Sand takes little effort to prepare. First add it to a bucket. Run clean tap water through it and stir it up using your hands or a tool. Stirring lifts any fine dust that would irritate the gills and mucus membranes of your fish. Pour off the silty water and rinse it a second time. Keep rinsing the sand until the poured off water runs clear. The preparation process is the same for aquarium gravel and aquarium soil.