Sand cleaning

[rynoe]

After spending the last four months reading what seems like every post on this web site I am finally getting my tank on sunday. I bought a established 72 gal bowfront with some soft corals and a couple of clown fish. I was down at ocean aquatics and they suggested I replace the sand. Others have said to just clean the old stuff and re use. What should I do. If I do clean it do I just use fresh water?

[Dez]

Personally I would just clean the sand (but I'm cheap). I am in the process of setting up a tank and I got sand that's over 10 years old from a friend and I just washed it over and over until the water was clearer (more of a light milky white). The water starts out pretty brown at first. I just used a bucket and fresh water.

Hope this helps.

[wickedfrags]

Assuming the substrate is one you like and it is not covered in algae there is no need to replace it. I have removed/replaced sandbeds many times with no ill effects. I would recommend that you give it a good rinse to remove the build up of sediment/detrtitus. IDEALLY use RO water to do this, however regular tap water will also work just fine. Rinse in a bucket until the "brown" stops coming out of the sand and replace.

After spending the last four months reading what seems like every post on this web site I am finally getting my tank on sunday. I bought a established 72 gal bowfront with some soft corals and a couple of clown fish. I was down at ocean aquatics and they suggested I replace the sand. Others have said to just clean the old stuff and re use. What should I do. If I do clean it do I just use fresh water?

[Doug]

Welcome
to
Canreef

:mrgreen:

[Aquattro]

Personally, I would wash the sand with the water you remove from the tank, assuming you're setting it right back up after the move. This way you preserve the bacteria in the sand.

[scherzo]

I've taken the sand in a rubbermaid outside and a garden hose. Rinsed and rinsed and rinsed again.

I then drained as much water as I could and put it in the tank and filled it with DI water. Worked for me.