Preparing Sand For Use

[gayno]

Hey guys

Looked everywhere but can't find an answer.

How exactly do you wash sand ready for use?

Much easier with gravel as you can use a sieve, which will be useless with sand!

Cheers

Adam

 

[noshybabs]

i didnt bother, but i took ages to clear,

put it in a big bucket out side, and run water into the bucket and let it over flow untill the water in the bucket runs clear

 

[n3ont3tra]

And mix the sand up REALLY well every few minutes. If it's clear after that, then put it in.

 

[gayno]

Does the sand being mixed up not flow over the side too??

 

[noshybabs]

Does the sand being mixed up not flow over the side too??

yea it would, either do what i said or what n3on said, a combination of the two would leave youo short of sand and your drains full of the stuff

 

[n3ont3tra]

Just mix it carefully so it doesn't. It's okay if a little does, but the whole bucket shouldn't.

 

[gayno]

Cheers guys,

I best get plenty spare by the sounds of it!!

 

[madmom]

I used a bucket and washed it in segments. Put sand in run the water and slowly stir till it is clear. You really don't lose that much sand.

 

[gayno]

Thanks guys, am going out to buy it tomoz!

 

[erk628]

Thanks guys, am going out to buy it tomoz!

I've wrote quit a few reponses to this question in the last few days do a search on my name and your questions will be answered.

 

[xJake]

I wouldn't bother with the bucket thing. It's much easier to put a load of sand inside of an old sheet or pillow case and run the hose or faucet through it until the water runs clear. You don't waste any sand (as long as you're careful) and you waste less water in the long run.

 

[xoedusk]

I wouldn't bother with the bucket thing. It's much easier to put a load of sand inside of an old sheet or pillow case and run the hose or faucet through it until the water runs clear. You don't waste any sand (as long as you're careful) and you waste less water in the long run.

Interesting idea. Would very fine sand like silica or something finer be too small and fall through?

 

[AHDOnline]

I just put sand in my aquarium and thought the cleaning would kill me. But it was easy. I took a 10 gallon buck, a kerosene pump plastic that you can buy at walmart / meijer for 2.99 (which i also use for general tank cleanings for the out of the way tank.

But i filled 1/4 of the bucket with sand, then took a gallon of hot water and poured it over it and stired it with a paint stirer and my hand until it was all floating. Then I left it settle for just a couple of minutes and sucked the top layer of water off. I repeated that three times for each bucket of sand and then dumped it in my dry tank, filled it and hardly any cloud or floaters. It took all of 30 minutes to rinse 50 pds of sand and it looks great. I only lost about a small handful from sucking it out with the pump.
When the water got low i tipped the bucket and put my fingers as a spacer under the syphon to keep from sucking up the sand