Caribsea Special grade reef sand

reefbum517 · 01/16/2012, 12:49 PM

What's up everyone, I recently purchased Caribsea's Dry aragonite special grade reef sand, and I was wondering how long to rinse/soak the sand before putting in a new tank. So far I have rinsed the sand very thoroughly in about 4 different batches of RO/DI water, getting out all of the gunk and pieces of dirt that came with it, and have soaked the sand for a total of about 45 hours or so. Just wondering how much more I need to rinse/soak the sand before it is ok for the tank. thanks!

Allmost · 01/16/2012, 12:52 PM

do you have a low range po4 meter ? iif so, till the RO/DI water reads low in po4.

if not, I soaked mine for about 7 days. meaning fill up with RO/DI water, let it sit over night, and then dump the water and add new RO/DI ...

after 45 hours, you are probably in a good place.

reefbum517 · 01/16/2012, 12:58 PM

Unfortunately I do not have a po4 meter, I will probably continue to soak it for the next couple of days letting it sit over night and then changing with water out like you said, just to be on the safe side. Thanks, I appriciate the response!

uncleof6 · 01/16/2012, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reefbum517

Unfortunately I do not have a po4 meter, I will probably continue to soak it for the next couple of days letting it sit over night and then changing with water out like you said, just to be on the safe side. Thanks, I appriciate the response!

You bought a new bag of Aragonite? Why on earth is there a concern with phosphates? Put it in the tank, and call it a day well spent, then fill it with water.

miyzfrider · 01/16/2012, 06:49 PM

I put 90 lbs in my new 90 without rinsing it at all, same stuff. I know I could have limited the cloudiness that I had after I added water, but I didn't know the best way to rinse it so I just went ahead and put it in, per the bags instructions indicating it was fine. I haven't had any trouble at all other than a little cloud appearing if I move it. Snails, crabs and fish seem fine with it!

I'd say you are more than fine to add it anytime at all.

Toddrtrex · 01/16/2012, 07:11 PM

I just pour about 5 lbs into a 5 gallon bucket and rinse the heck out of it with a garden hose (( during the warmer months )), can take a while, but I can manage to get it darn near all the way clear.

In the colder months, I used the bathtub faucet.

reefbum517 · 01/16/2012, 07:40 PM

the reason I asked is because prior to purchasing the sand, I read several threads on this forum about how you have to rinse and soak the sand before adding to the tank...

uncleof6 · 01/16/2012, 08:10 PM

Double

uncleof6 · 01/16/2012, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reefbum517

the reason I asked is because prior to purchasing the sand, I read several threads on this forum about how you have to rinse and soak the sand before adding to the tank...

Not necessary. Just creating work, with not really any purpose. Dry Aragonite is dusty, it is certain, this settles out with a little time. Dry aragonite is not going to leach phosphates, nitrates, or any other unwanted substance into the water.

Calcium carbonate will not dissolve in your system at the normal pH range, so even if there were some phosphates in the material itself, it would not be released into the system.

miyzfrider · 01/16/2012, 08:25 PM

If you look at the bag, it says you can add it dry and don't have to rinse it. Rinsing is suggested and no doubt the best option to reduce the cloudiness. I never thought of soaking it and in fact purchased that substrate due to the recommendation of its natural makeup that virtually eliminates any elements that are harmful to a reef aquarium. My LFS recommended it highly and many threads pointed me in that direction too. Again, I'd say you're plenty good to go. I put mine in dry, without any rinsing, after I had aquascaped my LR and it worked great. I had some dust within my sump and skimmer, which probably could have been avoided by rinsing it, but I placed it carefully a cup at a time in my tank and couldn't be happier.

crankbait · 01/16/2012, 08:34 PM

On this topic. I bought a box of caribsea south seas dry rock. Is it ok to just rinse and throw it in too? This a new tank by the way

xian · 01/16/2012, 08:51 PM

I don't rinse sand. It will cloud the water but it will settle.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

uncleof6 · 01/16/2012, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crankbait

On this topic. I bought a box of caribsea south seas dry rock. Is it ok to just rinse and throw it in too? This a new tank by the way

I would assume so. It is mined from dry land.... Caribsea is not known for supplying polluted materials

And it is also calcium carbonate. Read the instructions.

Agu · 01/17/2012, 05:45 AM

I used the "Special Grade" in my latest build and found it had a lot of organic waste. Rinsed it several times and used RO/DI for the final rinse.

However time from first rinse to use was only about an hour, no need to do any kind of extended soak.

jason2459 · 01/17/2012, 06:28 AM

I bought 4 of the big bags of special grade and each one had some type of debris. Largest was a thin 4" twig. I like it though and would buy it again. Just make sure to rinse it out but no need to soak. This was recently for my new 180. A couple bags were bought online at DFS and a couple bought at a LFS. So shouldn't have been a batch issue.

reefbum517 · 01/17/2012, 08:20 PM

Thanks everyone I appriciate the feedback!

Sport507 · 01/17/2012, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Agu

I used the "Special Grade" in my latest build and found it had a lot of organic waste. Rinsed it several times and used RO/DI for the final rinse.

However time from first rinse to use was only about an hour, no need to do any kind of extended soak.

+1 That all I use just and I looks wonderful in a tank.

antjtc · 01/17/2012, 10:04 PM

Can anyone please tell me if there is a way to not have unslightly stuff grow in the aragonite such that when you look at the front of the tank the part of the aragonite you see below the top of the sand you can see it....i.e. not the pretty white you see on top? I know some stands actually cover that part, but if you don't have such a stand, is there some simple way to keep it "pretty white." Thanks.

Toddrtrex · 01/17/2012, 10:08 PM

For mine, with shallow sandbeds in all 3 tanks, I just "gravel vac" it with each water change, stays "pretty white" that way.

Robert1969 · 01/17/2012, 10:35 PM

Washed mine in the backyard with a hose and bucket then RODI water inside.

tschopler · 09/18/2012, 12:59 PM

Can anyone tell me where the least expensive place to buy it is?

azjohnny · 09/18/2012, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xian

I don't rinse sand. It will cloud the water but it will settle.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

+1

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

Outrigger Reef · 09/19/2012, 08:04 PM

I used the same sand and put it in right out of the bag. Was cloudy for a few days, but looks great now.

blur456 · 09/20/2012, 11:46 AM

I ordered from Drs. Foster and Smith, cheapest I found but didn't search that hard.

I did rinse it but apparently not well enough and still had cloudy water for a few days.

Closing statement: do it if you want but not required.

JPerkins2 · 09/20/2012, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tschopler

Can anyone tell me where the least expensive place to buy it is?

Premium Aquatics is good and they ship sand for free with a certain dollar order. Most places don't do that.

01/16/2012, 12:49 PM	#1
reefbum517 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 22	Caribsea Special grade reef sand What's up everyone, I recently purchased Caribsea's Dry aragonite special grade reef sand, and I was wondering how long to rinse/soak the sand before putting in a new tank. So far I have rinsed the sand very thoroughly in about 4 different batches of RO/DI water, getting out all of the gunk and pieces of dirt that came with it, and have soaked the sand for a total of about 45 hours or so. Just wondering how much more I need to rinse/soak the sand before it is ok for the tank. thanks!

01/16/2012, 07:11 PM	#6
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	I just pour about 5 lbs into a 5 gallon bucket and rinse the heck out of it with a garden hose (( during the warmer months )), can take a while, but I can manage to get it darn near all the way clear. In the colder months, I used the bathtub faucet. __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

01/16/2012, 08:10 PM	#8
uncleof6 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: AWOL Posts: 12,013	Double __________________ "Things should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." (oft attributed to Einstein; most likely paraphrasing by Roger Sessions; compactly articulates the principle of Occam's Razor) Current Tank Info: 325 6' wide Reef Last edited by uncleof6; 01/16/2012 at 08:22 PM.

01/16/2012, 08:51 PM	#12
xian Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Troy, NY Posts: 2,180	I don't rinse sand. It will cloud the water but it will settle. Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk __________________ -Matt Christian Define Irony: Algae growing on a snail. Current Tank Info: 125 gal planted lagoon

01/17/2012, 05:45 AM	#14
Agu Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Sarasota, Florida Posts: 30,279	I used the "Special Grade" in my latest build and found it had a lot of organic waste. Rinsed it several times and used RO/DI for the final rinse. However time from first rinse to use was only about an hour, no need to do any kind of extended soak. __________________ Less technology , more biology . Current Tank Info: 30 gallon half cube and 5.5, both reef tanks

01/16/2012, 12:52 PM	#2
Allmost Moved On Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: canada, toronto Posts: 8,161	do you have a low range po4 meter ? iif so, till the RO/DI water reads low in po4. if not, I soaked mine for about 7 days. meaning fill up with RO/DI water, let it sit over night, and then dump the water and add new RO/DI ... after 45 hours, you are probably in a good place.

01/16/2012, 12:58 PM	#3
reefbum517 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 22	Unfortunately I do not have a po4 meter, I will probably continue to soak it for the next couple of days letting it sit over night and then changing with water out like you said, just to be on the safe side. Thanks, I appriciate the response!

01/16/2012, 06:49 PM	#5
miyzfrider Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 103	I put 90 lbs in my new 90 without rinsing it at all, same stuff. I know I could have limited the cloudiness that I had after I added water, but I didn't know the best way to rinse it so I just went ahead and put it in, per the bags instructions indicating it was fine. I haven't had any trouble at all other than a little cloud appearing if I move it. Snails, crabs and fish seem fine with it! I'd say you are more than fine to add it anytime at all.

01/16/2012, 07:40 PM	#7
reefbum517 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 22	the reason I asked is because prior to purchasing the sand, I read several threads on this forum about how you have to rinse and soak the sand before adding to the tank...

01/16/2012, 08:25 PM	#10
miyzfrider Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 103	If you look at the bag, it says you can add it dry and don't have to rinse it. Rinsing is suggested and no doubt the best option to reduce the cloudiness. I never thought of soaking it and in fact purchased that substrate due to the recommendation of its natural makeup that virtually eliminates any elements that are harmful to a reef aquarium. My LFS recommended it highly and many threads pointed me in that direction too. Again, I'd say you're plenty good to go. I put mine in dry, without any rinsing, after I had aquascaped my LR and it worked great. I had some dust within my sump and skimmer, which probably could have been avoided by rinsing it, but I placed it carefully a cup at a time in my tank and couldn't be happier.

01/16/2012, 08:34 PM	#11
crankbait Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Tulsa ok Posts: 180	On this topic. I bought a box of caribsea south seas dry rock. Is it ok to just rinse and throw it in too? This a new tank by the way

01/17/2012, 06:28 AM	#15
jason2459 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Iowa Posts: 9,671	I bought 4 of the big bags of special grade and each one had some type of debris. Largest was a thin 4" twig. I like it though and would buy it again. Just make sure to rinse it out but no need to soak. This was recently for my new 180. A couple bags were bought online at DFS and a couple bought at a LFS. So shouldn't have been a batch issue. __________________ rebuild and recovery log: No more red house, you'll have to click on my name and visit my homepage! You can check out my parameters at reeftronics dot net website and look for my username. Current Tank Info: 180g mixed reef w/ a beananimal overflow to a dolomite RRUGF. \| 20g long G. Smithii Mantis Tank Last edited by jason2459; 01/17/2012 at 06:38 AM.

01/17/2012, 08:20 PM	#16
reefbum517 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 22	Thanks everyone I appriciate the feedback!

01/17/2012, 10:04 PM	#18
antjtc Jon Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Clayton,California Posts: 222	aragonite Can anyone please tell me if there is a way to not have unslightly stuff grow in the aragonite such that when you look at the front of the tank the part of the aragonite you see below the top of the sand you can see it....i.e. not the pretty white you see on top? I know some stands actually cover that part, but if you don't have such a stand, is there some simple way to keep it "pretty white." Thanks.

01/17/2012, 10:08 PM	#19
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	For mine, with shallow sandbeds in all 3 tanks, I just "gravel vac" it with each water change, stays "pretty white" that way. __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

01/17/2012, 10:35 PM	#20
Robert1969 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Redding ca Posts: 83	Washed mine in the backyard with a hose and bucket then RODI water inside.

09/18/2012, 12:59 PM	#21
tschopler Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 1	Can anyone tell me where the least expensive place to buy it is?

09/19/2012, 08:04 PM	#23
Outrigger Reef Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Mentor, OH Posts: 196	I used the same sand and put it in right out of the bag. Was cloudy for a few days, but looks great now.

09/20/2012, 11:46 AM	#24
blur456 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 90	I ordered from Drs. Foster and Smith, cheapest I found but didn't search that hard. I did rinse it but apparently not well enough and still had cloudy water for a few days. Closing statement: do it if you want but not required.