Sand Question

[danmartis]

i bought a aquarium from somebody with everything included(almost).
he had sand inside but i took it out and now have it in a bucket for the last week or so.the sand its kinda messy i think.
my question is if i can still use that sand after staying in the bucket without water for some time.and if there is a way i can clean it?

 

[Michael]

id start new, chuck the old sand away and start afresh, it will be cleaner and i assume because its been in the bucket for a week the system you bought has no livestock so starting again is no problem, just stick in your new sand and allow the tank to cycle

 

[danmartis]

i would llike to do that) but its about the money here.

 

[Michael]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13270340#post13270340 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by danmartis
i would llike to do that) but its about the money here.

unfortunately this wonderful hobby is expensive, sometimes we try to get by and in the end pay the price, i suppose its not impossible to thouroughly wash it out many times and re-use, im not sure of costs for sand outside the uk, however i suggest starting afresh, if you just cant afford to replace the sand then ok try to use it, but perhaps it would be better to save up and wait abit then start with new

 

[billdogg]

start with new sand - much less potential trouble that way. Petsmart has 30lb bags for $19.95 around here. As stated above - this is not an inexpensive hobby, so beware what you get yourself in to. it can be a very rewarding pastime, but don't rush, and remember - in this hobby, as a general rule, if it's cheap, it's cheap for a reason!

 

[zack1a]

I have done the same thing and it never hurt anything as far as I tell. Just make sure you give it time to cycle and you will be just fine. If anything the additional ammonia in the sand from the decaying matter will expedite your nitrification cycle.

 

[danmartis]

how should i wash it?

 

[danmartis]

other suggestions?

 

[TheMick75]

I bought sand from ebay, and it was pretty cheap, 50 lbs shipped for $38. It was sugar fine. I have a 75gl and 115 lbs of sand gave me 3 inches in the main tank, and 4 inches in my fuge, with another 35 lbs leftover that i'll probably put in my main tank. his name was fijisandman. I can't vouch for it really being "live" sand, but it is nice looking, and cheaper than any of my LFS's

 

[danmartis]

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[Hodori]

Sounds like you are going to be cycling the system again anyway, might as well be safe and start with new sand. Also you might consider just going bare bottom. It takes a bit of getting used to, but once your tank is settled in, looks great.

 

[crvz]

I'm with the others, new sand is your safe bet. I'm sure you waiting for someone to tell you that it's fine to use, but I'd go with the majority here and spend the money on new dry aragonite sand (I wouldnt by live stuff if you've already got decent live rock).

 

[cdness]

buy new dry sand and save some green. Seed it with a cup from the old sand and you are all set. That is a cheap way to get started and the live sand isn't very beneficial anyway. Let the rock seed the dry stuff.