Old live sand package

[Derbird]

Hello everyone,

I am setting up my first real system after a two year break, very excited.

A while back I picked up some live sand in a bag at my LFS. Life happened and my project was delayed.

Today I went to get the sand off the shelf and noticed some green algae growing in the bag. The bag says best by 12-18, not too far out.

Is the sand still good to use or should I buy new?

I appreciate any help

 

[James M]

Looks like cyano

 

[EmdeReef]

Algae wouldn’t concern me, but if you notice any dark patches or if it smells bad then discard. I would probably pour it in a tub first and observe. You can always rinse it with RODI too.

 

[cracker]

Could he rinse it real good then, take a close look/sniff test?
I'd use hose water a little chlorine would be good to kill off any nasty's. Spread it out on a couple of plastic garbage bags in the sun for a couple days. The UV rays will dissipate any left over chlorine.

 

[Derbird]

Thanks everyone for the advice. When I opened it up it smelled fine and the algae was just growing on the bag. Gave it a saltwater rinse and put it in the tank