# Walmart Gravel... ARG!



## mtbiker (Jan 27, 2012)

I changed my gravel in my tank to a new color and unfortunately thought I would give the gravel that walmart sells a try because it was cheaper. I rinsed it out until I thought it was running clear, then added it to my tank, then added my water. Now it's all cloudy. After a couple days it clears up, but if I stick my hand in it to put in a plant or decoration it stirs up all the dust and makes it cloudy again... Also, if I move my filter at all, it spits a cloud of dust back into the water.

Any handy ways to get the "dust" out, or is it something I'll just have to deal with until I change the water out enough to get it all out, or change filters until it catches it all? It's a new tank that I've just barely started cycling, so no big deal if I have to start over...

Thanks in advance for your advice.
Mark


----------



## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

mtbiker said:


> I changed my gravel in my tank to a new color and unfortunately thought I would give the gravel that walmart sells a try because it was cheaper. I rinsed it out until I thought it was running clear, then added it to my tank, then added my water. Now it's all cloudy. After a couple days it clears up, but if I stick my hand in it to put in a plant or decoration it stirs up all the dust and makes it cloudy again... Also, if I move my filter at all, it spits a cloud of dust back into the water.
> 
> Any handy ways to get the "dust" out, or is it something I'll just have to deal with until I change the water out enough to get it all out, or change filters until it catches it all? It's a new tank that I've just barely started cycling, so no big deal if I have to start over...
> 
> ...


sounds to me like you are on your way to cleaning it all up. It can take time though.

Actually I use peat moss/play sand/ and pc select in planted tanks with no filters or circulation. So I can't help because my tanks just stay clear.


my .02


----------



## mtbiker (Jan 27, 2012)

beaslbob said:


> sounds to me like you are on your way to cleaning it all up. It can take time though.
> 
> Actually I use peat moss/play sand/ and pc select in planted tanks with no filters or circulation. So I can't help because my tanks just stay clear.
> 
> ...


Thanks for your input. I've been reading some of your posts and you've got me talked into going in that direction, no filter or circulation, and using a better substrate that just the gravel. I didn't do that in this tank because I didn't read about it until it was all ready all in the tank.

I'm trying to talk my wife into letting me get a 20Gal tank in addition to this 10gal tank that's actually my son's tank. She'll slowly come around. 

Here's a pic of my tank as it sits today. It's got a red plady and a blue "mickey mouse" plady in it, and I can't remember the names of the plants, but so far so good. Coming up on a week so we'll see.


----------



## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

Thanks

And your tank looks pretty good also.


----------



## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Sounds like your filter is doing it's job. Just so much gunk in that gravel, it's taxing it limits. Clean out the filter.

Surprised that the gravel is still that dirty after rinsing. May be indicative of the qty of the gravel.


----------



## mtbiker (Jan 27, 2012)

Thanks! It cleared up a bunch yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised when I got home.


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

No filter, no circulation would just mean that stuff would have settled to the bottom, instead of the filter slowly getting it out. Nearly everything requires rinsing, and then more rinsing. The only thing I know of that doesn't require it is Eco-complete (planted substrate).


----------



## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

mtbiker said:


> Thanks! It cleared up a bunch yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised when I got home.


Isn't that amazing. And very rewarding also.*old dude

my .02


----------



## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

A trick I've used is removing the filter media and using pillow batting (cheap at any fabric place), removing it until the water clears.
I use sand a lot, and no matter how you rinse, sand and peat both cloud you up a lot. 
If you do decide to go filter-free, remember to choose fish that don't need a heater and have low oxygen needs. I've already expressed my opinion of beaslbob's 'system', a variation on the one which most aquarists used before power filters were available (and which I tried and tossed out as inefficient years ago). If you want to try it, do so by all means, but plan for the fish you choose, in their interests.


----------



## ZachZaf (Jan 26, 2012)

navigator black said:


> A trick I've used is removing the filter media and using pillow batting (cheap at any fabric place), removing it until the water clears.
> I use sand a lot, and no matter how you rinse, sand and peat both cloud you up a lot.


The last tank i did i used black 'sand' from a pet store... that was a HUGE MISTAKE, after rinsing like mad, i went ahead and added it to about an inch of water, and the entire tank wound up black... the filter was ruined... guh... 

The real comment though is this, when i use actual sand i replace the filter with three coffee filters for the first night, and the cloudy is usually gone.. plus a bag of play sand is so cheap... its just not worth buying anything else!


----------



## hanky (Jan 18, 2012)

I replaced my gravel about 2 years ago and rinsed the heck out of it I thought, ended up with Blue floating dust for a while and replaced filter media every week, finally cleared up after a month or so. I've heard play sand is to fine a grain and can get sucked up in the filter and damage the pump, it also gets pretty compacted after a while, just what I've heard though. My next build I'm gonna try pool filter sand or safe-t-sorb.


----------



## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

I'm using just straight dirt from the yard in one of my mini tanks. Everything's quite happy with it, and it cleared up in just 3 days. Of course I only have plants and a couple snails in it, with no filtration stirring it up XD


----------



## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

Kehy said:


> I'm using just straight dirt from the yard in one of my mini tanks. Everything's quite happy with it, and it cleared up in just 3 days. Of course I only have plants and a couple snails in it, with no filtration stirring it up XD


That agrees with my experience as well. Things really cloudy then a couple of days later all cleared up.

One reason I do the layering is just to prevent that initial cloudiness. and also planting before filling the tank as well. But even if you just throw it together, it clears up in a couple of days.

thanks and keep us posted

my .02


----------

