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paddyob
08-13-2010, 09:29 PM
I have some sand I removed from my other tank 2 weeks ago before I moved...

I want to know the best way to clean it so I can put it in my new 70 set up.


Can I just dump it in and let it cycle over the next month or so... or do I need to wash it?


Any info appreciated.

reefwars
08-13-2010, 10:53 PM
I'm washing sand I have left over I'm doing small amounts in a bucket, I fil the bucket with water and stir like a madman then siphon out the Water and then repeat a million times lol

fencer
08-13-2010, 10:59 PM
If your going to cycle for a month just wash it a couple of times before you put it back in the tank

Myka
08-13-2010, 11:02 PM
It will probably leech nitrate and phosphate, so it depends how much you care about that. A perfectionist would "cook" the sand in a similar way to how you cook live rock. Many people will just rinse well and re-use. Personally, I would not use used sand without cooking it as I do not enjoy algae blooms.

paddyob
08-13-2010, 11:22 PM
It will probably leech nitrate and phosphate, so it depends how much you care about that. A perfectionist would "cook" the sand in a similar way to how you cook live rock. Many people will just rinse well and re-use. Personally, I would not use used sand without cooking it as I do not enjoy algae blooms.


Cook? How so? In my oven???? Boil???

The tank is new so will have nothing in it for the next month... so algae bloom could be part of natural cycle anyhow.

Let me know your process.

blacknife
08-13-2010, 11:24 PM
planing something out last night, i dug into the old sand bucket thats been sitting for months... it did not smell to bad but there were some pretty black areas in it that cant be to good for reuse without a good rinse, but then it was kind of black when i pulled it out. i would think if it looks and smells healthy and your cycling anyways that it would not be that bad with just a quick rinse.

I think i will try to cook mine then use it to make some frag plugs or some other kind of aggrocreete so its not a total waste.

reefwars
08-13-2010, 11:37 PM
i think the cooking is sunbaked but im not really sure id like to know myself as i am in no hurry for sand and can afford to let it sit and bake for a time:)

whatcaneyedo
08-14-2010, 12:06 AM
To 'cook' liverock you place it in an unlit container full of circulating heated water with a skimmer and do occasional water changes on it until everything photosynthetic has died off and the water tests undetectable for things like nitrate and phosphate.

MitchM
08-14-2010, 12:27 AM
Cooking live rock is easier than cleaning live sand, because you can provide circulation around live rock by stacking the live rock properly (Leaving lots of space in between).
Cooking live sand (which I haven't actually heard of before) would be the same principle, but it is pretty difficult to provide circulation around sand that isn't being fluidized.
The cooking process works by both diffusion (using clean salt water) and bacterial turgor where the bacteria on and in the rock and/or sand reproduce, multiply and consume nitrate and phosphate then wind up depositing their waste products to the surrounding clean water. You need to keep changing the water to keep the diffusion process going in the right direction.

I think that was what Myka was referring to, and correct me if I am wrong.



Mitch

bignose
08-14-2010, 01:58 AM
you could also get new sand and add some of your current sand on top.

paddyob
08-14-2010, 02:16 AM
you could also get new sand and add some of your current sand on top.


I got two new bags of sand but i dont want to throw my old sand away....

if placing it in a "system" without light and doing water changes is all that is necessary.... sounds like I could just go ahead... rinse it a bit and start my new tank cycling and let it clear up... there is only about 20-25 lbs.... less than half of what I am adding new.

Clean the worms out and go to town???

paddyob
08-14-2010, 02:17 AM
Also... there will be no livestock of any sort until cycling is done.

The Grizz
08-14-2010, 02:29 AM
I used a large fish net and rinsed 2 cups at a time until the water was clean. Put it back into the tank, added water, rock, coral and fish the next day without any issues.

Have done this a few time's now.

paddyob
08-14-2010, 03:46 AM
I used a large fish net and rinsed 2 cups at a time until the water was clean. Put it back into the tank, added water, rock, coral and fish the next day without any issues.

Have done this a few time's now.


The sand has been sitting in a 5 gallon pail for two weeks....

what about all the dead worms and what not? You say until the water is clean.... meaning?

Dez
08-14-2010, 04:00 AM
It will probably leech nitrate and phosphate, so it depends how much you care about that. A perfectionist would "cook" the sand in a similar way to how you cook live rock. Many people will just rinse well and re-use. Personally, I would not use used sand without cooking it as I do not enjoy algae blooms.

I used 10 year old sand from my friend's reef and have never had an algae bloom. He's had an established system for 10 years (and it's by no means a pristine tank) running a deep sand bed. He decided to go to a shallow sand bed and yanked a bunch of sand out. It went into his backyard and I got some and just rinsed thoroughly with tap water and my full sps system has been running just over a year with no algae blooms.

So what you are saying is that my algae bloom hasn't happened yet? I am kind of a perfectionist (at least I think I am) but I'm also very cheap, so free was better than buying sand.

I also used 10 plus year old live rock.

Maybe it's because I'm running ULNS that I haven't had an algae bloom?

I think it's fairly safe to say from my own experience just rinse several times with water until it runs clearish and you should be okay.