MissDeffiance Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 I broke down my tank a wk & 1/2 ago during a move. How long can the sand be in the buckets and be ok & if it takes me a little longer still to set it up is there anything I can do to keep it good ? My tank was a 125 gal. had been set up for a yr. I did keep some water in the buckets with the sand. Hoping someone has some good advice.. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cellowithgills Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Last time I bought live sand, I had in in a 20 gallon with about 2 inches of water above it and a small filter on it for around 2 months. I think you could get away with a power head though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cellowithgills Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 In other words, as long as there is moving water above it, you should be good for a while Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trautman Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 I would worry about problems such a sulfur dioxide, and nasty organics. Frankly I would rinse it out with a hose really well, and then sun dry it... Why take the risk? Sand beds trap all sorts of nasty things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricsNano Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 I would worry about problems such a sulfur dioxide, and nasty organics. Frankly I would rinse it out with a hose really well, and then sun dry it... Why take the risk? Sand beds trap all sorts of nasty things Agreed. I had sand in a bucket for less than a week and it was RANK when I emptied the buckets. I wouldn't even bother using it if it wasn't rinsed really well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelhead77 Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Here's what Jason (formerly) at Coral Reef told me about re-using sand: Take a scoop with your hand and smell it. If it smells like the beach go ahead and re-use it with no worries. If it smells like rotten eggs then you must either toss it or rinse it several times and let it sun dry. Take the scoops from several different depths to get a good idea if it's good or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trautman Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Here's what Jason (formerly) at Coral Reef told me about re-using sand: Take a scoop with your hand and smell it. If it smells like the beach go ahead and re-use it with no worries. If it smells like rotten eggs then you must either toss it or rinse it several times and let it sun dry. Take the scoops from several different depths to get a good idea if it's good or not. That rotten eggs smell is an indicator of sulfur dioxide. Also a good way to tell is if the sand is black etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bswe22 Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 I'm with everyone else. Rinse, dry and start fresh. Why risk it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissDeffiance Posted August 12, 2011 Author Share Posted August 12, 2011 Sounds like a plan.. Thank you for all the advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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