Washing Sand

[brendac]

Do I need to wash the sand before I put it in my aquarium?? It is marine sand

 

[nereef]

if it isn't live sand, then i would give it a good rinse to decrease the mess in your tank.
if its live sand, then you could rinse it with saltwater. this would seem like a waste to me but its your choice.

 

[reflectz]

Yes definetly wash it thoroughly, otherwise once the milky water subside, the color of the water will be very brown looking. Since I had a large tank, I learnt the hard way, as I had to do a 80% water change to get the water looking really clear..

 

[badoleross]

Yes, rinse, rinse, then rinse again. I recommend adding the rinsed sand to the tank 1st before any water is added. Cover the sand with a layer of plastic (garbage bag or plastic drop cloth) and then filing the tank about 1/2 to 2/3s of the way with water before removing the plastic. This will greatly reduce your sand storm.

 

[scotts]

The question is what type of sand is it? If it is dry sand then yes washing it is a good idea. If it is live sand and you therefore paid a premium for all of the bacteria, critters and bugs in the sand then it is a bad idea to wash away all of the beneficial things in the sand.
HTH
Scott

 

[nereef]

Originally Posted by BadOleRoss
Cover the sand with a layer of plastic (garbage bag or plastic drop cloth) and then filing the tank about 1/2 to 2/3s of the way with water before removing the plastic. This will greatly reduce your sand storm.
i would have never thought of that. good idea

 

[moby]

Another way is to place a large platter on the sand and a glass mixing bowl on top of the platter. As you pour the water into the bowl it will cascade on the platter and then the sand disturbing it very little.
Moby

 

[andreyv]

Do you guys use tap water to rinse the sand?

 

[jacknjill]

i used the hose in my driveway to rinse mine in a bucket lol

 

[teen]

im pretty sure the silt in a bag of sand is beneficial, so it could be a good idea not to wash it. just my 2 cents though

 

[omgsaltwat]

Originally Posted by BadOleRoss
Yes, rinse, rinse, then rinse again. I recommend adding the rinsed sand to the tank 1st before any water is added. Cover the sand with a layer of plastic (garbage bag or plastic drop cloth) and then filing the tank about 1/2 to 2/3s of the way with water before removing the plastic. This will greatly reduce your sand storm.
Thats a great ideal I will try that on my next tank Thanks..

 

[sinner's girl]

im pretty sure the silt in a bag of sand is beneficial, so it could be a good idea not to wash it. just my 2 cents though
for ls yes, not for dry sand...gotta rinse that.