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Unread 01/01/2018, 06:12 AM   #1
THEUNION1
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Is my sand bad?

I bought 100 pounds of (Live) sand recently for a new build. Ten 10lb bags...

I added it to the aquarium and then got busy with (work) the holiday rush. Now it’s almost dried out. I just finished my plumbing and was planning on adding water this week. Did I screw up?


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Unread 01/01/2018, 07:37 AM   #2
top shelf
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You can still use it. I'd personally remove and rinse the sand first but as long as there isn't a foul odor to it you should still be able to add water and go. If it has a bad smell I'd definitely pull as much out and rinse. 5g bucket and garden hose work great. "Live" sand is subjected to a lot of extremes in shipment coupled with how long it may sit in a bag on a shelf there's no guarantee how much bacteria is even still alive in it when you get it.


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Unread 01/01/2018, 07:55 AM   #3
ClownNut
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live sand have no "batreria" that jump start your tank. it's a trick.


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Unread 01/01/2018, 08:07 AM   #4
mcgyvr
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ClownNut View Post
live sand have no "batreria" that jump start your tank. it's a trick.
That's not true..
Live sand can certainly contain "bacteria"... How much just depends on how long its been in storage/if its dried out/dead,etc...

Its not a trick at all but may not be as helpful as the companies sell it make it seem.


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Unread 01/01/2018, 08:09 AM   #5
mcgyvr
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Quote:
Originally Posted by THEUNION1 View Post
I bought 100 pounds of (Live) sand recently for a new build. Ten 10lb bags...

I added it to the aquarium and then got busy with (work) the holiday rush. Now it’s almost dried out. I just finished my plumbing and was planning on adding water this week. Did I screw up?
Its not "bad" it just might not be as populated with bacteria as it was..
You really don't need to do anything about it...life happens.. Just add your water when you get a chance and begin the cycle


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Unread 01/01/2018, 08:12 AM   #6
ClownNut
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mcgyvr View Post
That's not true..
Live sand can certainly contain "bacteria"... How much just depends on how long its been in storage/if its dried out/dead,etc...

Its not a trick at all but may not be as helpful as the companies sell it make it seem.
talk to the manufacturers.
every surface of the earth is covered with bacteria, as we all know not all the same.
if you pay for a beer, you expect 3.9-5.9% alcohol in it, if i give you a "beer" only contains .00007% of alcohol still charge you the same amount, would you think i trick you?


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Dont let me know where u lived if u have a nice pair of clownfish in ur tank!^_^
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Current Tank Info: 300DD, SM200/RD3,ATI 60-8X80+4X75, 2 Sea Sweep & 4X6105 & 6208
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Unread 01/01/2018, 08:30 AM   #7
THEUNION1
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mcgyvr View Post
Its not "bad" it just might not be as populated with bacteria as it was..
You really don't need to do anything about it...life happens.. Just add your water when you get a chance and begin the cycle
Thanks man.


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Unread 01/01/2018, 08:45 AM   #8
Kevin Guthrie
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...life happens
Yup. Bacteria multiply, splitting every 20 minutes given the right conditions. So your sand will be teeming with bacteria in a day or two even if there is only one viable cell today.


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Unread 01/01/2018, 09:06 AM   #9
sde1500
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ClownNut View Post
talk to the manufacturers.
every surface of the earth is covered with bacteria, as we all know not all the same.
if you pay for a beer, you expect 3.9-5.9% alcohol in it, if i give you a "beer" only contains .00007% of alcohol still charge you the same amount, would you think i trick you?


Weird analogy considering I don't think they state a bacteria count. And it isn't just bacteria in that sand. I have pods and worms and snails that I never added, but showed up in my tank started with dry rock and live sand.


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Unread 01/01/2018, 09:15 AM   #10
neilp2006
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Is my sand bad?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin Guthrie View Post
Yup. Bacteria multiply, splitting every 20 minutes given the right conditions. So your sand will be teeming with bacteria in a day or two even if there is only one viable cell today.


Only a few bacterial species are capable of such fast replication. E. Coli being the main one. That’s a mammalian gut bacterium not related to marine organisms.

Most environmental bacteria have a slower growth rate, on the order of 12 hours to several days. Depends on nutrient availability of course.

However, it is correct that, since they replicate exponentially, you’ll probably repopulate your sand bed to ‘normal’ in 7-10 days.


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Unread 01/01/2018, 11:55 AM   #11
outy
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would you think i trick you?
Agreed it is a rip off, and no one should buy this over priced sand, and it is misleading. You just went to far in your description of details.

But it does have anaerobic bacteria, and who knows what else is in the sealed bags.

OP I never throw sand away unless blackened, how dirty means how well it gets rinsed every 5-7 years


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Unread 01/02/2018, 03:50 AM   #12
THEUNION1
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Originally Posted by outy View Post
Agreed it is a rip off, and no one should buy this over priced sand, and it is misleading. You just went to far in your description of details.

But it does have anaerobic bacteria, and who knows what else is in the sealed bags.

OP I never throw sand away unless blackened, how dirty means how well it gets rinsed every 5-7 years
Got it. Much appreciated.


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Unread 01/02/2018, 08:30 AM   #13
VoltzNSalt
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It's fine...add your water and start your cycle. Personally, I let my new builds cycle for a minimum of 10 weeks before I consider it somewhat 'settled in' and start paying a great deal more attention to water chemistry parameters...


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Unread 01/03/2018, 08:16 AM   #14
ClownNut
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sde1500 View Post
Weird analogy considering I don't think they state a bacteria count. And it isn't just bacteria in that sand. I have pods and worms and snails that I never added, but showed up in my tank started with dry rock and live sand.
those things dont come from sand, from the corals you buy. just think of it, you have a closed system, any animals will need something kind food to survive, let alone the crushing landslide from time to time. lol
my analogy just point out if you buy live sand for the beneficial bacteria, then you are buying it for the wrong reason.


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Current Tank Info: 300DD, SM200/RD3,ATI 60-8X80+4X75, 2 Sea Sweep & 4X6105 & 6208
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Unread 01/03/2018, 11:08 AM   #15
Kevin Guthrie
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Quote:
Most environmental bacteria have a slower growth rate, on the order of 12 hours to several days. Depends on nutrient availability of course.
I stand corrected, nitrosomonas and nitrobacter have 10 hour doubling times.

I wonder if they convert to exospores. Otherwise live sand (assuming 99.9% die off is typical) would probably be comparable to sterile sand plus a teaspoon of something from an established aquarium.


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Unread 01/03/2018, 10:58 PM   #16
squeakymcmurdo
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I ended up with a couple little orange snails after buying Caribsea Ocean Direct...at the time my tank was new and all I had was plastic corals and some rocks I found while camping. I hadn’t added any livestock yet. I was pleasantly surprised. I just bought it because I found it on eBay cheaper than dry.

As for the OP: if you’re cycling, the dead organics in the sand will help get the ball rolling too and won’t do any harm unless you have residents in your tank.


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