Re-using existing Sand Bed?

[builderguy]

The good news is I'm moving into a great new house. The bad news is I have to move my tank.

I have an exisiting Deep Sand Bed ---- 6" in a tank that's been running for two years...I've heard you can re-use the sand if you rinse it...anyone have any experience or thoughts? I'd sure love to save the money on new sand.

[sir_dudeguy]

well when you stir up a sand bed that deep, you're gonna kick up some amonia/nitrates for sure.. If it were me, i'd get all new sand and seed the new with the old.

[wharfrat48]

I just moved my entire DSP (3 yrs old) from my old 75g to my new 180g with no problems. Not sure if I ever had a amm. spike but if I did it could not have been too bad since when I tested 3 days after the transfer all NO2/NO3/NH4 were all zero. I removed the top 1-2" and put in in a tub (no water) and then moved the bottom layer directly to the 180 with an 1" or 2" of new sand already in it. Placed the rest of my new sand and the top layer from the old tank and that was it. I think Shemik has an article about transferring a DSB.

[chromafi]

If you are going to start your tank all over, you can rinse the sand w/ tap water and then prime it to remove chlorine.

[builderguy]

I'm actually building a 150g inwall...so entirely new tank...but hoped to use old sand to save $$$

[poppin_fresh]

You can rinse the sand, but it will kill all life on it. You probably could get away with rinsing a majority of it, but the top inch or so in a tub with tank water to keep some stuff alive.

[1pix4c]

i took all my sand 6", and put it in my 120, fish and corals
everything worked out fine all in one day, it was from a 65

[virginiadiver69]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10460937#post10460937 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chromafi
If you are going to start your tank all over, you can rinse the sand w/ tap water and then prime it to remove chlorine.

Agree but use ro water.

[builderguy]

I moved my tank in August of last year and used all of the water, including the cloudy stuff from disturbing the sand bed...EVERYTHING DIED! All of my corals, All of my fish...I don't want to have that happen again. I plan on keeping a gallon ziploc bag for reseeding and ordering about 50lbs of GARF grunge...so I don't care if everything dies in what I rinse...rinsing in RO isn't really practical...it will take a lot of flowing water to rinse 200lbs of sand thoroughly.

[Bebo77]

you can reuse it.. just be sure to rinse it throughly...

[musty baby]

My girlfriend has moved hers 4 or 5 times. What she does is carefully removes the rocks, then scoops out the first inch into one bucket, the second into a second, and so on until it's all out. then she carefully puts the layers back in as they came out, replaces the rockwork and goes about her merry way. Never had a problem.

[sandman450f]

Not really a DSb at 4", but all transfers I have done have been with reusing old sand. I remove everything from tank, include abt 80% water, leaving abt 20% tank water to wash/rinse detritus build up in the sand before removing. Rinse water ends up mighty black. Only get a minor nitrate spike however no ammonia or trates ever registered. Did several times 55-60-100-180.

[builderguy]

Sounds like my problem was keeping the murky water, not the sand.