Can GFO help a rusty sandbed?

[gfox]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/t...ead-aka-one-against-many.230281/#post-2681445


Sandbed cleaning is much easier on smaller tanks than large ones, which is why many won't use sand anymore in systems so large they can't easily access the bed for good cleaning.

The way to tell if your sb is being cleaned enough without hurting your tank is to siphon some out from the corner of the tank into a bucket, just a bit. If it's muddy water in the bucket, sand is filth. If you siphoned some of my sand into a bucket, what would be in the bucket would be totally clean water and sand that falls to the bottom like a snow globe. You could then take that water and put it back in the tank.

In the last year since i have been using the gravel vac i have siphoned out about 30 lbs of sand.Yes the water is cloudy from the vac.

 

[gfox]

In the last year since i have been using the gravel vac i have siphoned out about 30 lbs of sand.Yes the water is cloudy from the vac.

Is there any benefit of stirring the sand up and letting the skimmer work?

 

[Spanky05]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/t...ead-aka-one-against-many.230281/#post-2681445


Sandbed cleaning is much easier on smaller tanks than large ones, which is why many won't use sand anymore in systems so large they can't easily access the bed for good cleaning.

The way to tell if your sb is being cleaned enough without hurting your tank is to siphon some out from the corner of the tank into a bucket, just a bit. If it's muddy water in the bucket, sand is filth. If you siphoned some of my sand into a bucket, what would be in the bucket would be totally clean water and sand that falls to the bottom like a snow globe. You could then take that water and put it back in the tank.

So the option you are proposing to fix dirty sand in an existing tank would be:

1. Remove all rock and livestock
2. Put the sand in a bucket and blast it with saltwater until you do that and the water is clearn
3. Return sand to the tank

Is that correct?

How would you remove the sand from a tank without seriously clouding up the water? Or do you remove all water until the sand is barely covered by water and then remove it?