How to Get Play Sand Ready for an Aquarium

Although play sand is mostly found in children's backyard toys, many fish enthusiasts use this material as an inexpensive substrate in their aquariums. Sand provides a natural habitat for many fish and often aids in digestion, spawning behavior and general fish comfort. While play sand is often dusty and dirty and must be thoroughly cleaned before being placed in the tank, a commonly used method easily adapts this material for safe use in your aquarium.

Things You'll Need

  • Play sand
  • 5 gallon bucket
  • Hose with adjustable spray
  • Heavy-duty trash bags
  • Siphon
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Instructions

    • 1

      Pour a bag of play sand into a 5-gallon bucket. If you have a bigger aquarium, you can fill the bucket up to halfway with sand.

    • 2

      Use a hose with a high pressure spray to fill the rest of the bucket with water. High pressure spraying churns the sand and removes debris more efficiently.

    • 3

      Dump the water out when it becomes dirty.

    • 4

      Continue to spray and dump the water, removing dirt until the water is clear.

    • 5

      Dump cleaned sand into a heavy-duty trash bag and set it aside.

    • 6

      Repeat the process as needed, two gallons of sand at a time, until all sand is clean.

    • 7

      Line the bottom of your tank with the clean sand, ensuring the depth does not exceed 1.5 inches.

    • 8

      Slowly add water to the tank. Mild cloudiness will usually settle within 24 hours. Moderate cloudiness indicates the sand requires additional cleaning.

    • 9

      Siphon the sand every two to four weeks, depending on the amount of fish you have. Hold the siphon half an inch above the sand and skim the surface, siphoning up debris resting on top.

    • 10

      Churn or stir the sand every two to three months, depending on fish load. This releases gas trapped under rocks and other tank decor and brings buried debris to the top for easy cleaning.