Washing Gravel? how bad

[mux11]

is it not to wash the gravel?
yes I put it in and filled it all with water and de-Chlorinator.
The water looks just a bit murky. I havent gotten my filter in yet.

I also was wondering I read somewhere to add a teaspoon of non-iodized salt per 10gal. Is this a good thing to do?

 

[Meredith]

Welcome to AA What type of gravel did you get? In my opinion, rinsing is pretty important. Your filter will probably catch any of the small stuff floating around now, but any time you move your decorations, or do a gravel vac, you are going to keep kicking up the fine dust that wasn't rinsed out. I would dump the water and rinse, rinse, rinse. As far as the salt, it depends on the fish you are going to keep. Most fresh water fish do not need salt in the water.

 

[Bhunsucker]

Welcome to AA!!!

Yes you need to wash wash wash and rinse the gravel with water.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I agree with the above, washing the gravel is important.

True Freshwater fish do not NEED salt. It is more of a choice. I only use it when treating for ich. Other than that, I don't see it as a necessity in the tank. Some fish actually will be harmed by the use of salt.

 

[virus]

yeah i thiink mollies are brackish but dont add unless sick/damaged/ or stressed

 

[mux11]

Thanks for the help! Now Im sure Ill get an ear full from the wife when I start draining.... its only a 65 gal but with the heat and no rain she is watering like mad and the water bill keeps rising

 

[TomK2]

Well, I bought one brand of gravel , and after many, many rinses it was still cloudy and full of sediment. I got so tired of rinse, rinse, rinse, I just put it in the tank. It settled dwon in a day and the water was clear, but even to this day (8 mos later) when I gravel vac sediment gets sent to the sink via the python.

My second tank I used Estes gravel. It rinsed clean in one try, with hardly any sediment or dirt to speak of in that rinse. Estes is the best.

 

[vero]

Hi,

I agree with the rinse rinse rinse... and rinse again. I bought gravel at home depot. It had fine sand in it and I rinsed as best I could... but not enough I guess. It made the water cloudy when I filled the tank and then it settled after a few days and I had cristal clear water. But after a few months, every time I move the gravel to lift the goop from the bottom, the water gets cloudy. I don't think this is very good for the fine gills on the fish... Plus it clogs the filter.

Use the water from your tank to water the flower!

Vero

 

[virus]

yeah i bought playsand from HD and i let it settle for 3 days, and its clear!

 

[Tiffi]

I just set up an 70g yesterday and didn't rinse the zeolite that went into the filter. The water is totally cloudy now, since the filter coughed pretty good when turning it on.
I rinsed the filter this morning, it was still "dusty".
Do I just have to wait now till everything settles? Do I have to turn the filter down to let it settle better?
Thanx,
Vanessa