Used live sand....

[ecam]

Hello All..

I just broke down by 29 gallon bio cube... The tank has been sitting idle for the last 2 weeks (no heat no circulation etc...)

I want to re-use the sand from it and use it in my refugium for my 120 display? But im concerned about a cycle that would affect the main display? Can someone tell me what to do?

Toss it?
Keep it? and if so how can i minimize the cycle... I already have coral and fish in the 120 display...

Thanks in advance for any help

 

[dnov99]

Toss it! There is most likely a high level of phosphates, sulfur, and other bad stuff built up in that sand bed, especially since it has been sitting and everything died in it. It takes a ton off work to rinse it and get all that out. Best bet is to just buy a new bag and use that in the fuge. BTW welcome to R2R, fellow NJ'er.

 

[ecam]

That was what i was concerned about... Thanks man....

 

[chort55]

Yeah I'd say toss it, dry it out and give it to someone else or.... if you want to keep it and want a sandbed for added filtration, you could set up a dedicated fuge with the sand (after a good rinse) and plumb it so u can keep it separate from the display until it has cycled (u will want some circulation tho so you would want to add a small pump).... if you already havea dedicated fuge you could still do this, but like I said I would keep it separated from the display until it cycles or your sure it wont (but it will more then likely)

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

I would toss it.

 

[redfishbluefish]

I feel like I’m at my first AA meeting admitting that I’m an alcoholic, but I am a sand washer. I’ve done it multiple times. What I do is fill a 5 gallon bucket about 1/3 full and then using tap water and a hose, fill and dump the buck about ten times, pushing the hose repeatedly down into the sand. At this point the sand is pretty clean. On a nice sunny day I spread the sand on large stainless trays and let it totally dry out. Nice clean dead sand.

And also welcome….I’m right next door in 08872

 

[uall8up]

Welcome to R2R!! I agree, toss it. Much easier and less headache to just buy a new bag. You just never know what lurks in a sandbed!!!

 

[Degener8]

I'm not one to waste things so I wash my sand and save it to reuse later for a different project if i need it. I see absolutely no sense in tossing out the sand. I can rinse the sand well and put it in a bucket or trashcan with water and a powerhead and cycle it. Some time I will remake my old sand stirring setup and I'll cycle the sand I have stock piled in an extra ten gallon tank..LOL

its not hard to clean it up and cycle it. atleast I know what i have in my sand now vs the bagged sand with bacteria starter. I have not been much of a fan of that stuff but will use it if i need to.

 

[Young Frankenstein]

Toss it! There is most likely a high level of phosphates, sulfur, and other bad stuff built up in that sand bed, especially since it has been sitting and everything died in it. It takes a ton off work to rinse it and get all that out. Best bet is to just buy a new bag and use that in the fuge. BTW welcome to R2R, fellow NJ'er.

yes +1

 

[mainereefer]

toss it?? thats like saying toss any used live rock?

just rinse 3/4 of it very well and mix the 1/4 left it to cycle the tank!! you cant have good without the bad

I have done this many times. some of the sand in my 180 origonially came from a 30g, 13 years ago its been threw 10+ tanks

 

[mcintosh]

If it is still in the bio-cube with water why not re-use? It will probably cloud the tank a bit when you add it, but just add it, let the fuge settle, and then start up the main pump. If you wanted to be really sure you are not releasing phosphate or nitrate do a quick test of both before putting the fuge back online. Now if you didn't like the algae in the bio-cube then don't use it, but you definitely could use it and save a couple of bucks to go toward something more fun than sand.