changing substrate... tips tricks or insight

[Ron]

I'm cleanng my sand right now and I just want to know if I'm doing this right, wrong, or bass backwards. I put the sand into 5 gal buckets. Then I put the hose to the bottom of the bucket and turned it on. I'm looking for the overflow water to be clear, then I'll move the hose to another spot in the bucket. Am I close? About how long does this process take?

FWIW, filling the bucket pretty full of sand doesn't help it all get rinsed faster and is actually slower IMO because it's more of a PITA to stir with your hand. If you fill it 1/4 of the way, it'll probably take 5 minutes with the garden hose if you're actively swirling. If you fill it 3/4s full it'll take at least 15 minutes and possibly 20+. 

Sometimes it also helps to just fill the bucket and pour out the cloudy mess carefully rather than wait for it to spill over the side.

[Super Turtleman]

Stick your hand in the sand & give it a stir every once & awhile.... it'll go faster

....and freeze your arm off. 

[danielratti]

What I would do to avoid the frozen arm you get a piece of pvc to stir with and boom no frozen arm.

[Regalblue]

Stick your hand in the sand & give it a stir every once & awhile.... it'll go faster

....and freeze your arm off. 

Yeah He would've found that out too, Lol

I'll usually just use warm water because of that.

[Steve]

A paint mixer attachment for an electric drill helps prevent the cold arm as well as does a nice job at mixing up the sand 

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

Seriously !   

1) Take an old bucket
2) Drill several fairly large holes around the bottom
3) Insert the pillow case
4) Fill the pillow case no more than 1/3 the volume with sand
5) Use the spray nozzle on the hose to aggitate the sand inside the pillow case.
6) Do this until the water running out of the bucket is clear (5 minutes or less)
7) pull the pillow case out of the bucket
Shake out excess water
9) Walk over to the tank
10) Empty out the pillow case into the tank.
11) Repeat steps until all the sand is washed and tank is filled to desired level.

Easy peazy 

[Ron]

Seriously !   

1) Take an old bucket
2) Drill several fairly large holes around the bottom
3) Insert the pillow case
4) Fill the pillow case no more than 1/3 the volume with sand
5) Use the spray nozzle on the hose to aggitate the sand inside the pillow case.
6) Do this until the water running out of the bucket is clear (5 minutes or less)
7) pull the pillow case out of the bucket
Shake out excess water
9) Walk over to the tank
10) Empty out the pillow case into the tank.
11) Repeat steps until all the sand is washed and tank is filled to desired level.

Easy peazy 

Easy indeed, but to properly join the "sand substrate" club, everyone has to experience the "freezing arm" while stirring their sand at least once. 

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

Seriously !   

1) Take an old bucket
2) Drill several fairly large holes around the bottom
3) Insert the pillow case
4) Fill the pillow case no more than 1/3 the volume with sand
5) Use the spray nozzle on the hose to aggitate the sand inside the pillow case.
6) Do this until the water running out of the bucket is clear (5 minutes or less)
7) pull the pillow case out of the bucket
Shake out excess water
9) Walk over to the tank
10) Empty out the pillow case into the tank.
11) Repeat steps until all the sand is washed and tank is filled to desired level.

Easy peazy 

Easy indeed, but to properly join the "sand substrate" club, everyone has to experience the "freezing arm" while stirring their sand at least once. 

LMAO -     Been there done that....

[TrailerParkFishTanks]

Seriously !   

1) Take an old bucketi
2) Drill several fairly large holes around the bottom
3) Insert the pillow case
4) Fill the pillow case no more than 1/3 the volume with sand
5) Use the spray nozzle on the hose to aggitate the sand inside the pillow case.
6) Do this until the water running out of the bucket is clear (5 minutes or less)
7) pull the pillow case out of the bucket
Shake out excess water
9) Walk over to the tank
10) Empty out the pillow case into the tank.
11) Repeat steps until all the sand is washed and tank is filled to desired level.

Easy peazy 

So basically what you're saying is that it's way easier than whatever the hell it is that i have been doing? Noted, I'm gonna do it your way. Thank you

[Regalblue]

Yep, very easy.... fill up the bucket 1/3 with sand,  turn on the faucet,  run the water in the sand,stir the sand around,  jump out the water, repeat a couple times, dump the sand in tank & keep doing it until you have the amount of sand desired in the tank.

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

Let me know if it works better once the feeling in your hand comes back !   

[Super Turtleman]

Just wondering, does the pillow case trap some of that detritus you're trying to remove from the sand or does it pretty much flush out?

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

Just wondering, does the pillow case trap some of that detritus you're trying to remove from the sand or does it pretty much flush out?

Good question:  I suppose it would, after I dump out the last pillow case, reverse it and clean it out there is particulate left in the pillow case...

[danielratti]

Thread count is a big factor of this also

[Regalblue]

Let me know if it works better once the feeling in your hand comes back !   

Is the cold water too much for you to deal with?  Should I bring you something from the wife's medicine cabinet tonight?  Oh!  I know what it is!  Your hands must be too soft from all that Buffalo Bill lotion!