# I just Added Pool SAND



## Malice (Feb 19, 2004)

K, I just added some pool filter sand to the tank, I washed it for almost 45 mins! My tank looks bad.. How long will it take for the sand to settle?? Should I have my filter turned on? HELP! what should I do!?????


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## Malice (Feb 19, 2004)

another


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## Malice (Feb 19, 2004)

last 1


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## Malice (Feb 19, 2004)

oopz


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## lemmywinks (Jan 25, 2004)

definatly turn your filter on. and BTW what is pool sand? ive only used regular playsand in mine. mine never got cloudy like that...


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## Malice (Feb 19, 2004)

sorry. Pool Filter Sand..


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## aaron07_20 (Apr 23, 2004)

NOO whatever you do dont turrn your filter on! That will seriously screw up your filter. This always happens when putting new sand in. Obviously you washed the sand, just let the sand settle for 24 hours. After most of the sand settles, turn the filter on. Turn your filter off now before it gets screwed.


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## aaron07_20 (Apr 23, 2004)

Btw this is normal. You obviously washed it, it you didnt your aquarium would be pure yellow. Just let the sand settle for 24 hours like I said, it will still be a little cloudy.

Edit: Do you see that yellow/white foamy stuff on the top? Try to remove that with a ney or something, it wont go away unless you do.


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## lemmywinks (Jan 25, 2004)

the sand would settle within minutes.... it does not take a whole day for some sand to sink to the bottom of a tank


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## Bigkrup444 (Oct 6, 2003)

when i added black sand to my tank it looked like that only black i though i didnt wash it enough it it was all cleared up in the morning. And dont turn on the filter it will suck in too much sand and cause some damage to the impeller


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## lemmywinks (Jan 25, 2004)

so is that sand that is floating around in the water or what? when ever i use sand it always sinks to the bottom within a matter of seconds and i never have any type of cloudy water... 
BTW, sorry if your impeller gets messed up


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## lemmywinks (Jan 25, 2004)

also, how does it look now? is the sand finally settled or what?


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## Enriqo_Suavez (Mar 31, 2004)

I used play sand, and cleaned it out REAL well for several hours, and the water still is cloudy when I look through the side of the tank







Its been a couple months


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## aaron07_20 (Apr 23, 2004)

The stuff on top is just some nasty really gross foam. You do need to let the sand settle atleast for 10 hours. It may not look like it but there is still sand in the water, and it will mess up the propeller type thing if the filter is on. I was too impatient for the sand to settle myself and I regretted it after my filter was screwed up and I had to clean out the sand for two hours.


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## aaron07_20 (Apr 23, 2004)

endrigo, you need to do a 100% water change. Make sure your sand is cleaned out good enough, then add new water. Dont clean out your filter unless you HAVE too, you need the cycle crap stuff in there.


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## redbellyjx © (Jan 26, 2004)

heres a question for you. was the water in the tank when you poured the sand in? thats what it looks like you did. i would think if the tank was empty when you put the sand in, and poured the water in over a rock or something (not directly over the sand) then it shouldnt be cloudy at all. just set it set over night and it will be fine in the morning.


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## Malice (Feb 19, 2004)

I put the water in first then the sand.. i put the sand from a bag into a bucket a cleaned it out as much I could, when i was sic of cleaning it, i just put the sand in the tank that was full of water. I didn't have the filter on, and I still dont.. Should I wait 24hrs u think b4 i turn the filter on?


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## watermonst3rs (Feb 15, 2004)

DEFINATELY DO NOT TURN ON YOUR FILTER! Most people first thing they wanna do is turn on their filter when they get sand. It will only clog up your filter and stir up the water. Give it time, the sand will sink. If it doesn't clear up in a day, syphon the cloudy water out then put a dinner plate on the sand and refill and you be all good.


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## thePACK (Jan 3, 2003)

aaron07_20 said:


> NOO whatever you do dont turrn your filter on! That will seriously screw up your filter. This always happens when putting new sand in. Obviously you washed the sand, just let the sand settle for 24 hours. After most of the sand settles, turn the filter on. Turn your filter off now before it gets screwed.










..follow the instructions that aaron has said..this is alll normal..just be patience for it to settle properly.


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## 00nothing (Mar 26, 2004)

same thing happened to me settled within 2hrs


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## joefromcanada (Apr 16, 2004)

im using white pool filter sand. i cleaned it for bout 1 hr or so, using the bucket overflow technique and i didnt have one bit of cloudyness at all. sand didnt stir up at all.


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## Davo (Jan 29, 2004)

good advise everybody. You can also syphon some of the water out once the sand has settled. This will take out all that messy looking gunk from the tank!!!


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## nitrofish (Jan 14, 2003)

don't turn the filters on, I did that now all my filters make noise. drain the tank all the way and put a dinner plate at the bottom f the tank. begin to fill by pouring water slowly over the dinner plate, this will avoid stirring up the sand, once its filled remove the plate.


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## ChosenOne22 (Nov 23, 2003)

where did you get your pool filter sand?? i was mine all in 15 minutes and added into a tank with fish already in and it immediately settle in and was completely crystal clear


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## Malice (Feb 19, 2004)

im going crazy with this pool filter sand sh*t, i got it from a pool store.. it is nice white sand, it is a big pain in the ass to do, because I dont have a python, and i do all my waterchanges by a bucket. and a syphon. it takes FOREVER + im breakin my ass takin water from the tank to the tub, or from the tub to the tank. Im going to do this 1 last time, and if it is still cloudy im screwing the whole thing, dump all the sand out, clean it out fill it back up go buy graval and yah... THIS whole experience has been one big huge ass waste of time, and that does not even include the fact that I still have to cycle my tank... GRRRRRRRRRR,.,


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## watermonst3rs (Feb 15, 2004)

Since you don't have a Python. You can goto a waterbed store, and pick up the same thing a Python to syphon out the water. It's only a couple bucks, it's the thing that screw on to the socket and run a water hose to it. Other then that, pool sand might have been a bad idea. I never heard of that being used.


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## lemmywinks (Jan 25, 2004)

if you dont do good with that stuff try playground sand from likr home depot or something like that. it is really cheap, easy to clean and settles in seconds. good luck with what ever you do


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## aaron07_20 (Apr 23, 2004)

Just let it sit for longer, most of the sand if not all will settle..then it will be safe to turn the filter on. I know everything will work out ok...it alway does..many people on different forums complain about this but it ends up working out fine..when everything is nice and clear..just for a word of advice..add some natural colored gravel to it, only a little bit..just sprinkle it on..it looks great. Im talking about the gravel thats pink, tan, white, and all them colors, the very smooth round rocks that look similair to the ones you find in the ocean..


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## Malice (Feb 19, 2004)

anyways thanks for all the help & replys

I did it again, I took out all the sand, re washed it. again, then i did 100% waterchange twice, all the settled, the sand was just very dusty and made a very white dust throughout the water. I did the plate thing, which worked at first, but when the water got to high and stired up the sand, more white dust, so I just said skrew it, emptyed everything, cleaned it all out.. and added some graval. what a waste of time,

Im gonna try it on my 20G with the sand, maybe it will work on that one with playground sand, i give up on the pool filter sand.









Ill post pics when im done though.


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## lemmywinks (Jan 25, 2004)

the best way i have found to clean sand is to take a pillow case fill it about 1/2 - 3/4 of the way full then use a hose or even wash it in the bath tub. do this till the water coming out is clean. this way you do not lose any sand and it is cleaned very easily. good luck


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