To use or Not use Old Sand

[fragit]

I am in the planning on setting up a new system after being out of the game for 3 years. I took down my old tank, kept every thing but the live stock. Rocks I kept in a blue bin, just took them out last weekend to play with aquascapes (I don't even have a new tank yet). All my sand is in 5gal buckets. Any way I was just reading a post on an other forum, about using old sand. It was suggested that it is a bad idea because the sand will "absorb" nitrates and phosphates from die off, and then release it when put back in a system. Any body know about this or have any experiences with this? Thanks for your advice.

 

[Zane]

New sand, imo is too cheap to mess with buckets full of old sand, but if money is tight, you can rinse it really well, and then cure it out the same as you would old dead rock.

 

[fragit]

New sand, imo is too cheap to mess with buckets full of old sand, but if money is tight, you can rinse it really well, and then cure it out the same as you would old dead rock.

Well I'm like months away from anything. I will be getting a new display tank and am currently researching pricing etc. My plan is to set up a sump area in my basement and use my 40gal breeder as a refugium, and then my 29 gal sump. I was planning on putting all my old sand in the refugium and getting new sand for the display. Was also planning on putting the dry rock in to cure it. What do you think?

 

[Zane]

As long as you rinse it really well, til you can stir it around and still get clean water pouring off, you should be fine to do it like that.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yea it's fine. Rinse well. Phosphate binds to rock and sand. It happens don't worry about it.
Yea you can cure and start to cycle in a bucket of saltwater with a power head.
Mine was stinky for 2weeks then 2 weeks later Params were near perfect. 0 ammonia.
You perobably have enough organic on the rock to start the cycle. I used old tank water to start mine.

 

[Russ265]

id use new sand.

but as others stated. you can rinse and reuse or cook it.

 

[fragit]

As long as you rinse it really well, til you can stir it around and still get clean water pouring off, you should be fine to do it like that.

Well wont that kill any anaerobic bacteria living in the sand? It's also Maine and it's winter so rinsing four 5gal buckets of sand is going to be a huge PIA.

 

[Zane]

If the sand has been in buckets for 3 years, i'm gonna say you don't have any life left in it, which is why I suggested curing it out like you would the dead dry rock.