How to clean super dirty gravel??

I just bought a new tank and I also bought some gravel rocks for it. however after washing the gravel more than 5 times, it is still super dirty and when I put it in the tank and wanted to fill the tank with water, the water is grey. is it ok to leave it like that or must I wash it more? please help as I do not know what else to do to wash these gravels clean

Get a basic model gravel cleaner and gravel clean the substrate. Refill the tank and see how it looks after that. You might need to gravel clean it a couple of times to get it really clean.

but I already washed it so many times and it is still really dirty I don't have a gravel cleaner but I just used a hose and a bucket and my hands to clean it and poured away the water each time but it is still dirty and idk what to do. this is how it looks like after I filled it up

Leave it for 24 hours and see if it clears.

You can make a gravel cleaner out of a 1, 1.5 or 2 litre plastic drink bottle.
Cut the bottom off the bottle and throw the bottom bit away.
Remove the cap and plastic ring from the top of the bottle and throw those 2 bits away.
Stick a garden hose in the top of the bottle and run the other end out onto the lawn.
Use the bottle as a gravel cleaner and clean the tank.

if it clears, is it ok to put the fish inside? will it die?

gladys said:

if it clears, is it ok to put the fish inside? will it die?

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is the tank cycled?

I have not cycled it or put any bacteria or anti chlorine inside as I wanted to see if the dirt in the water would sink or go away

For new gravel I put it in a bucket about 1/4 full and turn the tap on full. Tilt the bucket a bit by putting something under one side and leave the water running until its clear. Make sure the water has somewhere to go and does not cause a flood. When the water is clear give the gravel a good stir using a stick. If the water goes cloudy leave the tap running until it remains clear when you stir it up.

Make sure you cycle your tank properly before putting any fish in. I’d suggest waiting 4 weeks to be safe. Set up tank with plants, ornamnentd etc as you would and filter Of course. Add tetrasafestart to help increase the beneficial bacteria colony. I would suggest using an old filter from a different tank and squeezing it in but only if that’s available to you

gladys said:

I have not cycled it or put any bacteria or anti chlorine inside as I wanted to see if the dirt in the water would sink or go away

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Not good to put fish in the tank with no dechlorinator, and you should not introduce fish into a non cycled tank either.

Even products like tetrasafestart plus which suggest you can put fish in straight after in reality don’t work perfectly. It’s not worth the risk. You’ll end up either super stressed haging to do constant water changes or end up with dead fish which no one wants. Introduce the beneficial bacteria colony. Buy a master kit if you can afford it and wait until both nitrite and ammonia readings are 0ppm. Especially look out for nitrite readings as can be a clear indicator if you’re on the right tracks

IME, chlorinated water tends to be murkier than un chlorinated water.

As @Colin_T said, try to use a regular gravel vacuum.

Where did you get the gravel? You said you cleaned it , but with what and how?

this is how it looks like now after I washed it once more. is it clean enough? I have also added the water conditioner and added starter bacteria and aquarium salt I also have a external and internal filter. however idk what is the reason my internal filter is not able to sink. I added 4 and a half tablespoon of salt is it enough for this 42 gallon tank? I think it is 42 gallon as its dimensions are length 90cm width 45cm height 40cm. is there anything else I need to do? how long should I wait before putting my goldfish in? I also have a heater which I set to 30 degrees Celsius is it the right temperature? I also bought a water testing kit. when should I measure the levels of ammonia nitrite and nitrate? also I tested the ammonia nitrite and nitrate levels in my current fish container that has my goldfish in it and the ammonia and nitrite levels are 0.25ppm and the nitrate is between 5 to 10 ppm but the ph level was 6. is it ok for the fish? I have also tested the nitrite levels in the 42 gallon tank and it is 0 ppm

PheonixKingZ said:

IME, chlorinated water tends to be murkier than un chlorinated water.

As @Colin_T said, try to use a regular gravel vacuum.

Where did you get the gravel? You said you cleaned it , but with what and how?

Click to expand...

I got it from a pet shop and I cleaned it with a hose and a bucket. more than 5 times

There's no point adding aquarium salt unless you have sick fish that need treating with salt.

Depending on what fish are going into the new tank, I would drain the tank and refill it with dechlorinated water but do not add any salt.

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30C is too warm for most tropical fish. Set the heater on 24-26C depending on what species you keep.

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A pH of 6 is too low for goldfish, who prefer a pH above 7.0.

Get a glass of tap water and check the pH now and in 24 hours.

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The internal filter is an air operated sponge filter and probably has air trapped in the sponge. Hold it under water and squeeze the air out. It should sink after that. If it doesn't, you will have to add a weight of some sort the filter to hold it down.

You want the ammonia and nitrite to be on 0ppm at all times, and the nitrate to be under 20ppm. If you have any readings above this, do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day until the levels at 0ppm.

Depending on the filter you have in your goldfish tank, you could transfer half of the filter media/ materials into the new filter on the new tank, and that would give you a cycled filter on the new tank. This means you can add fish in a couple of days and not have to worry about the new tank cycling with fish in.