gonna switch from gravel to sand

[delfisherman]

im gonna get a bag of black diamond blasting sand from tractor supply. whats the best way to clean the sand? i have a few buckets to put my fish in while doing the change. What does everyone do with the left over gravel?

 

[Ian086]

im gonna get a bag of black diamond blasting sand from tractor supply. whats the best way to clean the sand? i have a few buckets to put my fish in while doing the change. What does everyone do with the left over gravel?

Hey, i use play sand in mine but the washing any sand is the same. Get a decent size bucket. Fill the bucket about a qtr full with sand. If you have access to a garden hose, this is the best to use. Give it a good blast with the hose and use something, like a piece of raw wood to give it a good stir up. Overfill the bucket with water until the water starts to run clear. You need to repeat this over and over. When you think it's clean, do it again and again. It is a pain but it's really worth doing it now because it stops the tank clouding when you add the water....
With the left over gravel, you could give it a good wash, the same way as above and bag it. Chance's are, when you see the tank with sand in it, you'll bin the gravel and never use gravel again!!!!.... Happy Washing..

 

[Laser]

The blasting sand from tractor supply needs to be rinsed with extreme thoroughness. I rinsed mine one bucket at a time several times until I thought the water was coming out clear, but it turned out to still cloud my tank a little black. Also, don't stir it with your hands like I did because it is somewhat abrasive after a lot of stirring.

 

[CicGuy]

I just switched 2 weeks ago my 20 gallon planted from gravel to sand and it's amazing now!!! I used playsand after going to four different stores including pool supply stores that didn't even have pool filter sand! I settled with the playsand I was gonna use for my beardies tank and my catfish love it especially because now they can whip it around and I don't have to worry about their belly getting scratched up. Also I threw root tabs in the bottom of the sand for my plants and they're doing even better than before!