Live / to Dead / to Live Again ~ Sand?

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linda lee

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I got a larger-than-I-need bucket of live sand from Thiago awhile back and put most of it in a currently cycling tank. The remainder has been sitting in a rubbermaid tote with water barely covering it and no flow. I'm sure it's dead.

My question is, can't this be reused as base sand and seeded with live sand? How would I go about *cleaning* this? I think I heard/read somewhere that this can just *bleach* in the sun for a period of time and then be reused. Would I rinse it? Before putting it in the sun? After? Both?

Or is it completely non-usuable and should it be tossed?

I'm frugal... would like to use this if I can in another tank that is about to be set up.

~Linda
 
It's still completely usable. My refugium's DSB is re-used sand that sat in my old refugium for over a month.

As far as storage goes, if you don't want it to smell, then wash the sand thoroughly and set it out to dry in the sun. If you don't care, then leave it in the bucket. Either way, you'll have to give it a thorough washing (more so than you do with just new sand) before you use it again because even the dried out method leaves some organics behind.

A colander or strainer is good for removing larger dead things from it such as old snails and coral fragments.
 
Pantyhose!!!

Hey, would fishnet pantyhose work for temporarily anchoring 'shrooms onto rocks while they attach? Has anyone ever tried this? I've been trying to get some netting over the 'shrooms secured with rubber bands, but it's very awkward. Betcha I could cut up some fishnet stockings and they'd slip right over even the odd-shaped rocks.

Mark? wanna part with some of your lingerie?

:D
 
saltwater junky;68661 wrote: Ii cleaned mine with fresh water a a wire mesh strainer.how is that trap working for you?
Click to expand...

Got home late last night and Loren bails out of here early in the a.m.'s so haven't set about trapping the fishies yet.

Will let you know soon. Thanks again for the loan!
 
Linda Lee;68684 wrote: Pantyhose!!!

Hey, would fishnet pantyhose work for temporarily anchoring 'shrooms onto rocks while they attach? Has anyone ever tried this? I've been trying to get some netting over the 'shrooms secured with rubber bands, but it's very awkward. Betcha I could cut up some fishnet stockings and they'd slip right over even the odd-shaped rocks.

Mark? wanna part with some of your lingerie?

:D
Click to expand...


Hardy har har! :lol2:

Best thing to do Linda is to place the unattached srooms in a small tupperware contain full of LR rubble, in an area with low flow (so they don't blow out). Give them a week or so and they'll attach to a piece of LR rubble and then you can glue that piece where you want it!
 
I wouldn't think the sand is totally dead, however I agree that it isn't full of as much life as we think of when we refer to "live sand". I suspect there is tons of live and dormant bacteria in there.

Last time I had some sand I wanted to clean, I performed a water change on my system and rinsed the sand in a 5 gallon bucket with the waste water. It worked very well and didn't kill any possible live bacteria.
 
Schwaggs;68692 wrote: I wouldn't think the sand is totally dead, however I agree that it isn't full of as much life as we think of when we refer to "live sand". I suspect there is tons of live and dormant bacteria in there.

Last time I had some sand I wanted to clean, I performed a water change on my system and rinsed the sand in a 5 gallon bucket with the waste water. It worked very well and didn't kill any possible live bacteria.
Click to expand...

This is a GREAT idea and exactly what I'm going to do.

Thanks!!!

(and +1 because this is a nugget that goes into my SW Journal)

:)
 
flyingarmy;68688 wrote: Hardy har har! :lol2:
Click to expand...
Interpretation: No, I'm not finished with it yet!

flyingarmy;68688 wrote: Best thing to do Linda is to place the unattached srooms in a small tupperware contain full of LR rubble, in an area with low flow (so they don't blow out). Give them a week or so and they'll attach to a piece of LR rubble and then you can glue that piece where you want it!
Click to expand...

Probably what I'll end up having to do. It's just that I had specific places on a large rock I wanted to put the loose ones. Guess I'm being too picky.

As for the ones you gave me on that rock *branch* ~ perfect! Fits right where I wanted it and looks like it's always been there.
 
Linda Lee;68697 wrote: Interpretation: No, I'm not finished with it yet!



Probably what I'll end up having to do. It's just that I had specific places on a large rock I wanted to put the loose ones. Guess I'm being too picky.

As for the ones you gave me on that rock *branch* ~ perfect! Fits right where I wanted it and looks like it's always been there.
Click to expand...

Sweet...always glad to be of service!
 
I can say I use DEAD sand all the time... Heck in EVERY tank that I set up... Take the 40 gal of example, the sand for that was sitting in a 5 gal bucket for about 3 months before I poured it into the tank. WARNING: the small is not the best but I have a few theories that it speeds up cycling time and also leads to a "stronger" cycle. Also I do not have to worry about any bad stuff living through that. The only word of advice that I would give is stir it with a wooden spoon every week through the cycling process to make sure you release any pockets fo dead matter and run a skimmer through cycling in this case!

But no ill effects in my tanks over the years.
 
Linda Lee;68694 wrote: This is a GREAT idea and exactly what I'm going to do.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the rep point! Another tip, I used a childs beach sieve to strain out the snail shells and small rock fragments as I was cleaning the sand. I used the strained shells and rocks to make a "pod pile" in my refugium!
 
Linda, wish I'd seen this thread sooner........

You have the Magnum 350, just use it to clean the sand. This is what I've done in every incarnation of my tank for the last 15 years.

Get an empty tank or ridgid container, old aquarium water (from water change or make enough new to almost fill the container) the dead live sand and the magnum.........

Pour sand and water in container swish it VERY well with your hand. Let it settle for just a minute or so, Hook up the magnum with the DIATOM filter (its the white pleated one) and take off the intake strainer and make sure the output isn't directed down therefore making a sand storm. Turn on the magnum and let it run. Periodically, turn off the magnum, swish the sand very well, wait a minute or less for the sand to settle, then turn the filter back on.....

Thats the way I always clean my substrate. Don't under estimate the Magnum's ability, that micron cartridge is great for getting out fine organics..

I've been using a Magnum for this purpose longer than some of our members have been alive, and if you come over for my big tank switch out, you'll see this method live as I plan to polish my substrate during the switch....

try it, you'll like it!

(disclaimer........ you'll HAVE to cycle the sand afterwards, but you'll also end up with a higher quality sand bed than if you dried it)
 
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