Reusing reef sand!

[worldcitizen93]

Hi there! i was wondering about reusing live sand, i took down my old tank about 6 months ago and stored the sand in freezer zip lock bags. im building a custom shallow tank like the doogans and want to reuse the sand do i need to rinse it? thanks

[deepercon]

After the freeze im guessing its not " live" anymore.
But,i wouldnt see any problem with using it again. A lot of dead organisims in there is the only thing you would have to think about;whether they would be a good thing or a bad thing, i wouldnt know.
I like to use a paint strainer when rinsing out my sand then doing the final rinse with some saltwater.

What type of tank are you trying to set up? Sensitive corals?FOWLR?Mixed reef?

What livestock your putting in there should be your main concern,whether they would be tolerant of the possible waste with the old sand.

[mcozad829]

You killed a lot of organisms when you froze the sand, once it is put back into a tank environment they will begin to decay and cause nutrient spikes. It would be beneficial to cure the sand prior to adding any animals to the tank. Or buying new sand... sand is relatively cheap and most people won't reuse it because of the hassle, however it is possible if you have the patience. Happy Reefing

[hllywd]

I've reused sand several times. The labor to rinse it well is similar to rinsing the fines out of new sand IME. I've never froze it, at least intentionally, but I would bring it to ambient temperature rinse it very well and use it. IMO there's no reason to throw sand out unless there is a specific concern (copper contamination, etc...).

[toothybugs]

Rinse it. You will be quite happy you did. Then properly cycle it.

[woodnaquanut]

Funny. Everyone so far read the sand has been frozen.

I think the OP used 'Freezer zip loc bags', i.e., heavy weight bags.

Doesn't really change the answer thou. :)

Bet that sand has a fragrance only reefers can appreciate. LOL

[DvBrien]

Funny. Everyone so far read the sand has been frozen.

I think the OP used 'Freezer zip loc bags', i.e., heavy weight bags.

Doesn't really change the answer thou. :)

Bet that sand has a fragrance only reefers can appreciate. LOL

!Right... im, like reading the OP trying to see when he said he froze the sand. Apparently, I'm not the only dyslexic on the forum.

[goliwala]

Bet that sand has a fragrance only reefers can appreciate. LOL

True indeed.

[McPuff]

Definitely use the sand again. I've done this before as well. Just give it a good rinse and it'll be fine.

[billdogg]

Funny. Everyone so far read the sand has been frozen.

I think the OP used 'Freezer zip loc bags', i.e., heavy weight bags.

Doesn't really change the answer thou. :)

Bet that sand has a fragrance only reefers can appreciate. LOL

!Right... im, like reading the OP trying to see when he said he froze the sand. Apparently, I'm not the only dyslexic on the forum.

Definitely use the sand again. I've done this before as well. Just give it a good rinse and it'll be fine.

FWIW - if I tried to store new sand, much less used sand, in the freezer, it would instantly get much colder throughout the house!


As long as it is rinsed until the water runs clear, I would use it also