Help with Sand

[Wyatt]

Hello,

I have a 5-gallon tank that I added sand too and it has just left the water super sandy and not clear at all. (I have no fish and such at this time I am doing it prior to buying anything to start a cycle and such). Is there anything I can do to get rid of this cloud of fine sand particles?
Also, I have a 40-gallon tall that I plan to put sand into, what should I do to prevent this from happening in it?

Thank you,

Wyatt

[Dwayne Brown]

I have a few tanks that have sand substrates. This just part of the process, it should clear up in about 48 hours. You could try adding a filter to your tank, that would filter some of the particles out and may speed up the process. 

[BlueLineAquaticsSC]

Washing the sand before hand will significantly reduce this, put it in a bucket run water through, drain, repeat till clear. Also I wouldn’t add a filter with a mechanical component like HOBs or canisters while it’s like that. The sand can get into the impeller and other components and damage it.

[Odd Duck]

On 11/30/2021 at 9:00 PM, BlueLineAquaticsSC said:

Washing the sand before hand will significantly reduce this, put it in a bucket run water through, drain, repeat till clear. Also I wouldn’t add a filter with a mechanical component like HOBs or canisters while it’s like that. The sand can get into the impeller and other components and damage it.

Came here to say this.

I have sand in over half of my 24 tanks and haven’t had an issue with this happening, but it looks like you’ve used a very fine sand. I think you’re having issues because of how fine your sand is.  That’s makes it a bit more of a challenge.  Don’t run any mechanical filtration until that sand clears!  It could destroy any pump it runs through.

You can try a fine sponge filter for a few days.  You can also do a water change and use several layers of paper towel or bubble wrap over top of a plate to pour water back in if you didn’t already do it that way.  This minimizes disturbing the sand.  Did you rinse your sand?  The finer the sand you have, the slower you have to run your water while rinsing, or you just run all of it over the edge of your rinsing bucket.

I use either pool filter sand which needs very little rinsing or medium grit black blasting sand which takes a little more rinsing.  It takes me less than 10 minutes to rinse a full 50 pound bag of pool filter sand.  The black sand needs rinsed between 10-20 minutes depending on the bag.

I dump about 1/2 a bag into a bucket, then run the water fairly fast through the garden hose (faster for a 5 gallon bucket, a little slower if I’m using a 3 gallon bucket or too much sand overflows).  I run this hose around in the bucket until the water runs out clear.  The hose easily pushes all the way to the bottom since the water pushes the sand up and floats it around.  I can easily swirl the hose all through the bucket with the water flowing at the right rate.  I then do the same thing in the bag, again, until the water runs clear.

I do try to prevent disturbing the sand too much as I fill the tank, but I am layering dirt, then sprinkled Osmocote, then sand, and I want the layers to stay intact.

Here’s a pic of a 29 gallon and a 20 gallon with pool sand within 30 minutes or less after set up for each.  Then a pic of a 20 long and a 100 gallon also within minutes after set up for each.  The 100 gallon was actually a bit longer because the right side driftwood floated loose disturbing the layers and I had to fiddle around a bit getting it zip tied to rocks and settled back into place.

[Torrey]

On 11/30/2021 at 9:43 PM, Odd Duck said:

Came here to say this.

I have sand in over half of my 24 tanks and haven’t had an issue with this happening, but it looks like you’ve used a very fine sand. I think you’re having issues because of how fine your sand is.  That’s makes it a bit more of a challenge.  Don’t run any mechanical filtration until that sand clears!  It could destroy any pump it runs through.

You can try a fine sponge filter for a few days.  You can also do a water change and use several layers of paper towel or bubble wrap over top of a plate to pour water back in if you didn’t already do it that way.  This minimizes disturbing the sand.  Did you rinse your sand?  The finer the sand you have, the slower you have to run your water while rinsing, or you just run all of it over the edge of your rinsing bucket.

I use either pool filter sand which needs very little rinsing or medium grit black blasting sand which takes a little more rinsing.  It takes me less than 10 minutes to rinse a full 50 pound bag of pool filter sand.  The black sand needs rinsed between 10-20 minutes depending on the bag.

I dump about 1/2 a bag into a bucket, then run the water fairly fast through the garden hose (faster for a 5 gallon bucket, a little slower if I’m using a 3 gallon bucket or too much sand overflows).  I run this hose around in the bucket until the water runs out clear.  The hose easily pushes all the way to the bottom since the water pushes the sand up and floats it around.  I can easily swirl the hose all through the bucket with the water flowing at the right rate.  I then do the same thing in the bag, again, until the water runs clear.

I do try to prevent disturbing the sand too much as I fill the tank, but I am layering dirt, then sprinkled Osmocote, then sand, and I want the layers to stay intact.

Here’s a pic of a 29 gallon and a 20 gallon with pool sand within 30 minutes or less after set up for each.  Then a pic of a 20 long and a 100 gallon also within minutes after set up for each.  The 100 gallon was actually a bit longer because the right side driftwood floated loose disturbing the layers and I had to fiddle around a bit getting it zip tied to rocks and settled back into place.

@Wyatt I second Odd Duck, especially if your living arrangements make bucket rinsing of sand realistic and easy.

There's also another option:

I am in an apartment and can't allow any sand, gravel, or tank water / residue down the drain.

I'm also in the desert, and water is a very precious resource. 

So I have discovered (through lots of trial and even more error) that I can either half fill 5 gallon buckets, and top off with water, then stir with a paint stick (that has only been used for this specific purpose) and skim off everything that floats. Repeat the stirring and the skimming until nothing else floats up, then carefully pour off the dirty water (the shrubs and trees by our apartment are probably the healthiest plants on the property).

When scaping the tank, plan on a few adaptations.

1. Scape the 'ground' and then place a plate or a decent sized bowl inside. Slowly add about 3" to 6" of water. Plate/bowl should reduce/stop the sand being disturbed. 

2. Run a sponge filter overnight to clear up the water, after skimming the water surface for any debris.

3. Next day, plant.  Use the plate or a bowl to diffuse the water, and add just enough water for plants that you bought submerged, are submerged. If all your plants were purchased emmersed, only add enough water for plants to be half submerged.

4. Keep running the sponge filter to keep the water cleared up.

5. As soon as you see new growth, raise the water level an inch or two every few days, until the tank is filled.

6. Until you perfect your method of adding water to the tank, there's going to be some disturbance of the substrate. Eventually plant roots will make filling the tank easier, but fine sand and dirt will always have some disturbance. Easiest way to return to clear water is skim the top to remove floaters, and run a sponge filter after adding water.

 

Some people will attach super course foam to the end of the hose to fill the tank, and place the hose inside a plastic bowl or bottle that has small slits cut into the full circumference, ~ 2" up from the bottom. This helps diffuse the flow and direct it out horizontally, instead of the force of the flow generating a 'pit' directly under the hose.

Play around with a few different methods for filling the tank while it's empty of livestock, and find the method that works best for you. 

Welcome to Nermlandia, I can't wait to see your progress!

[Torrey]

PS: I forgot to add the second half of the "I can either..."

For my big tanks, I no longer waste my energy or water cleaning the sand.

I set everything up except for the plants, and add enough water to just cover the sponge filter. I skim off floating debris, then turn on the sponge filter(s). I have to skim the water every evening for a week, before I plant. Closer to 10 days if I am using the blasting sand from Tractor Supply. 

 

Yes, it's much slower. Yet, it's way less labor intensive?

Once I am not seeing an oily film manifest overnight, the tank is ready to be planted. Don't have to change anything from #3 onward, and while it's definitely slower, it is way less effort / water / labor intensive. 

If you add beneficial bacteria and "ghost feed" your tank, your tank will be well-established and frequently cycled, by the time the tank is full.