Bruce Leyland-Jones
Fish Aficionado
You don't need to use conditioned water to wash sand.Hi, how would you recommend to wash the sand? Sorry i know its a stupid question but shall i use normal tap water? Hot or cold hahaha is there a way to tell the sand is clean?
If you're setting up a tank, you add the hard landscaping, including the substrate, (sand, in this case) and when you add the water, then you add the conditioner.
How long would depend on the sand and source.
You're aiming to effectively wash the sand 'dust' away. When you swill a portion of un-washed sand in a bucket, the water will likely be cloudy.
When the water is no longer cloudy, then that portion of sand is washed.
NOTE that you could add un-washed sand and put up with cloudy water, until it all settles...and know that if you ever mess with the substrate, or plants, in the near future, then that dust may rise again and cloud the water.
If you have a filter running, then the filter will clear much of that dust, but be careful to keep on rinsing the filter media and be aware that coarse sand can damage filter components.