Water and Sand

[iflipsidei]

Ok so my tank is already to go, i need some advice on how to get all this water and sand in the tank.

My original idea is to get like four 30 gallon plastic trash cans and take a few days and mix all the salt water. Which means the first batch would not be mixing as much since i only have 1 maxi power head to go around.

I was thinking of washing all the sand, but thats a lot of sand. Does the sand really need to be washed?

I was then going to put in about 1" of sand then place my bottom rocks on the sand then put about 2 more inches of sand then continue from there with the rest of the rocks and water.

any better ways of doing this?

 

[cdangel0]

In a new tank you can mix the saltwater right in the tank.

Put some water in, pour the sand in, add more water, salt mix add heater any and all available power heads and pumps and let it run.

Now personally... I prefer to mix the salt sopme before adding it to the tank, just personal preference but not necessary on a new system.

 

[rustybucket145]

Unless you want a sandstorm don't add sand after the water is in. It really causes a mess. I would mix the saltwater up in trash cans. You don't have to let it 'age' like you normally would. Just fill up a can, add salt stir it up until dissolved (the powerhead will help) then pour it into the tank.

You are on track as far as your sand - rock - sand idea. That will be fine.

Also IMPORTANT!! when you're adding the water from the can into the tank you should pour it onto a rock or pile of rocks to allow the rocks to diffuse it. Pouring it directly onto the sand will create a sandstorm that will last for days.

I would highly suggest that you wash all the sand. Especially if you're using play sand from HD or lowes. It usually contains some organic matter like roots, leaves...etc. Sand is VERY easy to wash if done the right way and VERY hard to do if done the incorrect way.

Here's the correct way. Just fill up your trashcan about half full with sand in the yard. Turn on the water hose high with no spray nozzle attached. You just want the normal old hose end. Turn the water on and let it run into the can until it's full, then push the end of the hose all the way down to the bottom of the trash can. This sounds like it would be VERY hard but it's amazingly easy. The flowing water displaces the sand enough to allow the hose to easily enter. Think..... standing on the beach by the waves.... as the waves come up you sink for some reason... right? hydrodynamics!!! It is your friend in this case, make it work.

 

[iflipsidei]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9490901#post9490901 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rustybucket145
I would highly suggest that you wash all the sand. Especially if you're using play sand from HD or lowes. It usually contains some organic matter like roots, leaves...etc. Sand is VERY easy to wash if done the right way and VERY hard to do if done the incorrect way.

Here's the correct way. Just fill up your trashcan about half full with sand in the yard. Turn on the water hose high with no spray nozzle attached. You just want the normal old hose end. Turn the water on and let it run into the can until it's full, then push the end of the hose all the way down to the bottom of the trash can. This sounds like it would be VERY hard but it's amazingly easy. The flowing water displaces the sand enough to allow the hose to easily enter. Think..... standing on the beach by the waves.... as the waves come up you sink for some reason... right? hydrodynamics!!! It is your friend in this case, make it work.

well im buying this pink fiji sand from my LFS. So if i get this right, after i get all that water and sand in the tank and its all displaced, just siphon out the water after the bigger grains settle? I have to siphon cause i have to do this all in my apartment lol. Any wont using regular tap water leave bad stuff in the sand that i dont want?

 

[rustybucket145]

Any wont using regular tap water leave bad stuff in the sand that i dont want?

Not enough to matter at all. But...

Is the sand you're using dry or wet? If it's wet you could just use it right out of the bag if you want.

So if i get this right, after i get all that water and sand in the tank and its all displaced, just siphon out the water after the bigger grains settle?

I have no clue what you're saying... as it seems you didn't have a clue what I was saying.

What I was trying to say is that you need to do this outside. The whole point is to hook the water hose to a hose bib (that the thing with the knob that shoots out water). You use the hose to fill up a plastic trash can that already has all your sand in it. Then you (with the water on and the trash can overflowing in the yard) push the nozzle of the hose all the way through the sand to the bottom of the barrel. Repeat until the water that overflows the can is semi-clear.

Then, drain as much water as you can, carry the trashcan inside and dump the sand into your tank, add rocks, add the rest of the sand and then fill with saltwater by diffusing the flow over the rocks.

Did that make better sense?

 

[iflipsidei]

Its dry sand, and I just stopped at my lfs and looked at the bags and already forgot the name lol but I remember the design of the bag is like a blue sea floor of coral. Anyways I asked why all the bags are zip tied closed. They said they were pre washed.


I get it now about having it over flow. I can't do that here in the apt complex I could probably do it in the bath tub. I don't think the fine sand will clog the drain. I will just have lots of water flowing thru.