washing sand?

[new2natives]

whats the most effective way to wash pool filter sand before putting it in the tank?
i thought i did a good job when i set up my 180g, but it was cloudy for a long time after i added sand, and i would prefer to not have to deal with it again

tank is a 90g fyi (and the tank is just being set up later today)
i already have it filled and filters running, so if i need to stop that to add sand, let me know

 

[haynchinook334]

put the sand in pellow case and wash it like that.

 

[Druu]

Or pour the sand into 5 gallon buckets and rinse until the water is clear. Should take you a few times, but it's worth it for clear water.

 

[midnight]

check my diy thread below for how i clean it and add it with no cloudiness

 

[andyjs]

put the sand in pellow case and wash it like that.

Ah, it bothers me when people say it like that and you even spelled it like that...lol pIllow

I barely even rinsed mine at all and the tank was slightly cloudy for maybe a half hour. I guess it depends on the brand. With play sand though, I've always put some in a tub that's propped at a slight angle (so all the water runs out one side) and ran water up through it (shoved a hose down into the lowest corner of the tub) for a little while.

 

[Ransom]

i get a large stacking box ( one you put ontop of wardrobes)

put my sand in turn the hose on and keep swirling the sand around with my hand (warm water helps)
then every now and again just tip the box up slightly to get rid of some of the water,

keep doing this untill its clean,

takes about 20mins but it works

 

[Lady G]

5 gallon bucket here too, then when adding the water to the tank, I pour it though a strainer!

 

[haynchinook334]

PILLOW CASE!!!!!!


pool filter sand is a lot cleaner then play sand, so it's not that hard to clean.

 

[new2natives]

thanks guys, if i would have had a pillowcase handy i would have tried it ... instead i just did buckets ...
took about 20 minutes to get about 50lbs taken care of.
now its in the tank and its still spotless

time to cycle this bad boy!!! (cross ur fingers it goes fast )

since its going to be a coldwater tank, does anyone know how that affects cycling time?

 

[Malawi-]

Put it in 2 grabage backs or a bucket and rinse it, use ur hand to stir it up.. Dump out the dirty water.. Do this until its almost clear, about 10 times.