Live Sand

[bcobra]

I picked-up a 100lbs of Southdown sand from a local reefer that moved out of town. I put it in a rubbermaid container when I got home. I added about an inch of my tank water to cover it and added an air stone. The sand looked fine after it settled had a few spaghetti worms to surface on the top. The sand was inside in the container for 12 days. I started to scoop the sand out to put in a new set-up and the smell hit me after a few scoops. That smell you get from live rock thats not fully cured. I know it's from die off but do you think that it will be ok to use?

 

[DaddyJax]

It will most likely send your tank into a mini cycle or just bomb it. I personally would NOT use it. If you can smell it and it smells dead then you would be putting an ungoddly amount of nitrates and ammonia into your system. Test the water that is in with the sand.

 

[bcobra]

DJ thanks for the reply. The tank is a new set-up. I called the LFS that I deal with and was told that the smell was from die off. I was told that I would have some ammonia and nitrates and that this would help to cycle the tank. So the almost 100lbs of sand was put in the 40 gal and I added about 10gal of water. Thought about it and wanted to get some more input. Ok I did a few test on the water thats in the tank now using Fast test kits. Ammonia off the chart, Nitrite at 0 and Nitrate also at 0. This water and sand was put in about 12hrs ago.

 

[DaddyJax]

Keep us posted on the results.

 

[robthorn]

I wouldn't say just because of die off. it was most likely part of an anaerobic condition which killed things but it's part of the process converting poop to ammonia to nitrogen gas. with all the steps between. if you rinse it in clean saltwater it is very useable. when you break down a tank the sand underneath will smell just like that. unless you stir all of it alot.

 

[bcobra]

Will keep you guys posted on how the break-in progresses. Rob it has been stirred some when I transported it home in buckets. Then into a rubbermaid container. Back into buckets to bring it to the new tank. So yeh it was stirred a little.

 

[robthorn]

yeah but not for the 12 days is what I mean. it only takes about 4-5 hours for the bacteria to use most or all the available oxtgen. so for say 11 1/2 days it was anaerobic. the top layer maybe less than an inch in depth was probably fine.

 

[bcobra]

I see what you mean Rob .Thanks for the info. By the way how is that table frag you got from FINZ ? Those were some nice pcs I wanted the stag you grabbed that day also. :lol:

 

[robthorn]

which stag? I got 2 at least maybe 3. I got a purple one and a green blue tip. purple is getting better looking but the other has lost some color and the blue tips faded but seem to be coming back bright again. changes are never good for acro's. remind me in a month or so and I will get you a frag of it. I want to get the stuff growing before I start breaking it. not sure which table you are talking about I got a green one that has really gotten an intense almost metallic green and purplish edges and it's doing well and growing over the breaks. then there is a big 6 or 7 inch table I got that is pinkish red with greenish polyps that is grown over the breaks and fuzzy for the most part. the green in the polyps didn't stay but it's an unexplainable color now for me at least. more of the redish maroon color. everything else I got from them is doing pretty well. the blue tips in the tenuis type piece are still very blue and the polyps are getting slightly green. I just overdosed on amino's again so I am hoping I don't lose anything else. I am going down to half dose 2 x's a week instead of daily. that stuff is very very strong.

 

[bcobra]

I think it was the purple one I'm not sure their were so many nice corals there the day I was in. But the table was the green one this other guy bought the two tables and you got a nice size piece of it from him.

 

[robthorn]

yeah that is the one turning metallic kind of. it is doing well. in a few months hopefully I can frag it some. definately seeing healing.
the purple one lost a little tissue at the base and a little ways up but it is coloring up better and I can see growth at one of the tips that broke off during transport. the tip was gone the next day.