Question about "storing" live sand

[jaydubh11]

I would like to take out about 75 pounds of sand on a new 120g set-up. I will need to store it for a while until I finish building the new tank that it goes in.

What is the best way to store the sand? It is CaribSea Ocean Direct Live Sand (highly recommended btw). Zip-loc bag it?

[saltycreefer]

Throw it away.

[saltycreefer]

No, seriously, if you put it in a bag or a pail or something all the bacteria will die. If you really want to keep the sand, rinse it clean and then store it. It wont take long for it to be colonized with bacteria once you put it in a tank with live rock.

[Blown 346]

I agree, if you just bag it or throw it into a bucket once the sand dries out you will have nothing but crystals everywhere.

Dont buy the bags of livesand, they are a waste of money, bacteria cant live on a shelf without water circulation or constans temp. Just a heads up.

[KyleO]

I had a complete tank crash when I moved tanks just storing sand for 3 days. I got to watch every one of beloved fish die within minutes! If I can spare anybody that.........

If I was going to store sand for any length of time I would thoroughly rinse in RO and let dry completely. I would then store it but rinse again very well before I used it again.

[jaydubh11]

What about waiting until I finish the new tank and then directly transferring it?

[Anemone]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11267389#post11267389 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jaydubh11
What about waiting until I finish the new tank and then directly transferring it?

That can work, but it really depends on how deep your current sand bed is and how filled with nutrients. When you move the current sandbed, you'll be disturbing the oxygenation of the various bacteria. Some which are high-oxygen bacteria will be buried and die. Some, which are low-oxygen (or even anoxic) will suddenly be in an oxygen rich environment, and will die. IF your sandbed is a few years old, it can have quite a bit of nutrients stored in these bacteria, which they give up when they die.

If you have a thin sand bed (say, less than 2"), you can probably get away with moving it with little risk. However, once you get past that depth, you can expect some bacteria death, and ammonia spike, and some nutrient release. If you have nothing in the tank to risk, this wouldn't be a problem, but I wouldn't put beloved fish and corals in a tank with a completely disturbed, old, sand bed.

Best bet, get new sand and seed with several cups of old sand from your tank. Second best scenario, rinse your old sand well in FW and dry, then use with several cups of live sand from your old tank.

Finally, as far as the bagged live sand at the LFS. That stuff really does work. Those bacteria are somehow kept in hibernation/suspension until exposed to oxygen/oxygenated saltwater. Use of that sand can significantly reduce a tank's "cycle." However, you don't get many of the other "goodies" you get in "real" live sand (micro critters, variety of bacteria, algal spores, etc).

FWIW,
Kevin

[KyleO]

If you want to do a direct transfer.........rinse the sand in RO salt water as you transfer. Once all of it is transferred, fill it up and let cycle for few days at least.

make sure all of your parameters are good before introducing your livestock (where-ever they have been through all of this)

[KyleO]

I forgot to say that I don't recommend transferring all the sand. Kevin's advice is spot on (as far as I am concerned)

[jaydubh11]

Thanks a lot for the advice, Kevin. The sand in the 120g is about 5" and has been set-up and cycled for about 6 weeks now (no inhabitants save a small CUC). So I am thinking I probably shouldn't risk it? I can just get some new sand (CaribSea Ocean Direct) for a shallow (1.5") bed in the new tank.

The tank that gets the new sand is a BC29, I will be transferring the rock and water from an established set-up, so I hope to avoid an initial cycle.

[Anemone]

You could probably get away with taking the top couple of inches of sand out of the established tank and transferring it directly to the new tank (ie, no sitting in a bucket for even a few hours - I'd say 15-20 minutes tops).

It would be more work, but a direct transfer of the highly-oxygenated layer of sand from the established tank to a shallow bed in the new tank shouldn't cause much (if any) die off.

Kevin

[MrSpiffy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11267208#post11267208 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Blown 346
Dont buy the bags of livesand, they are a waste of money, bacteria cant live on a shelf without water circulation or constans temp. Just a heads up.

I disagree. I got a 50lb bag of the CaribSea Ocean Direct sand for my 40BR. Granted, I also added about 20lbs of live rock, too, but I never had a cycle. Same thing happened with my 20H. I had put some LR and CaribSea Oolite in there, and never had a cycle. I don't agree with the thinking that LS can sit on a shelf for a long time and still be good. But I have no doubt that, if it's fresh enough, it can be a huge help in kick-starting a tank.

[KyleO]

Just like Kevin said (about live sand)......"as far as the bagged live sand at the LFS. That stuff really does work. Those bacteria are somehow kept in hibernation/suspension until exposed to oxygen/oxygenated saltwater. Use of that sand can significantly reduce a tank's "cycle."

That has been my experience also.