Thinking Of Going Full Sand Again

[ShinySideUp]

In one of my old tanks I had all sand but in my six-footer I have two thirds fine gravel, one third sand but since most of my fish are bottom feeders I'm thinking of going full sand.
 
I have fish in the tank and cannot remove them (too big, too many) to another, the sand has to be pretty much pristine clean when it goes in and in the past I've always got some cloudiness that lasted for weeks before settling out.
 
Does anyone know of a quicker way of cleaning thirty kilograms of sand than flushing it in a bucket?

 

[fluttermoth]

I had a friend who swore by a cement mixer, but I've never done it myself...

 

[ShinySideUp]

Yes, good idea, but that the mixer would have to be brand new or the sand would get some concrete in it.

 

[ellena]

Could you do it gradually? Half a bag a week or similar. Is the sand/gravel you have now mixed or separate sections?

 

[ShinySideUp]

Separate sections using some artificial stone walls as dividers, there is a little mixing at the tank front but nothing much.
 
I too was thinking about doing it gradually but I'd have to make a set of dividers that I could get through the gravel then remove one side and replace with sand before moving onto the next section at another time

 

[sawickib]

Honestly id just mix it, i had to clean 150 pounds of pool filter sand in buckets haha took awhile but if your thorough there shouldnt be cloudiness.

 

[nic1]

I once saw this clip on youtube, I dont actually know if it works but you could test it out first to make sure,
fill a bottle up with sand (has to be dry or you wont get it in the bottle in the first place) then put the bottle fully in the tank and tip it completely upside down.... the sand would pour out and the bottle will fill up with water and the dirt particles (cloudiness) will be left in the bottle with the water.
you will have to remove the gravel first, I would do this slowly though.
 
I will see if I can find the vid nd I will post it.

https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta6ZI5Or814
 
the guy was adding coral sand but Ive watched videos where all types are used.

 

[techen]

It does work, It's normally how I swap out substrates.

 

[ShinySideUp]

If I hadn't seen the bloke do it, I would never have believed it. I shall try it into a bucket first but it does look like a good idea so thank you very much for that link.