# Flourite-what if I just dump it in?



## Brennor (Mar 8, 2004)

I just washed 3 bags of florite and had all 3 done in half an hour total. The tank was totaly clear 5 hours after finishing the setup.
I placed 1/3 of a bag each time in to a seive that is meant for rice (it was approx 10" across and only cost me 1.5 gbp) each load was rinced with tap water for 3 mins (until run off water was clear). So 7 bags thats only gona take you an hour of your time, well worth the effort I think..


Dave


----------



## putty (Nov 19, 2003)

Well, if you skip washing, than that first load of powder and silt that makes the first rinse water increadibly dirty will end up in your tank most likely coating the top of the substrate eventually. You would then have to siphon all that off, as it would get disturbed every time you do anyting in the tank. 

Cleaning Flourite is not that bad. I did 7 boxes very quickly. Use small amounts of Flourite in a strainer and rinse in with running water. Do lots of small loads. It will go quick.


----------



## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

If someone takes more than 10 minutes to rinse a bag of Flourite they are playing with it and not rinsing it. I use a paint strainer that fits a 5 gallon bucket and it doesn't take that long at all. You wash away the dust and keep almost all the fines. See my FAQ for more details on my method.


----------



## fedge (Mar 4, 2004)

RINSE IT DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did not and I got a MESS to clean up and it took me twice the time to fix .. and that dust stuck to the tank walls for weeks!!!


----------



## aquaverde (Apr 15, 2003)

I don't know, maybe it's Diana Walstad that is famous for not rinsing Flourite. Just pour gently. If you rinse a little to put on the very top over the dry, it works a little better.

I use the paint strainer for Flourite and Onyx sand. Easy. Quick. Works for me.


----------



## aychamo (Jun 27, 2004)

aquaverde said:


> I don't know, maybe it's Diana Walstad that is famous for not rinsing Flourite. Just pour gently. If you rinse a little to put on the very top over the dry, it works a little better.
> 
> I use the paint strainer for Flourite and Onyx sand. Easy. Quick. Works for me.


Yeah I don't see how she did that with the flourite. When I added it, I washed it several times and it still turned my tank into muddy water. But, once settled it looks beautiful, especially if mixed with a little gravel.


----------



## glass-gardens.com (Apr 14, 2004)

I used flourite and fluorite/gravel mixes and have never rinsed it actually, I just lay a piece of cardboard down so as not to disturb the bed when I fill the tank and it's never been a problem really. The way I see it if I rinse it, I'm washing away things my plants will use to some extent.


----------



## malkore (Nov 3, 2003)

I'll always rinse flourite because teh last bag i rinsed had large clumps of mud with flourite embedded in it. by large clumps i mean 2"x2"x1" dirt clods.
that'd muck up your water and filter media in a hurry.


----------



## aquaverde (Apr 15, 2003)

Blech.
Never seen that before, hope not to ever.


----------



## LaserJock (Feb 12, 2004)

I have capped fresh dry flourite with older mixed substrate with great sucess. I have also heard of dry sifting to get rid of the really fine dust.


----------



## Georgiadawgger (Apr 23, 2004)

My 2 cents...I just washed out 4 bags this weekend (on saturday). It took FOREVER!! My GF started by using a strainer and rinsing the heavy stuff out...but I think she got lazy because once I started to fill up the tank after pouring the fluorite in I couldn't see more than 4 inches into the tank!! So I ended up running a garden hose from outside and a python to remove and threw in the vortex. After three recharges and about an hour the tank finally cleared up crystal. I'm so glad I don't ever have to do that again!!!


----------



## gnome (Mar 9, 2004)

Hey, All.

I posted this in another thread, but I'll post it again, in case nobody saw...

If you simply spread out the needed amount of Flourite in full sun until it's bone-dry, you don't have to waste a single drop of water to rinse the stuff. Check it out:

http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/mizmo_naomi 

Click on the album that says "Flourite..."

You can see how clear the water stayed and how it was even clearer after one night. You'll get some dust patches floating around on the surface of the water, but that's easy to skim off. When I started adding the water, the Flourite made a sizzling sound, like when you rinse activated carbon for the first time. It's a good way to know if you dried it thoroughly. 

I guess it's possible to end up with a particularly dusty bag, in which case, you probably should give it a good rinse or two. 

Happy planting!

-Naomi


----------



## anonapersona (Oct 19, 2002)

*Dry flourite*

I washed my flourite then dried it in the sun and the drying of it is key. I think that the sizzle Naomi reported sucks the fine dust into the pores of the flourite.


----------



## Georgiadawgger (Apr 23, 2004)

anonapersona said:


> I washed my flourite then dried it in the sun and the drying of it is key. I think that the sizzle Naomi reported sucks the fine dust into the pores of the flourite.



 Darnit...I wish I knew this before...oh well. At least the tank looks good now. Pictures soon...


----------



## pineapple (Jan 22, 2004)

I've never rinsed flourite after discovering the following. Put the flourite in the tank, cover with second layer substrate (sand for example or finely ground bluestone - basalt - a good dark colour) and fill tank. No cloudiness at all results if you are careful in filling up with water.

Another way is to put in the flourite, add some water - enough to make it all damp, perhaps barely covering it. Allow the water to evaporate naturally, then fill up the tank with or without second layer substrate. Allowing the water to evaporate after the first dampening seems to bind the fine particles to the larger grains of flourite.

Andrew Cribb


----------



## Georgiadawgger (Apr 23, 2004)

pineapple said:


> I've never rinsed flourite after discovering the following. Put the flourite in the tank, cover with second layer substrate (sand for example or finely ground bluestone - basalt - a good dark colour) and fill tank. No cloudiness at all results if you are careful in filling up with water.
> 
> Another way is to put in the flourite, add some water - enough to make it all damp, perhaps barely covering it. *Allow the water to evaporate naturally, then fill up the tank with or without second layer substrate. Allowing the water to evaporate after the first dampening seems to bind the fine particles to the larger grains of flourite.*
> Andrew Cribb



If I only had the time....


----------



## glass-gardens.com (Apr 14, 2004)

Just use the cardboard method, I don't even get enough stirred up to clog a micron cartridge, in fact I've never noticed any abnormal cloudiness at in any of the tanks I use flourite in or regular gravel for that matter. I just never have rinsed my substrate prior to putting it in.


----------



## macbrush (Jun 2, 2004)

Recently I have gained a lot of experience on handling Flourite. I think how bad its going to cloud your water, and for how long, really depends on whether the bag has been out of the box for a long time, and how it was handled after got taken out of the box.

Case 1: I bought a few bags of Flourite Red, they were very old stock, so they had been out of the box for quite sometime, and been moved around when they were completely dried up. I spent over 30 mins rinsing each bag, and its just still NOT ENOUGH, I just got fed up with it and dumped them in and fired up my diatom filter. NOTE THAT it was real bad! The water became almost invisible when I was filling the tank up first time, its just like water in a very very dirty muddy pond!

Case 2: I bought a few bags of Flourite, they were reasonably new, but still had been moved around for quite a bit. It took about 10 mins each bag, and water came out dust free after that. After dumped them into the tank, it took just a couple of hours for the water to become reasonably clear.

Case 3: I got about 15 boxes of Flourite for my 200 gal, each box contain 2 bags. They were new shipment and were still very damped, so I guess this easy off a lot of friction between them during shipment. Most of bags were even still in vacuum, so this further reduce movement between grains which contritbute to even less dust. I tried rinsing one or two bags, and figured that rinsing isn't necessary at all. I dumped all of them directly into the tank, filled up the tank and drained for 3 times. And its all that is needed.


----------



## peejlitos (Mar 19, 2004)

i rinsed my flourite in about 30 mins at the most.... all u have to do is get a strainer...i used a strainer u use for draining the water out of pasta....use ur water hose with a spray nozzle....turn it on full blast and ur done before u know it...very easy...the water will be coming out clear in a couple of minutes..just keep dumping the strained flourite in an extra bucked and ur done in no time... roud:


----------



## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

peejlitos said:


> i rinsed my flourite in about 30 mins at the most.... all u have to do is get a strainer...i used a strainer u use for draining the water out of pasta....use ur water hose with a spray nozzle....turn it on full blast and ur done before u know it...very easy...the water will be coming out clear in a couple of minutes..just keep dumping the strained flourite in an extra bucked and ur done in no time... roud:


Could someone take a minute and translate this slacker speak into English?


----------



## corigan (Feb 22, 2004)

Rex Grigg said:


> Could someone take a minute and translate this slacker speak into English?


Hehe, Is the Spray Nozzle Optional?

On another note, I have a feeling that english isn't his native language.

Matt


----------

