Problems With Using Sand!

[maisy12345]

Hi ,i`ve put sand in from pets at home in my 28l after settling down after a day it went cloudy again [checked water ammonia and nirite was 0]i,just came to do a water change,with my gravel vac and loads of sand has gone into my bucket,when i cleaned the top of the sand,and when i put clean water in ,although i poured it off an ornament the water `s gone really cloudy again,wouldn`t mind but this sand cost me £4.25 per 2kg,and it`s really fine,any suggestions ,hope argos sand isn`t this fine?

 

[BigTom]

Did you rinse it beforehand? Never had an issue using playsand, which is very fine.

 

[maisy12345]

Yes I really rinsed it well,i`m really annoyed,as i also threw the bucket down the lavatory andthe sand won`t go away.

 

[BigTom]

Hopefully a few decent water changes should clear it, just be really careful with refilling.

 

[maisy12345]

Thanks ,don`t know whether to change it to argos play sand ,how does everyone else gravel vac sand?

 

[StandbySetting]

You have to be careful, detritus is generally less dense than sand so should be picked up first, there definitely is a skill to it, but if you have good circulation you shouldn't have problems with detritus.

 

[Louiseness]

If you're trying to clean it as you would gravel (pushing the vac down into the sand), don't.

You need to sort of hover the vac just above the surface, maybe doing sort of swishing circular motions to make a 'vortex' which will help suck up any waste.

Lots of times you'll get a few bits of sand by accident but it shouldn't be a huge amount. if it is you're getting too close to the sand.

 

[AdamHawk]

It can take quite a few days to clear properely, so just be patience and let it settle.

 

[Athena]

Maisy, buy a large turkey baster (I got one online for about £3). I found this much easier to suck up the poop with and in a 28L tank (I have one of those for some fry) it's so easy to do on a daily basis without a lot of fuss. You just squeeze, aim, suck the poop up, then squeeze it into a little tub or bucket.

Any small amounts of sand that end up in the container can be re-sucked up and squeezed back into your tank, so no sand loss (switch your filter off first so that loose sand isn't sucked into the filter).

I've never had cloudy sand (mine is Argos playsand) but, as others have said, it should clear in a few days time. I guess some sand just needs a lot more washing than others. You should always wash the sand, stirring it up, tipping away the scum, wash and wash until it is clear even when you stir it up in the bucket.

Not sure about the sand in your loo, though - you don't want it to clog up your U bend if there's loads of it!

Athena

 

[Tizer]

Im certainly ill suck up some sand when i get around to doing a water change in the new tank, but i wont be putting it down the loo Swirly motion about 5 inches above the sand and then suck up the bits that rise up. Argos play sand is very fine, like dust.

 

[maisy12345]

Being a newbie ,i thought the dirt would be in the sand so i treated it like gravel,also how often do you need to clean the sand?

 

[Tizer]

Being a newbie ,i thought the dirt would be in the sand so i treated it like gravel,also how often do you need to clean the sand?

once, before it goes into the tank, you cant "clean" it when its in the tank...

then simple suck the poo off the surface of the sand as mentioned when it looks dirty.

 

[maisy12345]

Thanks,i know now

 

[Athena]

As mentioned in my other post, you can scoop the poop as often as you like - the thing is with sand that any poop that doesn't get drawn into the filter will settle on the top of the sand...so the longer you leave it the messier the sand will look. If you don't get time to scoop it during the week, at least try to do it once a week.

Also, any uneaten food will be noticeable on the sand, too, so that can be scooped out. I think that having sand helps keep the tank cleaner because nobody wants to look at poopy sand LOL so you're more inclined to clean it whenever you see it, whereas with gravel the poop is less noticeable until it's given a good old gravel vac LOL!

 

[nehpets81]

Being a newbie ,i thought the dirt would be in the sand so i treated it like gravel,also how often do you need to clean the sand?

I would clean it when it looks dirty - it is a lot easier to see. I am a bit obsessive and can't stand seeing the poo on the sand so end up cleaning it every other day!