Debating throwing sand away you tell me

[AndyOneTwentyFive]

i rinsed some used sand a month or 2 ago and then left it in a trash can that's only ever been used for reef stuff. The can had a lid on it but was vented via 1/2" PVC that used to be an overflow. I went to use the sand today and noticed there was still water laying on the top so in an attempt to dump what water I could some sand came crashing down and I lost a handful. This unleashed a god awful smell and the sand from underneath appears dark. Is this mold? Is the sand garbage? What do you folks think? I don't want to buy sand

 

[Untamedrose]

Umm tempted to say toss it from a reefer conservative POV....but if my hubby was around... wash the ever loving mess out of it.
light vinegar soak and rinse and rinse and rinse and rinse and rinse...until the water and smell was clear

What were you adding this sand into?

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I have never thrown out sand. I would definitely rinse and reuse because I do it all the time.

 

[AndyOneTwentyFive]

Umm tempted to say toss it from a reefer conservative POV....but if my hubby was around... wash the ever loving mess out of it.
light vinegar soak and rinse and rinse and rinse and rinse and rinse...until the water and smell was clear

What were you adding this sand into?

I'm just now getting a 125 set up. Just aquascaped it with my cured rock so now it's sand time. I had bought a torn down set up so that's why I rinsed it in the first place.

 

[AndyOneTwentyFive]

I have never thrown out sand. I would definitely rinse and reuse because I do it all the time.

I like your style. I will at least try.

 

[Untamedrose]

Ok then should be ok rinse clean it good...going to be cycling that tank anyway...might seriously stir up the sand a few times during the cycle too just to be safe.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I get a 5 gallon bucket, sit on the side of the tub, stick the showerhead in the bucket and get my hands in there and turn it constantly. Don't be giving it no little "man cleaning stir.... oh, you know what I mean... don't even...

My water runs perfectly clear before I'm done.

 

[AndyOneTwentyFive]

I just watched Melevs video on rinsing sand. Couldn't have come at a better time!

 

[SeaDweller]

Honestly sand is a disposable item, and if you only need a few bags, whats it really worth in the grand scheme of things? I wouldn't risk my entire reef for a few bags of sand that costs 30-40$. We all know this hobby is expensive and cutting corners is always a good thing to save some money, but I wouldn't.

In the previous years, going from many 40s-70 tall- 180- 125 - and finally 240, I've always bought new sand.

My UG from 125 to 240 felt like a waste as the sandbed was really established and about 1.25 years old, but that's a lot of wasted time just rinsing sand.

 

[najer]

As earlier, lots of good rinsing and bang it in, as you say you are going to cycle the tank anyway.

 

[twilliard]

Anaerobic sand and what you smell is hydrogen sulfide

http://www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2008/11/hydrogen-sulfides.html

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Some say don't risk it, but what's the risk if you rinse it until it's good as new?

 

[AndyOneTwentyFive]

Thanks everybody. This isn't really a pic of the sand but it's in there. The smell made it seem worse than it was. Got a good look at it in the light today and decided to try it. Rinsed until the water ran clean and the smell went away. Good as new.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Looks great! You can see there is never a need for cloudy water too. If you rinse it well enough, it can be pretty darn clear.