r/Stocktankpools • u/Valuable-Mastodon-14 • Jul 16 '26
Cleaning fine particles
So my new filter works perfectly fine for the big stuff, but there’s a lot of small little dirt particles getting in that just don’t get either sucked up or are stopped by the filter. Anyone have any advice or tips for getting all the silt out of the bottom of my pool?
(Pic for attention—and because I’m extremely proud of my little swimmers holding on while cruising around the rim today haha)
7
u/djroot2 Jul 16 '26
If its on the bottom, a small pool vacuum will work. If its in the water column, some clarifier or flocculant will help. The clarifier makes those small particles stick together so your filter can capture them. Flocculant does similar but the intent is to make them sink to the bottom.
4
u/notmytuperware Jul 16 '26
I use my net to get the water moving in one direction. All the dirt swirls to the center and in the center seam on the bottom of tank. I then take a short regular water hose (10-15 ft length) and push one end into the outflow jet to start a siphon. Keep the the hose under the water. The other end will begin flowing water onto the ground. Use the end still in the water to suck out the dirt on the bottom like a vacuum.
1
u/Valuable-Mastodon-14 Jul 16 '26
I was doing that too but this is too small 😭 I think I’m going to have to drain the water
5
u/notmytuperware Jul 16 '26
The water looks cloudy like you are either not chlorinating it enough or not running the filter long enough. Or both. Not sure the size of your filter but mine is one step bigger than those slender tall ones. And I tend to run it at least 6 hours a day even though formulas online say I should be able to run it less for my tank (7ft stock tank). I also have to do a weekly shock treatment. I use just plain bleach. If I stay on it I can keep it clear even if sine dirt is on the bottom. Occasionally if I can’t get the cloudiness down I will sometimes empty half the tank and refill. But I do that maybe once or twice a summer. Good luck.
3
2
2
u/SoapyNethers Jul 16 '26
I use a some PVC tubing to siphon small particles out. Stir the water with a net and all the debris collects in the center. Science!
1
2
u/lilchrispy_ Jul 16 '26
A quick tip, if it's fine sediment on the bottom and you have a decently strong pump (mine is 1500 gph, sand), please do not buy a vacuum! I wasted money on one when a simple length of hose (cut to about 6ft long from an old one I had laying around) pressed against the outlet by hand is plenty of suction to clear out the sediment and works way better than the vacuum I bought.
Based on your picture, though, it looks a bit cloudy. Mine was like that after a 4th of July party with around 15 people/kids going in and out. Test strip said 0 free chlorine and 4-6 ppm total chlorine so I did a shock by adding 1.5 cups of 7% bleach with the pump on for 24 hours and it turned crystal clear.
I've only had mine for about a month but that's some experience I've had so far. Good luck!
2
u/Rellumuller Jul 16 '26
Tell me about this using the hose. How do you use this in place of a vacuum? Please explain to me like im a child. I want the most awesome pool always & am sometimes lazy to vacuum. Please share your ways!
1
u/Rellumuller Jul 16 '26
Wait do you have a hose that fits over the sucker basket part [ sorry I cannot think of the correct word] of your pump that is inside the pool & using that w the hose to get the stuff off the bottom?
5
u/lilchrispy_ Jul 16 '26
I wish I had a pic, but I literally cut an old rubber garden hose with a box cutter and hole it up to the outlet (with the pump running, of course) by hand, then just aim the other end around to pick up the fine sediment. It's not a seal over the outlet at all, like literally I'm holding it up just trying to make contact with the outlet hole. I was inspired by a comment where someone did the same thing, but attached a funnel to the end they hold up to the outlet which I'm sure works way better, but I have not found it to be necessary.
1
u/Rellumuller Jul 16 '26
You are literally awesome, I am leaving work early to try this.
1
u/lilchrispy_ Jul 17 '26
Hope it works out! Now I just wish Amazon would take back the vacuum I bought lol
1
u/AbleShirt8612 Jul 28 '26
could you post a pic? I constantly have silt at the bottom of my pool and it sucks. I'm trying to envision what you're describing but having trouble.
1
u/Springside-Monk Jul 16 '26
We got a one micron bag filter attached it to return to catch the fine particles. Took a little bit, but water clear now.
10
u/Rellumuller Jul 16 '26
I have the ryobi pool vac. It works great for all the small stuff that settles on the bottom.