Best way to wash grit before use?

[Asmodeus]

I have a couple of sacks of grit from Stone and Water World and was just wondering how best to wash it before use? It doesn't seem dusty like some rocks and pebbles do, but I suspect it should still be washed. I put a handful in my kitchen sieve but it all went through lol. I don't think I can wash it in the sack it comes in as they don't look very porous (plastic).

Could I use cheese cloth with my sieve or something, or is there a simpler way? Does this stuff even need to be washed? :dunno:

Cheers

[Sophia]

I usually put some in a bucket and pour cold tap water over it, stir it up, then pour it off. And I keep doing that till the water is quite clear as it will be quite cloudy. You won't catch all of the cloud but you'll get most of it doing it this way. It's easier to do it in small amounts, less than half a bucket at a time as you'll get the most swirl-ability than if you do a whole bucket at a time.

[F15hguy]

if its heavy enough you could place it in a filled bucket under a tap and use a gravel siphon to really clean it out make sure you don't suck it down the drain.

p.s. keep us posted how it works, have been wondering how that stuff would look

[Gill]

I usually use a kids empty sandpit. Works a treat turn the hose on full and its done in a jiffy....

[blueether]

I normally 1/2 fill a 20l bucket then blast the hose through it while stirring.

Looks quite nice

[alanmin4304]

Good colours but it is crushed and therefore has sharp edges. It would be best not to use it with fish that grub in the gravel such as corries.

[Sheepsnana]

I usually put some in a bucket and pour cold tap water over it, stir it up, then pour it off. And I keep doing that till the water is quite clear as it will be quite cloudy. You won't catch all of the cloud but you'll get most of it doing it this way. It's easier to do it in small amounts, less than half a bucket at a time as you'll get the most swirl-ability than if you do a whole bucket at a time.

I also do it this way

[Caryl]

I have a 30L plastic barrel I hose water in full blast and swish around until it runs clear.

[Asmodeus]

OK thanks guys, will use a big plastic tub I have.

I don't plan on getting gravel grubbing fish except maybe a pleco or two. This stuff would be Ok with them right?

[trinox]

I also do it this way

Same

[critter_crazy]

Rinse it in a pillow case, it's what I did with my coral sand and it worked a treat!! :thup:

[Asmodeus]

Rinse it in a pillow case, it's what I did with my coral sand and it worked a treat!! :thup:

Good idea :thup:

[Dana]

I've had the same issue this weekend. I'm landscaping a 215ltr so had 6 bags of black gravel and a bag of shist.

Took my 7 hours and I'm telling you, that water was clear!!!!! Until I put water in the tank....I took it out, washed again, started filling tank, same problem. Emptied and filled 3 more times. It was still brownish murky.

So, I came up with a cunning plan. I stuck the hose in one end, a siphon in the other and let it run for three hours. Perhaps not the most enviro friendly option, but it worked a treat!!

[Sheepsnana]

So, I came up with a cunning plan. I stuck the hose in one end, a siphon in the other and let it run for three hours. Perhaps not the most enviro friendly option, but it worked a treat!!

Other end into the garden, and it's fine.

[Dana]

Yes, other end in the garden lol.

All good until you pop into the kitchen to boil the jug, and your gargantuan dufus German shepherd trips over the line LOL...I found her chasing the end of the line trying to catch the water. Definitely a "sigh" moment....

[Asmodeus]

Holy crap. Just starting to wash this grit now to use in a new build and it's amazing hom much dust is in this stuff. I'm doing a test run with a couple kilos in a bucket and have washed and stirred it up 15 (yes fifteen) times and the water is still going opaque brown... Looks like I'm gonna be spending a while outside with the hose tomorrow... :phb:

[Rouseabout]

I also do it this way

+1 :happy2:

[SamH]

Holy crap. Just starting to wash this grit now to use in a new build and it's amazing hom much dust is in this stuff. I'm doing a test run with a couple kilos in a bucket and have washed and stirred it up 15 (yes fifteen) times and the water is still going opaque brown... Looks like I'm gonna be spending a while outside with the hose tomorrow... :phb:

I found with my sea green grit I could never get it 100% clear. It fogged up the tank for a good couple of days but settled fine eventually.

[disgustipated]

ya'll don't need to afford fancy such items as buckets, barrels, pillowcases and whatnot fandangle. just put the grit into the tank, fill the tank to halfway, then use hose+thumb=superwaterjet to spray the submerged grit. it will swirl round like a tornado, cleaning all the bits of crud off itself while dancing around in front of your eyes like millions of tiny synchronised swimmers. run a syphon out of the tank at the same time and you can superwaterjetclean for as long as you like, or just until the syphon runs clean. fun times, and effective cleaning. quite nice indeed.