Adding extra live sand help

h2pvnus · 07/07/2014, 09:24 AM

Hi i got a bucket of live sand with water from local reefer and it has nitrate and phosphate in there. How can i safely add it to my without the risk adding extra nutrient. Thank guys

thegrun · 07/07/2014, 09:33 AM

I would not reuse it myself, it would take a lot of work and expense to get it to a point where it is safe to add it to your tank. It will be less expensive and work to just use new dry sand.

cloak · 07/07/2014, 10:32 AM

+1^

Just rinse the crap out of it before you use it again.

http://melevsreef.com/rinsing_sand.html

thegrun · 07/07/2014, 12:42 PM

Rinsing alone will not remove the phosphates and not all of the nitrates. You would need to do an acid bath to remove both sufficently. At that point new sand would be a better solution.

cloak · 07/07/2014, 01:03 PM

Where are the nitrates coming from? The sand bed as a whole I can understand, but once you put the hose to it all of the grains become dispersed, thus flushing out all of the garbage. You'll most likely give the new sand a good rinse before using it as well, so what's the difference between the two?
As far as the phosphates go, wouldn't the tank have to have a problem with phosphates to begin with? I'm not having any problems with phosphates or nitrates in my tank, does that mean my sand bed is still bad?

smokenax · 07/08/2014, 08:46 PM

I would rinse the heck of it,then run some extra carbon,so it could clean anything that leeches like sulphur.

07/07/2014, 09:24 AM	#1
h2pvnus Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 307	Adding extra live sand help Hi i got a bucket of live sand with water from local reefer and it has nitrate and phosphate in there. How can i safely add it to my without the risk adding extra nutrient. Thank guys

07/07/2014, 09:33 AM	#2
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	I would not reuse it myself, it would take a lot of work and expense to get it to a point where it is safe to add it to your tank. It will be less expensive and work to just use new dry sand.

07/07/2014, 10:32 AM	#3
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	+1^ Just rinse the crap out of it before you use it again. http://melevsreef.com/rinsing_sand.html

07/07/2014, 12:42 PM	#4
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	Rinsing alone will not remove the phosphates and not all of the nitrates. You would need to do an acid bath to remove both sufficently. At that point new sand would be a better solution.

07/07/2014, 01:03 PM	#5
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	Where are the nitrates coming from? The sand bed as a whole I can understand, but once you put the hose to it all of the grains become dispersed, thus flushing out all of the garbage. You'll most likely give the new sand a good rinse before using it as well, so what's the difference between the two? As far as the phosphates go, wouldn't the tank have to have a problem with phosphates to begin with? I'm not having any problems with phosphates or nitrates in my tank, does that mean my sand bed is still bad?

07/08/2014, 08:46 PM	#6
smokenax Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: brentwood ,ca Posts: 470	I would rinse the heck of it,then run some extra carbon,so it could clean anything that leeches like sulphur.