ok heres the deal, im currently filling my 500g tank. i got 600 lbs white "desert" sand for landscaping and sandboxes from home depot... first im assuming its ok for my fish and catfish, but how necessary is it to wash? and what if i dont wash it will it just fill my 200 micron filter socks or will the water always b cloudy? its just a ton of sand (well just over a quarter ton) and how do you effectively wash it?
washing sand... necessary?
- Thread starter brich999
- Start date
Washing is a must IMO. I have seen a few brands not cloud water but they are not cheap. Not washing it risks the impellers on your pumps/filters being burned up so a little effort on the front end can save you some cash down the road. I use buckets and a hose. Hose in until the water runs clean, basically. Stir up the sand in the buckets with the hose and once it runs clear dump it in the tank. You have a day of washing no matter how you look at it if you decide to wash it.
I wash my sand in 5 gallon buckets about 30-35 pounds at a time...
Get a hose fill the bucket that has the sand in with water and stir it up until the water clears up.. Then dump into the tank.
I would recommend you move your fish at least until youre done with the cleaning and putting it in.
Even after cleaning it though you usually have to let it settle( i usually do so for about an hour then power on my filters), and by the next day the water is crystal clear.
Another thing that will help is if you empty about 1/2 the tank water when putting in the sand, when you add the new clean water it will clear up quite a bit. Good luck.
Get a hose fill the bucket that has the sand in with water and stir it up until the water clears up.. Then dump into the tank.
I would recommend you move your fish at least until youre done with the cleaning and putting it in.
Even after cleaning it though you usually have to let it settle( i usually do so for about an hour then power on my filters), and by the next day the water is crystal clear.
Another thing that will help is if you empty about 1/2 the tank water when putting in the sand, when you add the new clean water it will clear up quite a bit. Good luck.
I've run probably the same sand. I know it was play sand. You have to wash this stuff even though it most likely says prerinsed or something. I didn't once in a 90 and spent the night pretty much rinsing it/doing WC in tank (fish moved to other tanks temporarily) as it was beyond cloudy. Then I added a product I find to work well called crystal clear (walmart sells it cheap) and it took care of what I couldn't. I don't recommend doing what I did ever, just rinse it. I do however recommend that crystal clear of the little bit that will still give you trouble after rinsing.
Also adding water gently as not to disturb sand helps, dumping sand in water is a far different story.
Also adding water gently as not to disturb sand helps, dumping sand in water is a far different story.
I agree as well but...
I used pool filter sand for the first time last week sometime.. so I'm doing my thing.. bathtub, bucket, sand in bucket... water on full blast.. put the bucket underneath the water to clean and I start stiring... so water turns out clear, first go around.. so I'm thinking I'm just seeing things.. so I do it again.. I'm thinking SOB this shizzy is clean!!!! There was no point in me prewashing it.. I mean I might have cleaned off very minimal.. but for me not signifigant enough to spend my whole night there by the tub..
so instead I ripped the bag a big o'l hole and poured straight in... step stool and all!! Water is crisp and clean.. I have no complaints...
I used pool filter sand for the first time last week sometime.. so I'm doing my thing.. bathtub, bucket, sand in bucket... water on full blast.. put the bucket underneath the water to clean and I start stiring... so water turns out clear, first go around.. so I'm thinking I'm just seeing things.. so I do it again.. I'm thinking SOB this shizzy is clean!!!! There was no point in me prewashing it.. I mean I might have cleaned off very minimal.. but for me not signifigant enough to spend my whole night there by the tub..
so instead I ripped the bag a big o'l hole and poured straight in... step stool and all!! Water is crisp and clean.. I have no complaints...
^ must have been good stuff, hopefully I can find similar quality when I do the 180. Seeing how he is asking about playsand though, extremely good chance it will need rinsed.
fishmamma;5031855; said:
Did you happen to use Leslie's brand PFS? I bought that for my 125 and it required little to no rinsing. I was so happy.
I do think the stuff that the OP bought would need to be washed for sure.
Joe M;5031889; said:Did you happen to use Leslie's brand PFS? I bought that for my 125 and it required little to no rinsing. I was so happy.
I do think the stuff that the OP bought would need to be washed for sure.
I sure did! Southernsomething or another.. how observant of you..
and yes, because it is playsand I would rinse..