# aquarium sand questions



## gchiado924 (Aug 16, 2014)

Hello,
I'm not necessarily a beginner with aquariums but I am a newbie to aquarium sand. I thought this might be the best place to ask. ^.^ I'm wondering what's the best way to go about preparing the sand to be aquarium safe? I've read a few things online but is there a fail safe way to go about this? Thanks in advance I appreciate it very much!

:betta:


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Rinse till clean/clear whether directions say so or not!
Have you got the sand already?
What kind did you get?


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

If you use pool filter sand its basically pretty clean, most you don't have to wash especially if you get it from a pool supply store. Its what I use and never rinse it.


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## gchiado924 (Aug 16, 2014)

It's black petco aquarium sand, it says to rinse it beforehand and to stir it up and to get all the stuff floating in the water out. I'm just wondering what's the best way to get the floating pieces off the top of the water? Would a siphon or strainer, perhaps something else entirely work best? I need quite a bit so I'm looking for the most time efficient manner in which I could do this. 

Thanks again!

:betta:


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## chenowethpm (Jan 8, 2014)

Best way ive found is to put your sand in a 5 gallon bucket, tilt the bucket by putting something under one edge, stick a hose through the Sand to the bottom and just let it run. It will overflow and the dirt will run out. Stir it up every once in a while.


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## StevenT (Jun 11, 2013)

chenowethpm said:


> Best way ive found is to put your sand in a 5 gallon bucket, tilt the bucket by putting something under one edge, stick a hose through the Sand to the bottom and just let it run. It will overflow and the dirt will run out. Stir it up every once in a while.


This is the best way to do it. I will add one thing. Once you think it is clean mix it up and clean it some more. I find that "aquarium" sand is just about the dirtiest sand available. Which is strange considering it is for aquariums.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Yes rinse rinse and rinse some more.


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## AJerman (Aug 12, 2014)

I just added some Petco sand to a new aquarium build last night. It wasn't too terribly dirty. I just filled a 5 gallon bucket with 20 pounds of sand, stuck it under the faucet in the tub, and dug around with my hands while the faucet was on and the bucket was overflowing until most of the fine silt and dirt was gone. Here's a trick, if you do it this way (I'm in an apartment, no hose nearby), use warm water and dig around with your hands. The sand at the bottom will be colder until it's mixed well so keep going until warm water has gotten to all of it. Dump the top bit of water a couple times and repeat and you're fine.

Most importantly, add the sand with the filters off, be it before you even fill it with water like I did, or turn them off if you already have water and filters running, and let it settle before you turn them on or else you're asking for trouble.


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## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

hmm i might switch to a bottom layer of sand for plants and then black gravel to make my black cherry shrimp pop out.


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## AJerman (Aug 12, 2014)

brian c said:


> hmm i might switch to a bottom layer of sand for plants and then black gravel to make my black cherry shrimp pop out.


Why not just black sand all the way? Once I went sand I never looked back. Seems much easier to keep clean to me. I have some red gravel that got mixed into my black sand though, hah. I kind of don't mind though.


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## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

because i do believe that sand can get into the filter and break it yep that would be bad.


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## AJerman (Aug 12, 2014)

brian c said:


> because i do believe that sand can get into the filter and break it yep that would be bad.


That's why you rinse the silt out. The rest shouldn't be floating around in your water. That's why I was saying to make sure your filters are off when you add the sand and let it settle if you already have water in. Once it settles it's not going anywhere. Lot's of people run just sand, including myself.


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## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

what i meant was if the filter intake tube is near the bottom wont that also do it. and also i dont have black cherry shrimp i will have red cherry shrimp.are black ones even real if not i might try to breed black ones if possible


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## AJerman (Aug 12, 2014)

brian c said:


> what i meant was if the filter intake tube is near the bottom wont that also do it. and also i dont have black cherry shrimp i will have red cherry shrimp.are black ones even real if not i might try to breed black ones if possible


You shouldn't have an issue unless your intake is sitting in the sand (or maybe you have REALLY fine sand). My intakes are only an an inch or two off the bottom. Even the python only sucks up sand when I actually stick it in the sand, and then it drops it as soon as I lift it out.


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## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

hmm thats true i guess the man at petco said a hob filter would be bad for my 29 gallon saltwater tank with sand or would have been freshwater but i chickened out at the last second man its late.time for this kid to go to bed.right after kid fulls up the water change tank and feeds fish for thew last time of the day.


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## StevenT (Jun 11, 2013)

Just use sponge filters they work better anyway.


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