How do you wash sand?

[ace1204]

Ive got a 5gallon bucket of old sand that came out of the 46 gallon i just bought. How can i wash it to re use in another tank. Ive heard you can just stick a hose of water down in it and keep rinsing and turning it over. But then do i need to let it dry or what before i can put it back in the tank. Wouldnt the hose water be bad for the tank?

O yeah and this will be going into an uncycled tank i know ill have to cycle the tank before adding anything.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

If you have to cycle the tank anyways... I would not really worry too much about washing it.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

See, I have a theory about old sand and new tanks. When I set up a new tank, I like to use the nastiest sand I can find. You know, the stuff that has been in my garage for a few months and smells like it too. I have a theory about the level of ammonia that it puts off giving you more bacteria and a "stroger" cycle. Granted, it is only a theory but I have never seen any ill effects.

 

[ace1204]

well this sand came from a 46 gallon tank i just bought that has been recieving its only light from the sun coming through the window for a while. Not really sure how long but the ballast was bad on the PC's on top of the tank. Everything in the tank was still alive though. But this sand is Nasty perhaps right up your alley lol

 

[budsreef]

I'd worry about using old sand without giving it a good washing as Barbara suggested because of all the stuff that had settled in it. One of my tanks gets a new cyano outbreak everytime I disturb the sand. That and another tank are going to be combined into one and I will just throw the old sand away and buy new. For the price of sand it doesn't seem to be worth the potential hassles of reusing it.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

I have set up three tanks myself that way. I know when I talked to Calfo about it he had done it a few times too and had the same theories about it that I did. I have not known anyone else to do it.

 

[nickskains]

I did it in my 75g. Got a huge ammonia spike but after a week it settled down. But I had kinda the same idea and so did my brother. Not sure if it works or not. Only thing I had to do to get some of the dust off the sand was syphon some of it off. To each his own!:thumbs:

 

[markl]

I Never Washed Old Sand. Lfs Said To Toss It. But I Moved Sand To My Old 90 Reef And Never Had A Problem