How Do You Clean Aquarium Sand?

[Matthewh]

I'm planning to start a planted fresh water community tank with rummy nose tetras, cardinal tetras, rams and cories. I understand that sand is better for the cories as it doesn't wear their barbles down but how do you clean the sand?
I've read pages that say you can stir the sand to get the matter up and then you syphon it but wouldn't this make the water murky?
What's the best and most efficient way to clean the sand without making the water murky?
Lastly, what's the best type of sand? ( not brand)
Thanks forum

 

[fluttermoth]

Sand will make your tank murky only if its not properly washed first. All sand comes with a certain amount of dust in it. Before you put it in the tank, put a small amount in a bucket, fill with water, stir it around and pour off all the dusty stuff.
 
You have to do that quite few times until all you have left is 'good' sand that sinks within a minute or two.
 
Once it's in your tank, you can clean it with a normal gravel cleaner, either by 'swirling' it over the sand, an inch or two off the surface so the dirt lifts up, or you can just syphon the top layer of sand up, with the dirt, wash it in the bucket, and replace it with the new water

 
I use playsand in my tanks (I have had the Argos and Tesco ones), but most DIY places will have it too (although it can be hard to find in the winter!). It's much cheaper than aquarium sand.

 

[dgwebster]

"With mild green Fairy Liquid"

Sorry. As described, fill a third of a bucket, stir with hand whilst filling & filled, give 20 seconds to settle, pour off top, refill. Each third bucket of sand will need this a minimum 3 times for best results, more for dirtier sand.

Outdoors with a flower bed & hose is the best way to do this. Do not pour off down your sink/toilet, you risk a build of of heavy sand sediment in your s/u bend.

 

[214jay]

When I started my tank with sand I heavily washed the sand until it ran clear, I used a tall saucepan and filled around 1/4 with sand, then left the tap running fairly fast onto the sand and that washed all the dust away without losing the sand.  When I put it in my tank and filled the water was slightly cloudy so I drained the whole lot then put a plate in the tank and filled with a hosepipe trickling onto the plate which prevented the sand being stirred too much.  This has worked well and there has been no dust even when maintaining the sand.  I found sculpting the sand was easiest when around 1/4 full with water and then added ornaments and plants.
 
For maintenance, I turn the sand using a piece of pvc pipe (that I also use to do water changes).  You could get malaysian trumpet snails who maintain sand but they can spread quite quickly if not careful.  The cories work the top 1cm of sand which helps.

 

[Matthewh]

Thanks, nice advise

 

[levahe]

With sand I would just hover the gravel cleaner just above the sand to suck up dirt and every now and then give it a bit of a stir, once a month or so. Once the roots for your plants are established you won't really need to manually disturb (the planted areas) the sand

 

[baker360360]

Sand will make your tank murky only if its not properly washed first. All sand comes with a certain amount of dust in it. Before you put it in the tank, put a small amount in a bucket, fill with water, stir it around and pour off all the dusty stuff.
 
You have to do that quite few times until all you have left is 'good' sand that sinks within a minute or two.
 
Once it's in your tank, you can clean it with a normal gravel cleaner, either by 'swirling' it over the sand, an inch or two off the surface so the dirt lifts up, or you can just syphon the top layer of sand up, with the dirt, wash it in the bucket, and replace it with the new water
 
I use playsand in my tanks (I have had the Argos and Tesco ones), but most DIY places will have it too (although it can be hard to find in the winter!). It's much cheaper than aquarium sand.

Yep this is the way too go.. You are going to suck up some sand no matter what but the good thing is that you can retrieve it after no problem.

I use aquarium sand ( white ) and it sinks in about 10 seconds with out making the water murky but as flutter said its not as cheap as silver sand ( playsand)
I also use an electric gravel Hoover that comes with different add ons and one of them is a thing like a sock so the water goes straight back into the tank but the dirt and sand/gravel gets stuck in the little sick thing.

 

[Matthewh]

Ohh right okay, thanks