Sitemaps

Cleaning 8 bags of gravel for 4ft tank2007-11-24 23:11:01

what the best way

Answers:

It is easier to clean a small amount at once rather than trying to wash a bucket full as you will never get the stuff at the bottom clean.

Get 2 buckets.

you want to put about a bag of gravel in a bucket and rinse it over and over again swirling the gravel about until the water is completely clear and is not discoloured or cloudy.

Once this is done pour into the other bucket and repeat.

Once it is all washed you can simple use a plastic cup (i bought some for this purpose) to scoop the gravel out and place in tank.

Dont pour the whole bucket in at once, remember the tank is glass and all that gravel will be heavy

---

time to break out some buckets and a hose. Put 1 bag in a 5 gallon bucket at a time and keep filling the buckets with water swirling the substrate around and dumping the water. Keep doing it till the water seems to be clear and free of debris. Then move on to the next bag.

---

You want a sieve, the strainer type, pour gravel into it and wash under a running tap. I use hot water to kill off any bugs..

---

only clean 4 bags keep half dirty - you need the bacteria in the dirty half to get the biological balance back in your tank after a good clean - get a bucket that has not ever been tainted by any detergents and rinse away half a bucket at a time - use (if you can)old tank water . if you cant that's OK just let the gravel drain properly - and obviously use water detoxing additives when replacing water

---

Other people have their own opinions, but mine is to rinse it with cold water. Use a strainer, and rinse it until there is no more discolored water falling through the strainer. You need to rinse it because of the chemicals in the paint/dye, and it could be harmful. Some people boil it, but I found out that rinsing it does just fine. Then dump the strainer full of gravel into the tank. Then refill the strainer and repeat.

---

my 1st wife's dad used to boil it and rinse afterwards