Cleaning Tesco Cat Litter

[Sharpy1987]

Does anyone have any tips on cleaning tesco cat litter. I've poured the bag into a black bucket and then filled with water. I then get my hands stuck in and keep turning the litter throughout the bucket. This makes the water go a rusty orange colour. I repeated this process for 2 hours! It's still turning the water orange. Tips anyone? Please!

 

[bodge99]

Hello,

I'm currently experimenting with Sophisticat Pink. I found it had quite high dust levels.. It took several rinses before the worst of it disappeared. I eventually developed the strategy of just removing the worst of the dust and then placing it in the tank.

I added some filter floss to the filter and let the pump clear the rest of it.

Even then, I still had some dust in the substrate.. You could still see it if the substrate was disturbed (slight "swirls" of fine particles in the water).

However this disappeared after a couple of days.

Which specific Tesco cat litter is it?

Bodge99

 

[DrRob]

I resorted to floss in the filter, cleared it after a couple of days, no dust at all now when it's disturbed.

 

[daizeUK]

Apologies for what may be a daft question, but what are the advantages of using cat litter as substrate?

My only experience with cat litter is, uhm, in a cat litter tray, it clumps together when it gets wet and sets like cement

 

[Sharpy1987]

I'm using the tesco low dust lightweight car litter.

It doesn't clump together when wet.

When you pour liquid plant food into your tank, the cat litter will absorb any excess food. This makes your 'gravel' nutrient rich which makes the plants thrive.

If you go to the planted section, you'll see loads of people using it.

Another positive is the fact that it only costs £3 for a big bag. Also, as the cat litter isn't sharp, it's good for corydoras.

 

[tribalbrit]

put in a plastic cullinder run water through while stirring and put in a clean bucket.

 

[Sharpy1987]

put in a plastic cullinder run water through while stirring and put in a clean bucket.

brilliant! i'll give that a try

 

[bodge99]

Hello..

The thing is .. don't just use any old cat litter. Most cat litters consist of a mixture of Fullers earth and wood shavings.. Add water to this stuff and it turns to mush. Cat litters such as Sophisticat Pink are actually small lumps of clay. These do not disintegrate in the tank. As stated above, the clay can retain nutrients which would otherwise be lost to the water column if using gravel.

Bodge99.

 

[tribalbrit]

tesco's one stated is fine I have it my tank for 3 years and looks the same as day one.

 

[jojouk]

It took me hours to wash mine...like over 2 hours using running water from a hoze in the garden. Gave up in the end and just put it in the tank. I dont think it will ever run clear, I just figured I got rid of most ofi it...been fine for 6 months in there now

 

[nellynelly]

What then about the cheap cat litter from aldi think it is, cheap as chips and 100% clay