How to clean play sand

[Gawang]

M upgrading my aquarium an intend to use play sand because I love the color of it! My main question is how exactly do you go about cleaning it as it is a very fine grain?

 

[Donkey Gun]

I use a cooler to clean my sand and just leave running water from a hose or bathtub faucet run into the cooler. The cooler is nice because it leaves more surface area for runoff. Mix it around every few minutes to stir up the dust until your just left with the fine grains.

 

[Hobgob]

I just put sand into my 35. I used pool filter sand. Apparently the play sand has a type of base(I think carbonate) and it raises the ph. Love the white (all my fish stand put better) also, I didn't think you could beat the price 50lbs for 10bucks!

Anyways I cleaned it by putting it into a pillow case and rinsed it out until the water ran clear. I found putting a little in was easy then all of it. The bucket and hose idea mentioned above works as well. Do which ever works best for you.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I've washed play sand in buckets and I can tell you it takes a LONG time. Play sand has lots of very fine particles that need to be washed out. It does raise the pH slightly. My play sand tanks sit at 8 and the others 7.6-7.8.

 

[Gawang]

I intend to use a large amount of driftwood inmy tank to offset the ph boost from the sand.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I intend to use a large amount of driftwood inmy tank to offset the ph boost from the sand.

Won't work IMO. I have a large amount in my tank and the sand still raises the pH. High pH isn't the end of the world though.

 

[Gawang]

Yeah, 99% of fish can easily acclimate to a higher ph anyways. Im not too worried about it boosting ph too much as my water has a fairly low ph anyways. Maybe I'll get in Africans with the higher ph

 

[Hobgob]

Yeah, 99% of fish can easily acclimate to a higher ph anyways. Im not too worried about it boosting ph too much as my water has a fairly low ph anyways. Maybe I'll get in Africans with the higher ph

Yes but when the ph of your tank is at like 8 or higher and you do a pwc. Your ph might swing a little.

 

[Gawang]

Ive read that using purified water constantly on pwc can keep you ph at a desired level. As well, my water is fairly hard and has a moderate-high ph to begin with.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Really IME with hard water it's only going to raise it a touch. IMO you have nothing to worry about.
Purified water as in distilled/RO? They don't contain any buffers/ minerals so you have to add it back in. Tap waters fine. What your pH?

 

[Gawang]

I'm actually at work right now so I'll have to get back to you on the exact levels on my tank and from my tap water! But I do remember fairly high ph and relatively hard water. However, my tanks themselves are usually fairly soft because I love driftwood.

 

[Gawang]

Won't work IMO. I have a large amount in my tank and the sand still raises the pH. High pH isn't the end of the world though.

Technically isnt this false as the tannins that driftwood release a type of acid that act to soften water and reduce the ph?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

If your water is hard with a high pH quite a lot of the time the tannins won't have a significant effect. IME with my water (hard and high pH) the pH still rose with the addition of play sand and after the addition of wood (that I didn't pre soak) it did not fall.

 

[Gawang]

Ah well, it's a moot point anyways. I still prefer the look of play sand as it really looks similar to how real sand rivers look in my opinion. Hopefully it doesn't bother my fish much or I may just go mbuna if that doesnt work out :3

 

[Mumma.of.two]

All good. I'm not trying to talk you out of it! I have play sand in 4 tanks at the moment and I like it.

 

[Gawang]

I've also heard that some play sands are inert, but it's really hit or miss with what you get. I'm not too worried about ph so long as it's constant and pretty much the same way with hardness. I hate those people who sit there dumping chemicals into their tanks and wasting all kinds of money and endangering their fishes lives

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I've also heard that some play sands are inert, but it's really hit or miss with what you get. I'm not too worried about ph so long as it's constant and pretty much the same way with hardness. I hate those people who sit there dumping chemicals into their tanks and wasting all kinds of money and endangering their fishes lives

I'd believe that. I agree. As long as it doesn't change there's no need to worry. I've never intentionally changed the pH in a tank. I think pH chemicals are very dangerous. I only add tap water and Prime to my tanks.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Oops double post!

 

[Gawang]

I've never used prime and I've been doing this for awhile now...... I've always used Tetra Safestart and have been skeptical about the prime and it's benefits

I feel like thats a blasphemy I just said right there..... XD

 

[Hobgob]

It's a lot more concentrated and removes any ammo and trites in the tank for the first 24hs.