Can you clean sand?

WillWorkForFish · 10/25/2006, 01:29 AM

I'm getting ready to move everything out of my 120 into a 55, and my sand has some brown algae and a some slime algae.. and green hair algae on it.. just wondering if theres a way to clean it all out, and get rid of the big chunks of rock or shell or whatever is in it.. anyone got any ideas?

Bri Guy · 10/27/2006, 12:52 AM

Get a plastic kitty litter scoop, and pretend its a litter box. Or for fine straining, maybe a colinder for noodles?

jdieck · 10/27/2006, 12:55 AM

If it was clear of algae I would rinse it and re-use it but algae spores and residues such are difficult to get rid off even rinsing in fresh water and will pop up sooner or later.

TekCat · 10/27/2006, 01:16 AM

boil it!!!!

eeeee.... what's cooking Doc?

Sudarshanv · 10/27/2006, 04:59 PM

isn't washing the sand in normal tap water good enough to kill the algae spores. I have the same problem myself..

jdieck · 10/27/2006, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sudarshanv
isn't washing the sand in normal tap water good enough to kill the algae spores. I have the same problem myself..

I have taken eggcrate from my frag tank, soak it in a 15% solution of hidrochloric acid for 24 hours, then soak it in a 50/50 solution of bleach, then rinse in hot water and let dry for 24 hours.
I put it back in the frag tank after the tank has been celaned of all traces of algae and within 7 days algae starts srouting out of the eggcrate again.

Another example, Weekly After prunning my Chaeto in the fuge I give it a good rinse in tap water and put it back in the fuge. It grows back stronger than before.

More examples. I have noticed when I use a salt mix that is formulated with evaporated sea salt that I get diatoms in the mix tank in less that 24 hours. For me that means that washed and dehydrated spores carried with the salt can spring back to life as easy as Artemia eggs.

IMO algae is difficult to remove, does saving the cost of new sand worth the risk?

Sudarshanv · 10/27/2006, 05:25 PM

thanks...that treatment sounds pretty heavy..guess I ll look at new sand itself.. guess i should have spent that on a good ro/di unit in the first place..

cilyjr · 10/27/2006, 06:50 PM

i think jdieck is right. i am in the food industry and organisms that sporalate are near impossible to kill it is like chapter 3 in any food saftey book. spores will survive extremeties in temp, time and chemestry. designed to be tough i guess...get the new sand if you don't want the algea

Mighty Dread · 10/27/2006, 07:26 PM

Yeah, ditch the old and get some new, fresh sand that is algae free.

rcbones · 10/27/2006, 08:45 PM

What is causing the algea to survive in the first place? What kind of lights do you have and how long do you keep them on? Some algea is normal and healthy of course, just as long as it isn't running amock.

Fresh sand looks nice but it also doesn't have the organisms that your old sand has got.

But to answer your original question, locate some bull elephant snails, those are awesome for cleaning sand and keeping it turned. Why do all the work of cleaning the sand when the snails will do it for you?

WillWorkForFish · 10/27/2006, 08:49 PM

Well the sand I had was in my 120.. which I had to sell because it was too heavy for the floors in my house.. I moved most of it into my temporary 55 gallon.. and some of it I set aside to put in the bottom of my refugium I'm going to set up.. I basically took a few cups at a time and swirled it around in water and dumped the water out and siphoned the algae and whatever nastyness was on top.. it turned out nice.. but I will most likely buy new sand when I go to set up my new tank.. and use the sand I have in a remote DSB...

As for before.. I was using 4x54w T5 lighting for 9 hours a day.. on my 120..

TekCat · 10/28/2006, 04:12 PM

Algea spores are EVERYWHERE!!!! They will get into tank no matter what! They had found green hair algea spores over Chicago at 18,000ft in the air. So, forget about it. Conventrate on starving algea by reducing nutrients import and increasing nutrient export.

10/25/2006, 01:29 AM	#1
WillWorkForFish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 662	Can you clean sand? I'm getting ready to move everything out of my 120 into a 55, and my sand has some brown algae and a some slime algae.. and green hair algae on it.. just wondering if theres a way to clean it all out, and get rid of the big chunks of rock or shell or whatever is in it.. anyone got any ideas?

10/27/2006, 12:52 AM	#2
Bri Guy Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Appleton, Wisconsin Posts: 2,995	Get a plastic kitty litter scoop, and pretend its a litter box. Or for fine straining, maybe a colinder for noodles? __________________ For my birthday i got a humidifier and a de-humidifier... I put them in the same room and let them fight it out. (Steven Wright) Current Tank Info: 40BR w/ 250w 14K Phoenix + 192w PC, 10g fuge w/ 55w PC, 10g sump, Eheim 1250 return w/ SCWD, ASM Mini G skimmer, Gravity fed ATO, Kalk doser, 1/10 HP chiller, 1 Vortec + 3MJs, all on an AC Jr. - Born on date 8-06 Pics in gallery! + 55g FOWLR w/ macro

10/27/2006, 12:55 AM	#3
jdieck Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Maumee, OH Posts: 15,673	If it was clear of algae I would rinse it and re-use it but algae spores and residues such are difficult to get rid off even rinsing in fresh water and will pop up sooner or later. __________________ Did I write what I wrote? What the heck am I talking about! Well..... Nevermind. Current Tank Info: 225 gal reef, DSB, 40 g sump w/ LRT100 return, 37 g pre-sump, 3 MH 250 W 15K, 4 96 W PC dual actinic,ETS 1500 Skim.w/LRT70, 20 lb Ca R., 40 W UV, 1/3 HP chiller, two 350 W Htrs, Neptune II Cont., 330 P LR/ 330 P LS. 55 gal Refugium

10/27/2006, 04:59 PM	#5
Sudarshanv Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: CT Posts: 273	isn't washing the sand in normal tap water good enough to kill the algae spores. I have the same problem myself.. __________________ SV ------------ Current Tank Info: 75 Gal mixed reef

10/27/2006, 05:25 PM	#7
Sudarshanv Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: CT Posts: 273	thanks...that treatment sounds pretty heavy..guess I ll look at new sand itself.. guess i should have spent that on a good ro/di unit in the first place.. __________________ SV ------------ Current Tank Info: 75 Gal mixed reef

10/27/2006, 01:16 AM	#4
TekCat Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: MN Posts: 3,130	boil it!!!! eeeee.... what's cooking Doc?

10/27/2006, 06:50 PM	#8
cilyjr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 1,683	i think jdieck is right. i am in the food industry and organisms that sporalate are near impossible to kill it is like chapter 3 in any food saftey book. spores will survive extremeties in temp, time and chemestry. designed to be tough i guess...get the new sand if you don't want the algea __________________ Cls Current Tank Info: 180 inwall, 75 sump, 20lfrag, 3x lumen max elite w/250w radium 20k, recirc modded asm g-3, aqua controller apex,2x rw-20, 350lbs LR

10/27/2006, 07:26 PM	#9
Mighty Dread Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Worldwide Posts: 141	Yeah, ditch the old and get some new, fresh sand that is algae free. __________________ One good thing about music when it hits you feel no pain. Current Tank Info: 70 gal. w/ sump & fuge

10/27/2006, 08:45 PM	#10
rcbones Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 50	What is causing the algea to survive in the first place? What kind of lights do you have and how long do you keep them on? Some algea is normal and healthy of course, just as long as it isn't running amock. Fresh sand looks nice but it also doesn't have the organisms that your old sand has got. But to answer your original question, locate some bull elephant snails, those are awesome for cleaning sand and keeping it turned. Why do all the work of cleaning the sand when the snails will do it for you?

10/27/2006, 08:49 PM	#11
WillWorkForFish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 662	Well the sand I had was in my 120.. which I had to sell because it was too heavy for the floors in my house.. I moved most of it into my temporary 55 gallon.. and some of it I set aside to put in the bottom of my refugium I'm going to set up.. I basically took a few cups at a time and swirled it around in water and dumped the water out and siphoned the algae and whatever nastyness was on top.. it turned out nice.. but I will most likely buy new sand when I go to set up my new tank.. and use the sand I have in a remote DSB... As for before.. I was using 4x54w T5 lighting for 9 hours a day.. on my 120..

10/28/2006, 04:12 PM	#12
TekCat Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: MN Posts: 3,130	Algea spores are EVERYWHERE!!!! They will get into tank no matter what! They had found green hair algea spores over Chicago at 18,000ft in the air. So, forget about it. Conventrate on starving algea by reducing nutrients import and increasing nutrient export.