# Rinsing Substrate Question



## Gumbo_Ghost (Aug 5, 2010)

Hi, I just bought a 55 Gallon.
Bought 30 Pounds of Gravel, and 30 Pounds of Substrate in case I want to do some live plants.

So I've rinsed the gravel until there is basically clear water surrounding it.
- I'm using a giant bowl...

I began rinsing the substrate and the surrounding water was jet-black. I've rinse/dumped rinse/dumped like 20 times and it's still pretty black and cloudy.

Is this they way it's supposed to be? And you put it in and the filter takes care of it?

I've done like 5 pounds and it's taking forever.

Does the water while rinsing the Substrate need to be clear or just kind of clear?

THANKS


----------



## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

I don't rinse any substrate.

that said when I used sand, filled the tank full then stuck the plants in the tank was very cloudy for a couple of days.

What I do now is:

1 add 1" of peat moss and fill with water to the top of the moss.
then level the moss and clean the tank sides.

2) do the same for 1" of play sand.

3) repeat again for 1" of pc select (or aquarium gravel)

then plant the plants 

then fill the tank with water poured over a dish.

What I found out is that procedure produces an almost totally clear tank right from the get go. Must be the sand holds down the peat and planting the plants before filling with water help also.


my .02


----------



## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

#1 on not rinsing the dirt.


----------



## Gumbo_Ghost (Aug 5, 2010)

Oh...
Well I already gave it a rinsing, so we'll see what happens I guess.
Just a little once over until it wasn't jet-black.

I thought it was like the gravel where you'd want to get the dust/debris off.

I rinsed the tank and a few bigger rocks I found, time to load up I guess.


----------



## cmarti (Feb 26, 2010)

It's possible to clean dirt?


----------



## flyin-lowe (Oct 3, 2009)

Do you know what kind of plant set up you want? I have a variety of low-med light plants in my 120g angel tank and I just used gravel, no type of dirt or peat.


----------



## Scuff (Aug 10, 2010)

You can rinse it if you want, but...you're going to be at it a long, _long_ time.


----------

