things up to loosen up all the debris. With the water over flowing the bucket, the debris should leave the bucket with the over flowing water. Keep doing this until you don't notice any more debris. Hope this makes sense.
OP, if you don't mind doing smaller quantities at a time, this would be a great way to do it also.
Hello; Allow me to add a skin saving addition to the clean in a bucket method. I use an old broom handle with a round end to stir the gravel.
I use a 5 gallon bucket and do about a gallon or so of dirty gravel at a time. I have a nozzle on the hose set to have a jet of water. i put the dirty gravel in the bucket and hit it with the jet of water until the water covers the gravel. I then stop the water and stir with the broom handle (or a stick or such). The stirring gets more of the dirt suspended in the water. I then quickly pour off the dirty water being careful not to let the gravel get out. This rinse, stir and pour is repeated untill the water is clean enough. I say clean enough as I have found it does not have to be perfect to be clean enough to use. You need at least one other bucket to dump the cleaned gravel into, maybe more than one depending on how much gravel you have.
I generally do this outside during warm weather. I always get wet. Feet and shoes for sure will be wet. I also do not dump the dirty water into a drain, even a basement drain. I do it outside.
Also be aware as to how much cleaned gravel you put into the buckets as they will have to be carried about.
I will look for an old post about cleaning tanks and may post it later.
Good luck
I use a 5 gallon bucket and do about a gallon or so of dirty gravel at a time. I have a nozzle on the hose set to have a jet of water. i put the dirty gravel in the bucket and hit it with the jet of water until the water covers the gravel. I then stop the water and stir with the broom handle (or a stick or such). The stirring gets more of the dirt suspended in the water. I then quickly pour off the dirty water being careful not to let the gravel get out. This rinse, stir and pour is repeated untill the water is clean enough. I say clean enough as I have found it does not have to be perfect to be clean enough to use. You need at least one other bucket to dump the cleaned gravel into, maybe more than one depending on how much gravel you have.
I generally do this outside during warm weather. I always get wet. Feet and shoes for sure will be wet. I also do not dump the dirty water into a drain, even a basement drain. I do it outside.
Also be aware as to how much cleaned gravel you put into the buckets as they will have to be carried about.
I will look for an old post about cleaning tanks and may post it later.
Good luck
5 gallon bucket with a few drilled holes in the bottom too small for gravel. this will allow debris to run out the bottom and the holes are to small to handle the flow so the bucket overflows as well. place the hose under the gravel and it should stir it. you never have to put your hands in the water
Hello; I like to find a place outside if the weather is decent. (Usually the tailgate of my pickup for smaller tanks) I fill a tank up and let it stand with water for a while, this should soften up the stuff that can be softened. Rinse out the easy gunk.
A tank full of water is heavy and bulky, you may want to siphon out the rinse water to avoid potentially breaking of the glass from extra handling. I like to use a long clear plastic siphon hose of 1/2 to 5/8 inch diameter. After siphoning as much water from the tank while it is sitting flat, I raise up one end of the tank and with care place a piece of 2x4 under that end (the board needs to be longer than the tank is wide) (tall edge up to give 3 1/2 inches rise.) This sends the water to the other end where the siphon can pick it up while you spray water in the other side with a hose and flush the remaining loose junk.
You will likely have to start the siphon several times in water that you do not want in your mouth.. This is why I use a clear plastic siphon that is plenty long so as to see where the water is. You can also often start a siphon by completely submerging a hose and then holding a thumb over one end and avoid the potential for water in the mouth.
I usually give a tank a good cleaning with a paste made from ordinary table salt (Without iodine) and a soft sponge. (Do not use a sponge or cloth that has been used with soap or chemicals.)(I have buckets and sponges that are used only for my tanks.)The salt paste does not scratch glass (be sure the sponge or cloth used to apply the paste with is not coarse enough to scratch the glass on its own and watch for bits of gravel that seem to jump into the salt paste.) The salt paste does a fair job at removing the deposits from the surface of the glass with a little rubbing. (Letting the salt paste dry to a haze should desiccate most critters if you want to somewhat disinfect a diseased tank.) I have used such a salt paste many times over the decades. Be sure to use NON-IODIZED table salt that can be found in grocery stores. The salt is cheap and rinses away well. (NOTE- There have been a few posts suggesting that iodized salt is ok to use. I have suspected this but have always used the non-iodized salt.)
For stubborn mineral deposits, a razor blade in a holder that gives a firm grip is useful. Use a shallow the angle on the blade and keep an eye on the corners of the blade. The corners sometimes get bent and will scratch a thin line. A bit of vinegar can also help soften mineral deposits.
Rinse the salt paste out.
After I get a tank clean and it is still outside is a good time to fill it up and let it sit for several hours to a day or so. This gives leaks a chance to show up.
Another thing that has saved the bottom of an all glass tank is to be very careful in the handling of a tank. Be sure any place you plan to set the tank down has no raised bits that can contact the bottom of the glass. I often cut a sheet of plywood to place a tank on when moving and also under the tank when on the stand. Watch going thru doors for things like door knobs and such.
I also like to glue to the outside corners of a tank some clear plastic corner protectors. I have found such protectors that are made to protect the outside corners of wallpaper applications. They are often a bit wide so I trim them down and silicone them in place on the outside of an all glass tank. This helps prevent chips on a glass edge.
Good luck
A tank full of water is heavy and bulky, you may want to siphon out the rinse water to avoid potentially breaking of the glass from extra handling. I like to use a long clear plastic siphon hose of 1/2 to 5/8 inch diameter. After siphoning as much water from the tank while it is sitting flat, I raise up one end of the tank and with care place a piece of 2x4 under that end (the board needs to be longer than the tank is wide) (tall edge up to give 3 1/2 inches rise.) This sends the water to the other end where the siphon can pick it up while you spray water in the other side with a hose and flush the remaining loose junk.
You will likely have to start the siphon several times in water that you do not want in your mouth.. This is why I use a clear plastic siphon that is plenty long so as to see where the water is. You can also often start a siphon by completely submerging a hose and then holding a thumb over one end and avoid the potential for water in the mouth.
I usually give a tank a good cleaning with a paste made from ordinary table salt (Without iodine) and a soft sponge. (Do not use a sponge or cloth that has been used with soap or chemicals.)(I have buckets and sponges that are used only for my tanks.)The salt paste does not scratch glass (be sure the sponge or cloth used to apply the paste with is not coarse enough to scratch the glass on its own and watch for bits of gravel that seem to jump into the salt paste.) The salt paste does a fair job at removing the deposits from the surface of the glass with a little rubbing. (Letting the salt paste dry to a haze should desiccate most critters if you want to somewhat disinfect a diseased tank.) I have used such a salt paste many times over the decades. Be sure to use NON-IODIZED table salt that can be found in grocery stores. The salt is cheap and rinses away well. (NOTE- There have been a few posts suggesting that iodized salt is ok to use. I have suspected this but have always used the non-iodized salt.)
For stubborn mineral deposits, a razor blade in a holder that gives a firm grip is useful. Use a shallow the angle on the blade and keep an eye on the corners of the blade. The corners sometimes get bent and will scratch a thin line. A bit of vinegar can also help soften mineral deposits.
Rinse the salt paste out.
After I get a tank clean and it is still outside is a good time to fill it up and let it sit for several hours to a day or so. This gives leaks a chance to show up.
Another thing that has saved the bottom of an all glass tank is to be very careful in the handling of a tank. Be sure any place you plan to set the tank down has no raised bits that can contact the bottom of the glass. I often cut a sheet of plywood to place a tank on when moving and also under the tank when on the stand. Watch going thru doors for things like door knobs and such.
I also like to glue to the outside corners of a tank some clear plastic corner protectors. I have found such protectors that are made to protect the outside corners of wallpaper applications. They are often a bit wide so I trim them down and silicone them in place on the outside of an all glass tank. This helps prevent chips on a glass edge.
Good luck