How to recycle substrate?

[Shrimpong]

Am using red GEX substrate. Used it for my 200 pieces tetra in a 1 feet tank. After a while, the poo is too much and kinda 'contaminated' the substrate. I took out the tetras and changed the water. To my horror, the tetra's poo is very 'well mixed' with the substrate so after water change, it is still as cloudy as ever, or even after the poo settles at the bed, only a slight wave can make it cloud the water in no time.

Question : How to recycle the substrate in this situation? Is it safe to remove the substrate and wash it off the tank?

Thanks in advance!

[eviltrain]

use those stainless steel mesh you can get from hardware store to pour the soil in parts , wash them till they are clean and continue to the next part. tedious job but it gets things done ( lesser water wastage )

[Shrimpong]

Thanks brother but is it safe to mix substrate with metal?

I am also worried that I might wash the soil away...

[eviltrain]

i repeat again. stainless steel. just get the finest stainless steel mesh you can get and it will be fine.

[Shrimpong]

ok ok thanks will try it out.