Rinsing sand

[oysterxfast5]

I got some sand for my tank I am setting up and am having a hard time rinsing it. I ran alot of water through it but it is still making the water quite cloudy. What is the magic trick to rinsing it? Do I just need to Get a back filter on it to clean it out?

[Lucky-rc]

Wel on this you need alot of patients, and it will still be cloudy.

I rinse mine out with tank water (when I do a water Change) I use a screen and only do about a hand full at a time.

just run a small power head from your sump (or whatever) with a small hose on it and run it over the sand while shaking the sand.
Work real good for me?

Lucky

[oysterxfast5]

That doesn't sound like to much fun, 90 pounds at a handful at a time.

[oysterxfast5]

Do you think that a hob filter will clear out the water now though?

[Capt_Cully]

I think it'll clog up. Plus the dust settles EVERYWHERE.

I take a 5 gal salt bucket. Pour in about 10-15 lbs. I pour either water change water or RO water in until water level is just above sand. I twist my arm to swirl the bucket and alot of crud and dust comes up. I pour and repeat. Takes a while, but it saves water.

Then, when I put it in the tank, I take a cup or glass. Fill it with the wet sand. I lower it into the tank, allowing glass to fill in with water. Then lower it to the bottom and pour it out slowly.

Works well and tank doesn't look like a giant box of milk.

[cristhiam]

I did like Capt_Cully but I used the garden hose outside on the yard in a 5G bucket, not a problem, about 150# for the display 2 years ago, and I just put about 50# in the sump for a DSB, the cloud just lasted for a few hours. Also you can use a HOB filters just keep cleaning it.

[Lucky-rc]

yes great point when you do put it in the tank don't just dump it in.
Lower it to the bottom and dump slow

Luck

[oysterxfast5]

When you say it will clug up do you mean the filter media?

[ljosh]

I ended up emptying my tank the first time from the cloud. Second time I put the sand in the tank before adding water. Covered it completely end to end with garbage bags. Piled all the plates cups and bowls I own on top of the bags. Added water. Removed the dishes and the gabage backs floated gently up. No cloud. No rinsing required. I imagine if the sand got stirred somehow it would be all bad though.

[AZDesertRat]

Why are you rinsing it? If you are wanting a functioning deep sand bed you do not want to rinse it. Its the finer materials that make a sandbed function so well. Some of us spent good money on Southdown just so we could get sugar sized sand or smaller.

If you are just doing a decorative sand bed then rinsing is OK. I used to do the bucket method with a garden hose. It would leave a nice white residue down the whole street!

[oysterxfast5]

I was going for a dsb. I very slowly filled the tank up and it clouded up. so hows that going to work without rinsing?

[AZDesertRat]

Bum a couple of cups of live sand from friends or the LFS to seed your sand. It will give your sand a jump start and it will soon settle like a rock.
One good way to help with the milkshake is to cover the sand with trash bags and slowly pour the water over the bags so you disturb as little sand as possible. Its going to look like heck for a bit but the end result is worth it. Critters love the fine sand!

[oysterxfast5]

Well I had a 5 gallon bucket set up and i took little air line and had a small stream going. It looks a little bit better than it did. So it will just settle? I wont have to worry about it so much?

[davocean]

I don't rinse anymore either do to what AZ was talking about.
And if you do rinse, make sure to use RO water, as phosphates will cling to sand.