Washing sand?

[Ghostyboythedog]

Hi,
I'm new, and I'm starting a 20g saltwater aquarium, and I've seen alot of people wash there sand, do you need to wash your sand?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

To my understanding, people suggest washing the sand to prevent it from clouding up the tank water when you first add it. Also, to my understanding, if you're reusing old sand, rinsing it also helps clean it out so it doesn't harm your new tank.

For some heavy reading on the topic for anyone interested:

Official Sand Rinse and Tank Transfer thread

If you are reading this thread to cure a tank invasion from a link I sent you, we do not need to identify your type of invasion here we do not need you to test anything at anytime regarding nitrate, phosphate etc Above all, we do not need to see a microscope slide picture of your invasion at...

www.reef2reef.com

The Science Of Sand Washing

Not too long ago I made a claim about needing less water to wash new aragonite sand if you first sieve it to remove the fines. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/quit-wasting-water-washing-dry-aragonite-sand.953390/ Long story short, I was wrong. So, I went back to the lab to understand...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[SomeHappyFish]

I did! Totally worth the time for a crystal clean tank

 

[areefer01]

The OP didn't state what sand they are using. Bagged dry, bagged wet with bacteria, old, new, etc. Sort of matters.

Then again you will get all kinds of answers none of which we will agree upon as we all have our own methods. I would not recommend rinsing bagged, wet, sand with bacteria. If you did it would be a waste of money since you are paying the premium for "bacteria" or whatever is in the bag. For example this sand:
CaribSea - Special Grade Arag-Alive! Reef Sand

 

[Spare time]

The manufacturers say don't. Just run a mechanical filter and it will clear up on its own

 

[Miami Reef]

I would rinse it out. It won’t hurt anything, and the bacteria will come from corals and live rocks anyway.

 

[mrpontiac80]

The OP didn't state what sand they are using. Bagged dry, bagged wet with bacteria, old, new, etc. Sort of matters.

Then again you will get all kinds of answers none of which we will agree upon as we all have our own methods. I would not recommend rinsing bagged, wet, sand with bacteria. If you did it would be a waste of money since you are paying the premium for "bacteria" or whatever is in the bag. For example this sand:
CaribSea - Special Grade Arag-Alive! Reef Sand

I agree we will all never agree but I will say I’ve always used Caribsea arag- alive and I’ve not rinsed it and on the upgrade tank I did rinse it.
2 things and then I’m out ,
1. This sand is cheaper than most options if purchased online through Petco when sales run. At least for my experience.
2. I will never not rinse new sand again! The first tank was nothing but clouds of dust with a sand burrowing wrasse even after 2 years and lots of sand vacuuming. The upgraded tank I rinsed it and it took forever but well worth it. A year later and still dust free.

 

[Ghostyboythedog]

Thank you all so much!!!!

 

[Aquavaj]

Always used the live stuff in the past but this last bag I tried to dry. I highly recommend rinsing it first. I couldn't believe how much water and how long it took just to get it to look acceptable.

Going forward I'm just going to use the live stuff. I don't rinse these and water is clear overnight. Not really worth all that work to save $7 and change for 40lbs of sand.

 

[Ghostyboythedog]

I agree we will all never agree but I will say I’ve always used Caribsea arag- alive and I’ve not rinsed it and on the upgrade tank I did rinse it.
2 things and then I’m out ,
1. This sand is cheaper than most options if purchased online through Petco when sales run. At least for my experience.
2. I will never not rinse new sand again! The first tank was nothing but clouds of dust with a sand burrowing wrasse even after 2 years and lots of sand vacuuming. The upgraded tank I rinsed it and it took forever but well worth it. A year later and still dust free.

Drysand

 

[Alexraptor]

I definitely would take what "manufacturers" say with a huge scoop of proverbial salt.

Dry sand? Rinse out the dust.
Live sand? For the love of god RINSE! Even if it is in tank water. The last time I added LS without rinsing I ended up with a runaway phyotplankton bloom that only a UV-filter could stop!

 

[brandon429]

I always thought perhaps some bags settle more in holding and shipping than others, making for a gradient of tanks that begin at self-clears in 48 hours all the way up to complete opacity blotout lol and don't clear until rinsed


because there's variation bag to bag and I don't want to be on the bad end, rinsing all sand before use is the way to go. there's just no benefit in providing a clouding substance to a reef tank, we generate enough of that naturally and the interstices in the tank only hold so much mass. you get longer longevity before eutrophication/waste locking with a good habit of bed rinsing ability. it's the ultimate age reset for a reef tank, you just wash out 1000% of the pent up waste then continue on with the same sand (occasionally take apart a reef tank and deep clean it, to ensure old age) over and over. it prevents reef tank aging to be effective at sand rinsing new + aging systems. it is the absolute cure to old tank syndrome. it imparts unlimited biological lifespan to reef tanks to occasionally blast them completely free of waste, like a trip to the dentist power washes and scrapes out a mouth

 

[CubanHogFish]

I know this thread died a while back, But i have a question about rinsing old sand that was stored for about 7 years ago originally from a tank i had set up, now I'm getting back in the hobby but don't know if its ok to rinse the sand with just a garden hose (tap water) or do i have use R/O water to do so and do i have to wait for the sand to dry if i use just a garden hose

 

[Dmmz]

I know this thread died a while back, But i have a question about rinsing old sand that was stored for about 7 years ago originally from a tank i had set up, now I'm getting back in the hobby but don't know if its ok to rinse the sand with just a garden hose (tap water) or do i have use R/O water to do so and do i have to wait for the sand to dry if i use just a garden hose

I would only use rodi water but others may think differently I also would just buy new instead of old but can't say if the old sand would hurt anything or not

 

[mrpontiac80]

I know this thread died a while back, But i have a question about rinsing old sand that was stored for about 7 years ago originally from a tank i had set up, now I'm getting back in the hobby but don't know if its ok to rinse the sand with just a garden hose (tap water) or do i have use R/O water to do so and do i have to wait for the sand to dry if i use just a garden hose

I rinsed my sand in tap water and did one final rinse in RO