Reusing sand after moving

[Bustyraker]

I've been living with a friend for about a month and its not working out. I've only had this sand in my tank for a month and would hate to just throw it out? Would I be able to re use the sand without causing a cycle? System has been running for about 3 years.

 

[brandon429]

yes fully we do large threads on that lemme find

many would recommend the fresh start with a bag not been exposed to phosphate. but if that's no concern the no cycle is a specialty and always attainable.

 

[aaron23]

If the sand was only used for a short while like a month in your case it should be perfectly fine

 

[duncangweller]

For the price of a bag of sand I would just chuck it and buy a new bag. Put a couple of cups of the old stuff in with it

 

[mcarroll]

I think if the budget is tight enough to worry about the cost of new sand, I'd still pitch the old and just go without a sand bed.

 

[brandon429]

http://reef2reef.com/threads/the-of...ead-aka-one-against-many.230281/#post-2681445

even if you buy new live sand, rinse it because that doesn't change its filtration abilities. any one of us can go grab nine bioballs, rinse them in cool tap water, test them on a microbiology quick plating setup, and find myriad bacteria. rinsing is not a sterilizer. it is a sterilizer only in online forum posts but not in actuality. to get a nonporous surface clean we need a literal poison or some temp or fluid extreme. To get a porous surface clean, even harder.

 

[Reeflogic]

I've broken down, moved, helped friends break down and move, literally hundreds of tanks over the last 30 years. I've reused sand, crushed coral, etc. numerous times and never had a crash as a result. The only time I would definitely recommend tossing it is if you have a deep sand bed, 3" or more. If less than 2-3", stir it up after you get everything else out, including any clean water you are keeping, then siphon the junk that settles back on top of the sand. Keep the sand in tank water if possible and you will only have to deal with a likely diatom outbreak, mostly due to the silicates in the sand being disturbed. But it's usually good as new in a week or so, or less.

Or you could spend the money on new sand and chunk it, to have peace of mind. But it is, in fact, safe to reuse if done right. As mcarroll said, bare bottom is another avenue, if you don't like sand dwelling creatures and microfauna. Good luck with the move!!

 

[Reefahholic]

I have reused my sand twice- after moving twice.

Sand is super nasty. What I normally do is keep a good 3 cups of sand live. The rest I soak in vinegar to kill the crud and smell. It's work rinsing the sand to use again, but if you're on a budget like me, it can be done. I put it in a small 20/g Brute can. I fill it up with water and stir it around to remove all the crud and repeat this 10-15x until the water is clear again.

I've even bleached my sand before. If you do this, there's two things you need to know. The first is get cheap bleach that doesn't contain detergent. The second is, make sure to follow it up with vinegar bath after the bleach session. This helps remove any and all left over bleach.

The key is...RINSE RINSE RINSE until the water is clear.

Good luck to you.

 

[Bryce Peterson]

I bought my tank used with 2 - 5 gal buckets of sand. The sand had been outside in the buckets for 1 month. I rinsed with tap water and removed the 50 or so dead snails. The tank had been run for 4 years. No issues that I know of, but whose to say? I have had many do - called hard to keep species thrive and many die without any apparent reason. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't chance it.