used substarte

[yardartist]

I have a five gallon bucket of substrate. It is medium fine and crushed corral looking to me. It was buff colored on the top, but the lower two thirds was dark grey and smelled of sulfer, or rotten eggs. Can this sand be cleaned enough to use again?

I read a great article about sulfer buildup, but cannot remember what lasting effects the acid has on the substrate.

After repeated fresh water rinses and an overnight soak in saltwater, it tested about .75 ammonia and 10 nitrate. The pH dropped from 8.2 of the new water to 7.8, in about 18 hours.

I am setting up for four inch sand bed to start a softy/clam system with small fish.

Thanks for input.

 

[jdmcivicek9]

i would replace it with new substrate and then seed it with a handful of cycled sand from someone elses tank.

 

[gotbags-10]

i would deff replace it. You never know what could be in that bucket along with the sand. Not worth the chance for me since new sand is cheap.

 

[crvz]

I wouldnt use that, either, particularly if it smelled so bad and had measurable nitrate levels.