Should I replace my sand after a move ?

impirial · 07/06/2013, 09:30 AM

Main question is, I set up this tank from a move about 3 months ago, and bought all new cari live sand for it, 220lbs. because my lfs said I should replace all sand every move. It's been 3 months and I'm moving again. I don't have the 200 bones to throw away for new, fresher sand, but what should I do ? dump the sand and wait until I can get more ? (bare bottom for a bit).

Side note, I had two Gobys, diamond and gold head. Had the diamond for a few years and the gold head for a few weeks. Died the same night, so not much sand cleaning since, about 2-1/2 weeks ago :/.

I have a newly established 180 Gallon, 2 MP40s, about 80-100lbs of liverock with 5-7% corralline growth on them, 30 gal sump, Reef Octopus skimmer, forget model, but large enough. 2 clowns, 1 foxface, 1 tang, 1 niger trigger, 1 cleaner shrimp, banded star, yellow cucumber, 5 snails, two tux urchins, 3 various small frags.

dave.m · 07/06/2013, 09:38 AM

You would have to do a really good job of rinsing the sand out before you could re-use it. Sandbeds, especially deep sandbeds, tend to go toxic pretty quickly once their prime source of oxygen (i.e. waterflow) is removed for a while. I have no problem doing it, but I know some people consider rinsing sand out by hand five gallons at a time to be an onerous chore.

Dave.M

impirial · 07/06/2013, 10:07 AM

This may sound dumb, but how do you rinse it ? I have an RO/DI system and can keep flow on the sand after about a 12 hour wait --

DerekFF · 07/06/2013, 10:20 AM

5g bucket, shove a hose down to the bottom. Run her full blast and just keep shoving it to the bottom in a probing fashion. Turns it and jets fresh water with some force down in there. Will have clean sand in less than 5 mins.

dave.m · 07/06/2013, 01:14 PM

Yeah, something like that. You don't need to use RO/DI water. Just running clean water from your garden hose will do.

I put no more than about a fifth of the bucket full. Run the hose into it and keep rolling the bucket around on its back rim at an angle. You will see the water coming out is full of a fine sediment powder. This is the BAD stuff. Run your hand through the sand as you rinse to make sure you flush all the bad stuff out.

When no more sediment comes out regardless how much you spin and turn it you can then consider that bit of sand clean. Empty it into a clean container and get some more dirty sand to clean.

As DerekFF notes, it takes at least five minutes per load. Oh, and look! Only two hundred more pounds of sand to go!

If you're still not sure that it is clean, put the sand in a water-proof container, fill it with RO/DI and/or saltwater and let it stand for 24 hours. Measure for PO4.

Dave.M

impirial · 07/06/2013, 01:52 PM

Will cleaning the sand effect my tank cycle or remove and beneficial lifeforms ?

dave.m · 07/06/2013, 02:02 PM

If the sand is dead there will be no beneficial lifeforms left. That's what you're rinsing out. With clean, fresh sand you will be starting the cycle from scratch.

Dave.M

DerekFF · 07/07/2013, 09:25 AM

Just go buy a pack of prodibio or dr Tim's bio starters. Multiple times with both products I've cycled tank in just days.

dave.m · 07/07/2013, 12:14 PM

Yes, I've had good results with Instant Ocean's Bio-Spira. Same idea, saltwater bacteria in a bottle.

Dave.M

07/06/2013, 09:30 AM	#1
impirial Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 3	Should I replace my sand after a move ? Main question is, I set up this tank from a move about 3 months ago, and bought all new cari live sand for it, 220lbs. because my lfs said I should replace all sand every move. It's been 3 months and I'm moving again. I don't have the 200 bones to throw away for new, fresher sand, but what should I do ? dump the sand and wait until I can get more ? (bare bottom for a bit). Side note, I had two Gobys, diamond and gold head. Had the diamond for a few years and the gold head for a few weeks. Died the same night, so not much sand cleaning since, about 2-1/2 weeks ago :/. I have a newly established 180 Gallon, 2 MP40s, about 80-100lbs of liverock with 5-7% corralline growth on them, 30 gal sump, Reef Octopus skimmer, forget model, but large enough. 2 clowns, 1 foxface, 1 tang, 1 niger trigger, 1 cleaner shrimp, banded star, yellow cucumber, 5 snails, two tux urchins, 3 various small frags.

07/06/2013, 09:38 AM	#2
dave.m Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Canadia Posts: 4,276	You would have to do a really good job of rinsing the sand out before you could re-use it. Sandbeds, especially deep sandbeds, tend to go toxic pretty quickly once their prime source of oxygen (i.e. waterflow) is removed for a while. I have no problem doing it, but I know some people consider rinsing sand out by hand five gallons at a time to be an onerous chore. Dave.M __________________ My Gawd! It's full of corals! Current Tank Info: None. Nil. Zip. Nada.

07/06/2013, 01:14 PM	#5
dave.m Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Canadia Posts: 4,276	Yeah, something like that. You don't need to use RO/DI water. Just running clean water from your garden hose will do. I put no more than about a fifth of the bucket full. Run the hose into it and keep rolling the bucket around on its back rim at an angle. You will see the water coming out is full of a fine sediment powder. This is the BAD stuff. Run your hand through the sand as you rinse to make sure you flush all the bad stuff out. When no more sediment comes out regardless how much you spin and turn it you can then consider that bit of sand clean. Empty it into a clean container and get some more dirty sand to clean. As DerekFF notes, it takes at least five minutes per load. Oh, and look! Only two hundred more pounds of sand to go! If you're still not sure that it is clean, put the sand in a water-proof container, fill it with RO/DI and/or saltwater and let it stand for 24 hours. Measure for PO4. Dave.M __________________ My Gawd! It's full of corals! Current Tank Info: None. Nil. Zip. Nada.

07/06/2013, 02:02 PM	#7
dave.m Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Canadia Posts: 4,276	If the sand is dead there will be no beneficial lifeforms left. That's what you're rinsing out. With clean, fresh sand you will be starting the cycle from scratch. Dave.M __________________ My Gawd! It's full of corals! Current Tank Info: None. Nil. Zip. Nada.

07/07/2013, 12:14 PM	#9
dave.m Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Canadia Posts: 4,276	Yes, I've had good results with Instant Ocean's Bio-Spira. Same idea, saltwater bacteria in a bottle. Dave.M __________________ My Gawd! It's full of corals! Current Tank Info: None. Nil. Zip. Nada.

07/06/2013, 10:07 AM	#3
impirial Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 3	This may sound dumb, but how do you rinse it ? I have an RO/DI system and can keep flow on the sand after about a 12 hour wait --

07/06/2013, 10:20 AM	#4
DerekFF Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 219	5g bucket, shove a hose down to the bottom. Run her full blast and just keep shoving it to the bottom in a probing fashion. Turns it and jets fresh water with some force down in there. Will have clean sand in less than 5 mins.

07/06/2013, 01:52 PM	#6
impirial Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 3	Will cleaning the sand effect my tank cycle or remove and beneficial lifeforms ?

07/07/2013, 09:25 AM	#8
DerekFF Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 219	Just go buy a pack of prodibio or dr Tim's bio starters. Multiple times with both products I've cycled tank in just days.