keeping sand clean

[okief1sh]

Two things.

1. To rinse your sand, the easiest way that I have found is to get a large bucket (5 gal will do). Fill the bucket about 1/3 with sand and then apply the old garden hose. Rinse the sand until the water above the sand runs clear. Rinse and Repeat with remaining sand. (This is best performed in a backyard or neighbor's bathtub for ease of cleanup.) :cool2:

2. To hold your fake plants down, get some aquarium sealant and some nice clean rocks (a piece of slate from your LFS broken up with a hammer works great). Apply sealant to slate, apply plant to sealant, and you now have plants that will stay at the bottom of your tank.

Hope this helps.

 

[DeRo316]

When I cleaned my sand I would put a load in a pillow case and rinse it off in the shower/bath and didnt lose any down the drain. The dust is fine enough to get out but the sand stays in. Then I just dumped the sand into my tank and started again!

 

[sophiecat22]

You guys are so helpful! This is so exciting, I can't wait to get started!!

:OT: I noticed some people talking about boiling rocks and sand. Is it neccessary to do this if I use rocks that I have found outside? I'd like to have a few rocks in my tank, but seeing as I live in Florida, most of the rocks I find here will probably be limestone.

 

[rosita]

Sand rinsing method #3:

Since I don't have a hose outside, I get 5 gallon buckets, also fill 1/3 of way, fill up at tub faucet, swirling w/hand as it fills. When it's almost full, I stop the water and swirl more, making sure that I get down to the bottom--sand is so dense that if you don't do this you won't get everything in the bucket. Let it settle a moment or two, then pour water out--don't just dump the bucket over, watch water as it comes out and slow down when the sand gets close to edge. I've rinsed out 2 bags of sand for 3 tanks and haven't clogged my drain yet--very little gets out.

 

[okief1sh]

I wouldn't recommend limestone. It can change the pH of your water. Boiling is one solution to the problem but I think it is a pain in the butt. I personally put my rocks in 5 gal buckets and then fill the buckets with a 1/19 solution of bleach and water. Let this sit for about one hour and then use a Chlorine remover like Aquasafe (I use 4X the recommended dosage for the volume of water I used, so for a 5 gal bucket treat for 20gal of water). I haven't had a problem yet. This doesn't work as well for drfitwood since it may absorb much chlorine form the bleach. Boiling is still the best way to do that.

You want to be sure to treat any rocks you find in some way because bacteria is ubiquitous (meaning it is everywhere and on everything). While you would probably be ok to put most found rocks directly into your tank after a brief rinse, it is better to be safe than sorry since it is much harder to eliminate a harmful "bug" once it has established itself in your tank.

 

[MDcrinos]

How exactly do you manage rinsing the sand in buckets in the tub without getting any down the drain and clogging it up?

I pick up my play sand from Wally World, just as cheap and it comes prerinsed, at least that's what the bag claims.

I've never rinsed play sand have never had problems such as discolored water, foreign particles, floaties, or etc.

 

[joylynn]

Absolutely don't use limestone as you seem to already know, as it will degrade in your tank and acuse issues with pH and all kinds of fun! I didn't boil the rocks as there isa chance they can explode from what I read, I scrubbed them thoroghly then soaked them in a mild bleach solution (1:10 ratio or so). I then rinsed the rocks and soaked them in a bucket with water and about a quadruple dose of dechlorinator to neutralize the chlorine.

 

[graphicdesign_r]

I didn't boil the rocks as there isa chance they can explode from what I read...

?!?!?!

BOOM!

:laugh:

I've heard of rocks cracking under heat but exploding? Where do you get your rocks from the PLO?

 

[joylynn]

LOL, I had just read a couple of articles about rocks going BOOM and didn't feel like taking the chance Soaking them in bleach was a lot easier too, I don't like leaving pots on the stove if I don't have to with an active 3 year old running around. I can just put the rocks and bleach on a shelf overnight and forget about it

 

[rosita]

I've done some sweat lodges, and we always had to be careful of the stones we used, as certain kinds are more likely to actually blow up--it's similar to how pottery that has air pockets trapped in the walls blow up in the kiln as the air heats and expands and has nowhere to go. Can't remember for the life of me if you use river rock or don't use river rock, but it definitely has to do with the heated stones getting water splashed onto them during the sweat. I just bake my rocks in the oven for 3 or 4 hours to be safe. No 'splosions so far!!