Adding old sand to established tank

[Ruzoko]

I have two 5 gallon buckets of old sand i used on an old tank a few years back one was rinsed and just left in the bucket the other (im aftaid to check) question is should I rinse both completely/leave out to dry in the sun for a while then add to an established tank, also what is the best way to do so? Or just buy bags or live sand? It would be used to raise the level of a 150g FO tank with 1" and less sand to hopefully 2" across the entire thing.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

I have two 5 gallon buckets of old sand i used on an old tank a few years back one was rinsed and just left in the bucket the other (im aftaid to check) question is should I rinse both completely/leave out to dry in the sun for a while then add to an established tank, also what is the best way to do so? Or just buy bags or live sand? It would be used to raise the level of a 150g FO tank with 1" and less sand to hopefully 2" across the entire thing.

You could do either. I personally would spend the money and add a bag or two of live sand. Never had an issue doing that. Add it slowly over small areas of your present sand bed. Smothering your present sandbed can cause micro fauna die off underneath. Possibly raising ammonia.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I have two 5 gallon buckets of old sand i used on an old tank a few years back one was rinsed and just left in the bucket the other (im aftaid to check) question is should I rinse both completely/leave out to dry in the sun for a while then add to an established tank, also what is the best way to do so? Or just buy bags or live sand? It would be used to raise the level of a 150g FO tank with 1" and less sand to hopefully 2" across the entire thing.

If the old tank was high in phosphate the old substrate could contain phosphate causing a spike.

Apart from that a good rinse and it should be good to go

 

[Ruzoko]

If the old tank was high in phosphate the old substrate could contain phosphate causing a spike.

Apart from that a good rinse and it should be good to go

I didnt think about that, and im 100% sure the phosphate was super high in the old tank. I didnt have any sand movers back then and when i swapped the sand had a major funk to it prior to inital rinse.

 

[Ruzoko]

You could do either. I personally would spend the money and add a bag or two of live sand. Never had an issue doing that. Add it slowly over small areas of your present sand bed. Smothering your present sandbed can cause micro fauna die off underneath. Possibly raising ammonia.

So would I add the entire bag in different areas like one a week or so? Or add only portions of the bag every few days?

 

[gbroadbridge]

I didnt think about that, and im 100% sure the phosphate was super high in the old tank. I didnt have any sand movers back then and when i swapped the sand had a major funk to it prior to inital rinse.

I'd run the substrate in a bucket with some flow and a bag of GFO to suck out the phosphate.

Might be easier to toss it and get new sand.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

So would I add the entire bag in different areas like one a week or so? Or add only portions of the bag every few days?

I believe there are 10 and 20 lbs bags typically at lfs. If it’s a 10 lbs bag put it all in covering 10/20 % of your sandbed. It also wouldn’t hurt taking a long utensil and mixing new with old. Then tomorrow put another bag in.

 

[bruno3047]

If you use the old sand, make sure the funky smell is completely gone (going to require A LOT of rinsing) or you might end up poisoning your tank. To avoid covering up your present sand, you can move all the present sand over to one side of the aquarium to get your 2 inch height, and then put your new/old sand on the vacated side.

 

[homer1475]

Rinse the snot out of the old with just plain old fresh water. Easiest way is to just run a garden hose in the bucket letting it overflow pushing all the gunk out.

Then just dump it in. It's plain sand and will not hurt a thing if it was dumped on top of your other sand. I do this all the time. Rinse my sandbed into a filter sock, bleach it, rinse it, dump it back in when I have a large enough bag.

People tend to way overthink things like this, as the above posts demonstrate.

 

[Ruzoko]

Rinse the snot out of the old with just plain old fresh water. Easiest way is to just run a garden hose in the bucket letting it overflow pushing all the gunk out.

Then just dump it in. It's plain sand and will not hurt a thing if it was dumped on top of your other sand. I do this all the time. Rinse my sandbed into a filter sock, bleach it, rinse it, dump it back in when I have a large enough bag.

People tend to way overthink things like this, as the above posts demonstrate.

I know i rinsed one bucket heavily until it ran clear then it just sat in the garage the past year or so. Wouldnt a re-rinse add chlorine etc to it? Or could I just rinse add dechlorinator then add in?

 

[homer1475]

I do rinse, and let sit in prime for a few hours prior to using.

Bleach is pretty benign and off gasses in a few hours. Wouldn't hurt to rinse, add a little prime(or your favorite dechlor), then let sit for a few hours.

 

[Ruzoko]

I do rinse, and let sit in prime for a few hours prior to using.

Bleach is pretty benign and off gasses in a few hours. Wouldn't hurt to rinse, add a little prime(or your favorite dechlor), then let sit for a few hours.

Bleach necessary or nah?

 

[homer1475]

Bleach as in chlorine from your tap.

 

[gbroadbridge]

People tend to way overthink things like this, as the above posts demonstrate.

I can't help it. I'm a scientist

 

[bruno3047]

Rinse the snot out of the old with just plain old fresh water. Easiest way is to just run a garden hose in the bucket letting it overflow pushing all the gunk out.

Then just dump it in. It's plain sand and will not hurt a thing if it was dumped on top of your other sand. I do this all the time. Rinse my sandbed into a filter sock, bleach it, rinse it, dump it back in when I have a large enough bag.

People tend to way overthink things like this, as the above posts demonstrate.

If you bury the existing sand under new sand or rinsed with tapwater old sand, any bacteria that was on the surface of that existing sand is probably going to die under the new sand. If you have enough other nitrification going on, live rocks, bio balls, etc. you’ll be OK. If you don’t, you’re up the creek. I prefer not to take a chance of being up the creek.

 

[homer1475]

If you bury the existing sand under new sand or rinsed with tapwater old sand, any bacteria that was on the surface of that existing sand is probably going to die under the new sand. If you have enough other nitrification going on, live rocks, bio balls, etc. you’ll be OK. If you don’t, you’re up the creek. I prefer not to take a chance of being up the creek.

Completely disagree. What about bare bottom tanks? Do they have sand for nitrification? I would assume(yes I know what happens when one assumes), that if you have a REEF TANK, that you have plenty of rock for nitrification bacteria.

Sand is just "window dressing" for the tank.

 

[bruno3047]

Completely disagree. What about bare bottom tanks? Do they have sand for nitrification? I would assume(yes I know what happens when one assumes), that if you have a REEF TANK, that you have plenty of rock for nitrification bacteria.

Sand is just "window dressing" for the tank.

Bare-bottom tanks have established an equilibrium where the nitrification is adequate without sand because there is no sand present. If your equilibrium is established with a sandbed present, and you remove that sandbed, you disrupt the equilibrium. Nitrifying bacteria establish an equilibrium. That equilibrium must be maintained for them to function properly. If that equilibrium is disrupted, the bacteria will not function properly. Do you think you understand this basic premise of nitrifying bacteria establishing an equilibrium and requiring that equilibrium to be maintained?

 

[homer1475]

Like I said earlier, your overthinking it. I do this many times a year, and have 0 issues with it.

Yes I cover up my existing sandbed, with many inches of "new" rinsed sand, and have had 0 issues doing it this way for 20+ years.

 

[bruno3047]

Like I said earlier, your overthinking it. I do this many times a year, and have 0 issues with it.

Yes I cover up my existing sandbed, with many inches of "new" rinsed sand, and have had 0 issues doing it this way for 20+ years.

OK. Whatever works for you. I’m just trying to inject a little science into the conversation.

 

[bruno3047]

Like I said earlier, your overthinking it. I do this many times a year, and have 0 issues with it.

Yes I cover up my existing sandbed, with many inches of "new" rinsed sand, and have had 0 issues doing it this way for 20+ years.

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