Should i use this old sand??

basssnake · 09/04/2008, 05:46 PM

I am working on setting up a used setup i bought. The sand has been sitting in buckets with saltwater for a couple months but is dead. I rinsed the heck out of it until the water comes out just slightly cloudy. The sand had a lot of black color to it and stunk like sewer pipe. It now just has a slight odor and very slight dark coloration but by no means black. Kinda greyish colored. I was wanting to use it in my rubbermaid 100 gallon plastic stock tank that is going to be my sump for a deep sand bed. Should i not use it or should it be ok with the characteristics listed above? I don't have enough new substrate to do what i want to do and i was hoping to be able to use this to not have to buy 5 bags of aragamax sand.

One other thing i noticed about this substrate is it has carbon pieces in it. Not a lot, but some. Please give me your thoughts. i am working on this right now. thanks

basssnake · 09/04/2008, 06:49 PM

Anyone have some input?

REEF-n-Chicago · 09/04/2008, 06:55 PM

Did you get that bulkhead installed Jack?

If you want to use that sand I would dry it out in the sun first> completely dry... otherwise it is a no go. In my opinion

Good luck with everything!

bolandess · 09/04/2008, 06:58 PM

I am by no means an expert but I read ALOT on here and it seems when people come across this kind of thing they are usually given advice to trash it...two reasons...

1. Its already dead so why not use some new stuff and seed it with healthy live sand?
2. If you DON'T trash it then you run the risk of putting it in there, it being bad then you have to extract it and put new in anyway...

I've read several times that Home Depot sells non-silica based medium grit sand that works quite well, I forget the name but I can do some looking around if you are still considering trashing it.

REEF-n-Chicago · 09/04/2008, 07:08 PM

They do sell that sand at the depot... forget the name to though
It is never a bad idea to buy new sand> cheap investment

Macimage · 09/04/2008, 08:41 PM

I wouldn't use it. I've reused dried out sand, but it washed up clean as new.

Joyce

basssnake · 09/04/2008, 09:16 PM

Yeah, i got the new bulkhead installed. I was only wanting to use it so i wouldn't have to buy some more sand. So, What would be the reason(s) not to use it? What would sun drying do? So, this sand at home depot, is it safe to use? Does it have any benefit other than bacteria growth? I put new sand in the main tank, just wanted to get by with the sump. But i don't want to make a mistake. Please explain all above questions. thanks

lancer99 · 09/04/2008, 09:56 PM

I think it's risky to start with used sand. You never know what it has absorbed (phosphates?), and whether soaking it will get rid of whatever it has absorbed.

Drying it in the sun will make no difference, other than possibly concentrating the contaminants you don't want.

I don't have any experience with the HD sand....it depends on how much of a risk you want to take, vs. the cost. I'd just go with the Aragamax, which is pretty much guaranteed to work.

-R

ludnix · 09/04/2008, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lancer99

Drying it in the sun will make no difference, other than possibly concentrating the contaminants you don't want.

Can you explain this? In most cases the sun's UV rays will remove a lot of harmful chemicals (like chlorine).

I would continue to rinse the sand until you can get it to wash clearer before using.

lancer99 · 09/05/2008, 12:01 AM

I can try, but I'm no chemist

As the sun dries out the water, contaminants will become more concentrated in the water, and more of them will be absorbed/adsorbed into the sand.

AFAIK sun won't have any effect on phosphates or nitrates....chlorine is the least of your worries. Even with no sun, chlorine typically blows off of water in a few hours, and is unlikely to be a worry.

-R

basssnake · 09/05/2008, 03:32 AM

Well, i don't know what to do now. Everyone says different, lol.......i did find that home depot sells some sand here is the link:
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...ctId=100318476

But i agree that aragamax sand is the best choice, but this is a lot cheaper, lol......the only reason i am using a sandbed in my sump is to get a DSB going to maybe help control nitrates. I will have a bunch of chaeto algae though.......

HighlandReefer · 09/05/2008, 05:30 AM

One of the risks with used sand is if the prior owner treated the tank using copper. I you decide to use this sand I would check for copper. I would also set up a trash can with salt mix in it, add the sand in there and add a circulating pump. After it sits for a few days, I would take a reading for copper, phosphate, nitrate and ammonia. I think you will find that at least the ammonia will be high. You will have to do several water changes, using your main tank old water change water to get these parameters down to acceptable levels. Once these parameters are OK, then I would use this sand at your own risk ( heavy metals that you do not check for). It helps if you know who you got the sand from and trust them. I personally did this for my refugium DSB, but I did know & trust the reefers that I got the sand from.

My two cents.

09/04/2008, 05:46 PM	#1
basssnake Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Kansas Posts: 838	Should i use this old sand?? I am working on setting up a used setup i bought. The sand has been sitting in buckets with saltwater for a couple months but is dead. I rinsed the heck out of it until the water comes out just slightly cloudy. The sand had a lot of black color to it and stunk like sewer pipe. It now just has a slight odor and very slight dark coloration but by no means black. Kinda greyish colored. I was wanting to use it in my rubbermaid 100 gallon plastic stock tank that is going to be my sump for a deep sand bed. Should i not use it or should it be ok with the characteristics listed above? I don't have enough new substrate to do what i want to do and i was hoping to be able to use this to not have to buy 5 bags of aragamax sand. One other thing i noticed about this substrate is it has carbon pieces in it. Not a lot, but some. Please give me your thoughts. i am working on this right now. thanks

09/04/2008, 06:55 PM	#3
REEF-n-Chicago Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Los Angeles, CA (san pedro) Posts: 1,456	Did you get that bulkhead installed Jack? If you want to use that sand I would dry it out in the sun first> completely dry... otherwise it is a no go. In my opinion Good luck with everything! __________________ Jordan My tank gets DRUNK every morning Current Tank Info: 150 Gallon w/ 100 gallon sump; 240 gallon

09/04/2008, 06:58 PM	#4
bolandess Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Gilbert, AZ Posts: 46	I am by no means an expert but I read ALOT on here and it seems when people come across this kind of thing they are usually given advice to trash it...two reasons... 1. Its already dead so why not use some new stuff and seed it with healthy live sand? 2. If you DON'T trash it then you run the risk of putting it in there, it being bad then you have to extract it and put new in anyway... I've read several times that Home Depot sells non-silica based medium grit sand that works quite well, I forget the name but I can do some looking around if you are still considering trashing it. __________________ -An hour a day...on RC...keeps dead marine life away!! -- You can have something done... 1. Right 2. Fast 3. Cheap ...pick two. Current Tank Info: 55 not in service, 46 FOWLR

09/04/2008, 07:08 PM	#5
REEF-n-Chicago Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Los Angeles, CA (san pedro) Posts: 1,456	They do sell that sand at the depot... forget the name to though It is never a bad idea to buy new sand> cheap investment __________________ Jordan My tank gets DRUNK every morning Current Tank Info: 150 Gallon w/ 100 gallon sump; 240 gallon

09/05/2008, 05:30 AM	#12
HighlandReefer Team RC Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highland, Maryland Entomologist Posts: 14,591	One of the risks with used sand is if the prior owner treated the tank using copper. I you decide to use this sand I would check for copper. I would also set up a trash can with salt mix in it, add the sand in there and add a circulating pump. After it sits for a few days, I would take a reading for copper, phosphate, nitrate and ammonia. I think you will find that at least the ammonia will be high. You will have to do several water changes, using your main tank old water change water to get these parameters down to acceptable levels. Once these parameters are OK, then I would use this sand at your own risk ( heavy metals that you do not check for). It helps if you know who you got the sand from and trust them. I personally did this for my refugium DSB, but I did know & trust the reefers that I got the sand from. My two cents. __________________ Cliff Babcock Intestests: Digital Microscopy; Marine Pest Control; Marine Plants & Macroalgae Current Tank Info: 180 g. mixed reef system

09/04/2008, 06:49 PM	#2
basssnake Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Kansas Posts: 838	Anyone have some input?

09/04/2008, 08:41 PM	#6
Macimage Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Quartz Hill Posts: 4,078	I wouldn't use it. I've reused dried out sand, but it washed up clean as new. Joyce

09/04/2008, 09:16 PM	#7
basssnake Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Kansas Posts: 838	Yeah, i got the new bulkhead installed. I was only wanting to use it so i wouldn't have to buy some more sand. So, What would be the reason(s) not to use it? What would sun drying do? So, this sand at home depot, is it safe to use? Does it have any benefit other than bacteria growth? I put new sand in the main tank, just wanted to get by with the sump. But i don't want to make a mistake. Please explain all above questions. thanks

09/04/2008, 09:56 PM	#8
lancer99 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Falls Church, VA Posts: 1,100	I think it's risky to start with used sand. You never know what it has absorbed (phosphates?), and whether soaking it will get rid of whatever it has absorbed. Drying it in the sun will make no difference, other than possibly concentrating the contaminants you don't want. I don't have any experience with the HD sand....it depends on how much of a risk you want to take, vs. the cost. I'd just go with the Aragamax, which is pretty much guaranteed to work. -R

09/05/2008, 12:01 AM	#10
lancer99 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Falls Church, VA Posts: 1,100	I can try, but I'm no chemist As the sun dries out the water, contaminants will become more concentrated in the water, and more of them will be absorbed/adsorbed into the sand. AFAIK sun won't have any effect on phosphates or nitrates....chlorine is the least of your worries. Even with no sun, chlorine typically blows off of water in a few hours, and is unlikely to be a worry. -R

09/05/2008, 03:32 AM	#11
basssnake Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Kansas Posts: 838	Well, i don't know what to do now. Everyone says different, lol.......i did find that home depot sells some sand here is the link: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...ctId=100318476 But i agree that aragamax sand is the best choice, but this is a lot cheaper, lol......the only reason i am using a sandbed in my sump is to get a DSB going to maybe help control nitrates. I will have a bunch of chaeto algae though.......