How to wash sand?

DreamLand · 05/29/2012, 09:19 AM

Hello,

What is the best way to wash new sand and did you dump the light dirty sand down the drain?

sammy77 · 05/29/2012, 09:33 AM

I placed mine in buckets and did some serious rinsing. Took out all the debris by hand threw it in garbage basically. I spent alot of time on rinsing.

mlott132 · 05/29/2012, 09:49 AM

Is it live sand? If so, do not rinse.

Allmost · 05/29/2012, 09:59 AM

live sand -- no rinse.

dry sand-normal size[not Fine] rinse with tap water, then soak in RO/DI water till po4 is down.

Dry Sand-Fine size for DSB -- do not rinse, soak it in RO/DI water instead, changing the water every other day, and checking for po4 till zero or low, then use. DSB needs the finer pieces that get washed off in rinsing.

HTH,

DreamLand · 05/29/2012, 10:53 AM

Thanks it's dry sand, different grain sizes I have 5 bags to use in a 90 gallon.

ItzJustinN · 05/29/2012, 10:59 AM

alright, here it is, and try to have patience with this also, it can take a while.

you will wanna do this outside with the hose if possible.

get atleast 2 buckets. fill them 1/3 with sand. get your hose. start filling your first bucket with water while you stir the sand in the bucket with your hands. once the bucket is full, start filling the second bucket while stirring. once ur second bucket is full, dump the water from your first bucket out and repeat. the reason for 2 buckets is to let the sand settle in one bucket after stirring while the other particles sill float in the water. if you dont let it settle, the water may never turn clear and youll just waste sand also. once your water is clear (after sand settles, u can check with a clear glass, put some of the water in glass and look at it against light from the sun, if it isnt clear enough that you would drink it then it isnt clean. dont drink this by the way, just saying..) that sand batch is now "clean" and can be rinsed with ro/di then thrown into your tank. and dont be surprised if you have to rinse a batch ten times or more.

this from trial and error.

DreamLand · 05/29/2012, 11:28 AM

What if I get lazy and just dump all the bags in with out washing?

cloak · 05/29/2012, 11:32 AM

Just fill a 5 gallon bucket about halfway up with sand and then add the garden hose. The water pressure and the hose itself can be used to stir the sand until the bucket overflows clear water. Piece of cake. I've done this countless times and have never had a problem.

FlyingRev · 05/29/2012, 12:02 PM

Sk8r in the stickys says that even when using live sand, rinse!!!

She states that you need not worry about washing away the good bacteria, that it is a non issue. Read the sticky, it really is the holy grail.

erock68 · 05/29/2012, 02:09 PM

Another good way is, along with the 5 gallon bucket, dump the sand into a pillow case. You can drape the open end, over the top of the bucket. Then, when you are done rinsing, pull the pillow case out and it drains itself. I used a plain white pillow case and did a plain water wash first, to make sure there was no detergent residue.

I found this a lot easier.

Tin_Whistler · 05/29/2012, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamLand

What if I get lazy and just dump all the bags in with out washing?

Then this likely isn't the hobby for you.

Not saying it to be mean, but patience and hard work are required to get a system that runs without problems.

DreamLand · 05/30/2012, 08:25 AM

What about if I put the sand into the tank with some r/o water mixed it up and sucked out the cloudy water?

ItzJustinN · 05/30/2012, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamLand

What about if I put the sand into the tank with some r/o water mixed it up and sucked out the cloudy water?

not gonna work. you would be lucky if you even got 10% of the particles your trying to remove. sorry but like tin_whistler said, you are trying to be lazy and i dont think this is the hobby for you if u cant even wash sand as suggested.

gweston · 05/30/2012, 09:31 AM

I fill a 5 gal bucket about 1/2 full of sand. Go outside. Run the hose over and mix/rinse well a few times. Mix well. I either use my hand or a big plastic spoon that I use for brewing beer

Pour off any foaminess until it is mostly gone. I then let the hose drain into the bucket semi-slowly, mixing a few times. I then let the bucket overflow. Maybe 15mins depending on how dirty it is. Eventually it will run mostly clear. I then toss in some RODI. Maybe a gallon. Rinse it around quickly... then drain. Into the tank it goes.

I read somewhere that sticking plain RODI into aragonite sand can cause some cloudiness in the water. Something about the ph of the water and the aragonite reacting. So with this in mind, perfectly clear after rinsing probably isn't required. Just get most of it, any debris, and especially the 'foamy' junk you can get when you first start to clean the sand.

When filling the tank, I used plastic sheeting laid onto the sand. Same stuff you'd use for painting and protecting your carpet. Bucket after bucket, the sand disturbed was minimal.

I used this method with carbisea special grade (rather coarse sand). fiji pink (sugar grian. And marco sand (super fine). It all worked. For the super fine sand though... needed to be more careful. Clean it more slowly otherwise it will float away as the bucket overflows. Oh, I also drained off a small layer of super super fine sand from the top of the Marcos. It was almost clay-like in consistency. Only a little bit was there, but I thought it was worth removing. The cleaned sand is soft and fine and doesn't have that clay-like consistency.

Allmost · 05/30/2012, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamLand

What about if I put the sand into the tank with some r/o water mixed it up and sucked out the cloudy water?

none of us here are into hard work

so trust, if there was an easier way, it would be used lol

this goes for evey other step u take in this hobby, going to be some rough times, I personally enjoy it though.

seapug · 05/30/2012, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cloak

just fill a 5 gallon bucket about halfway up with sand and then add the garden hose. The water pressure and the hose itself can be used to stir the sand until the bucket overflows clear water. Piece of cake. I've done this countless times and have never had a problem.

+1

Donkeykong · 05/30/2012, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cloak

Just fill a 5 gallon bucket about halfway up with sand and then add the garden hose. The water pressure and the hose itself can be used to stir the sand until the bucket overflows clear water. Piece of cake. I've done this countless times and have never had a problem.

+1
I have also done this on several tanks with good results, just make sure it is low flow or you will wash away alot of sand. Also you can just put the sand in the tank, but be prepared to clean your filter socks and pads out many times, also there will be silt and grit everywhere which can be hard on your return pumps as well as powerheads and pretty much all you equipment. So if you skip the rinse now you will be doing alot of work later, either way there is no easy way out.

mgrmax · 05/30/2012, 01:50 PM

Not that this is the preferred method but I have used an old t shirt that was washed without detergent, placed it in a calendar as a filter and rinsed it with a hose. It took forever but there was very little clouding when I put it in the tank.

FlyingRev · 05/30/2012, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgrmax

Not that this is the preferred method but I have used an old t shirt that was washed without detergent, placed it in a calendar as a filter and rinsed it with a hose. It took forever but there was very little clouding when I put it in the tank.

How does this work? Does the cardboard of the calendar do something in filtration or does it need to be a swimsuit or beach calendar to work effectively?

sn4265 · 08/16/2012, 11:50 AM

Just to revive an old thread, I have a related question on this...

I guess any possible Copper contamination from the end/nozzle on the garden hose is so miniscule as to be a non-issue? Just wanted to be sure. I have 40 lbs of CaribSea SeaFlor Special Grade to rinse and put into the tank this weekend. I'm thinking that about a third of a bag at a time should be good? Then just drain out the tap water and rinse each batch with a couple gallons of RODI? The straight into the tank...

chrisfont23 · 08/16/2012, 03:05 PM

Personally, I have never rinsed sand. I just feel like even the smallest particles are worth keeping.

05/29/2012, 09:19 AM	#1
DreamLand Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 42	How to wash sand? Hello, What is the best way to wash new sand and did you dump the light dirty sand down the drain?

05/29/2012, 09:33 AM	#2
sammy77 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: IL Posts: 373	I placed mine in buckets and did some serious rinsing. Took out all the debris by hand threw it in garbage basically. I spent alot of time on rinsing. __________________ 220gal FOWLR When you're down....look up....get up....and don't ever give up! Current Tank Info: 220gal FOWLR

05/29/2012, 09:49 AM	#3
mlott132 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: NWI Posts: 697	Is it live sand? If so, do not rinse. __________________ 75 Gallon mixed reef, Trigger Systems Ruby 30S, Lifereef SVS3-24 Skimmer, Eheim 1262, 2x AI Vega LED Lights, 1x Jebao RW-8 powerhead, 1x Ecotech MP-40 powerhead

05/29/2012, 10:59 AM	#6
ItzJustinN Nano-Reefin' Newbie Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: St. Charles Posts: 1,334	alright, here it is, and try to have patience with this also, it can take a while. you will wanna do this outside with the hose if possible. get atleast 2 buckets. fill them 1/3 with sand. get your hose. start filling your first bucket with water while you stir the sand in the bucket with your hands. once the bucket is full, start filling the second bucket while stirring. once ur second bucket is full, dump the water from your first bucket out and repeat. the reason for 2 buckets is to let the sand settle in one bucket after stirring while the other particles sill float in the water. if you dont let it settle, the water may never turn clear and youll just waste sand also. once your water is clear (after sand settles, u can check with a clear glass, put some of the water in glass and look at it against light from the sun, if it isnt clear enough that you would drink it then it isnt clean. dont drink this by the way, just saying..) that sand batch is now "clean" and can be rinsed with ro/di then thrown into your tank. and dont be surprised if you have to rinse a batch ten times or more. this from trial and error. __________________ In soviet russia, coral frags you! 150G Mixed reef in the works! 34G RSM130d & 38G Nuvo for sale! Last edited by ItzJustinN; 05/29/2012 at 11:08 AM.

05/29/2012, 02:09 PM	#10
erock68 It costs how much? Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Aurora, Oh Posts: 443	Another good way is, along with the 5 gallon bucket, dump the sand into a pillow case. You can drape the open end, over the top of the bucket. Then, when you are done rinsing, pull the pillow case out and it drains itself. I used a plain white pillow case and did a plain water wash first, to make sure there was no detergent residue. I found this a lot easier. __________________ I may make mistakes...just not twice. Eric (Zoa Addict) Current Tank Info: 75 Gallon Reef DT: All Pukani LR, 30g sump.

05/29/2012, 09:59 AM	#4
Allmost Moved On Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: canada, toronto Posts: 8,161	live sand -- no rinse. dry sand-normal size[not Fine] rinse with tap water, then soak in RO/DI water till po4 is down. Dry Sand-Fine size for DSB -- do not rinse, soak it in RO/DI water instead, changing the water every other day, and checking for po4 till zero or low, then use. DSB needs the finer pieces that get washed off in rinsing. HTH,

05/29/2012, 10:53 AM	#5
DreamLand Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 42	Thanks it's dry sand, different grain sizes I have 5 bags to use in a 90 gallon.

05/29/2012, 11:28 AM	#7
DreamLand Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 42	What if I get lazy and just dump all the bags in with out washing?

05/29/2012, 11:32 AM	#8
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	Just fill a 5 gallon bucket about halfway up with sand and then add the garden hose. The water pressure and the hose itself can be used to stir the sand until the bucket overflows clear water. Piece of cake. I've done this countless times and have never had a problem.

05/29/2012, 12:02 PM	#9
FlyingRev Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Memphis, Tennessee, USA Posts: 130	Sk8r in the stickys says that even when using live sand, rinse!!! She states that you need not worry about washing away the good bacteria, that it is a non issue. Read the sticky, it really is the holy grail.

05/30/2012, 08:25 AM	#12
DreamLand Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 42	What about if I put the sand into the tank with some r/o water mixed it up and sucked out the cloudy water?

05/30/2012, 09:31 AM	#14
gweston Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Gardner, MA Posts: 961	I fill a 5 gal bucket about 1/2 full of sand. Go outside. Run the hose over and mix/rinse well a few times. Mix well. I either use my hand or a big plastic spoon that I use for brewing beer Pour off any foaminess until it is mostly gone. I then let the hose drain into the bucket semi-slowly, mixing a few times. I then let the bucket overflow. Maybe 15mins depending on how dirty it is. Eventually it will run mostly clear. I then toss in some RODI. Maybe a gallon. Rinse it around quickly... then drain. Into the tank it goes. I read somewhere that sticking plain RODI into aragonite sand can cause some cloudiness in the water. Something about the ph of the water and the aragonite reacting. So with this in mind, perfectly clear after rinsing probably isn't required. Just get most of it, any debris, and especially the 'foamy' junk you can get when you first start to clean the sand. When filling the tank, I used plastic sheeting laid onto the sand. Same stuff you'd use for painting and protecting your carpet. Bucket after bucket, the sand disturbed was minimal. I used this method with carbisea special grade (rather coarse sand). fiji pink (sugar grian. And marco sand (super fine). It all worked. For the super fine sand though... needed to be more careful. Clean it more slowly otherwise it will float away as the bucket overflows. Oh, I also drained off a small layer of super super fine sand from the top of the Marcos. It was almost clay-like in consistency. Only a little bit was there, but I thought it was worth removing. The cleaned sand is soft and fine and doesn't have that clay-like consistency.

05/30/2012, 01:50 PM	#18
mgrmax Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 376	Not that this is the preferred method but I have used an old t shirt that was washed without detergent, placed it in a calendar as a filter and rinsed it with a hose. It took forever but there was very little clouding when I put it in the tank. Last edited by mgrmax; 05/30/2012 at 01:55 PM. Reason: Run on sentence

08/16/2012, 11:50 AM	#20
sn4265 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 570	Just to revive an old thread, I have a related question on this... I guess any possible Copper contamination from the end/nozzle on the garden hose is so miniscule as to be a non-issue? Just wanted to be sure. I have 40 lbs of CaribSea SeaFlor Special Grade to rinse and put into the tank this weekend. I'm thinking that about a third of a bag at a time should be good? Then just drain out the tap water and rinse each batch with a couple gallons of RODI? The straight into the tank... __________________ First saltwater tank setup 11/6/10: 80 lbs LS and 150 lbs LR, Aquamaxx EM200 skimmer & Phosban Reactor Photon 48 LED pH 8.0, Temp 78, NO3 ~0, Mg 1400, Ca 420, Alk 7.5 Current Tank Info: 120 gal with 40B sump with fuge, pair of black Occellaris Clowns, purple Firefish, Coral Banded Shrimp, Foxface

08/16/2012, 03:05 PM	#21
chrisfont23 Reef Monster Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Long Island Posts: 1,343	Personally, I have never rinsed sand. I just feel like even the smallest particles are worth keeping.