reusing sand

[gmubeach]

I got a 50 pound bucket of formally alive reef sand I'm going to sepreate it out and then add either bleach or something else to clean it any suggests on what that chemical should be... it smells like fish! Anyway please help!

[gmubeach]

bump I need an answer as I'm hopeing to clean it tomorow

[FearTheTerps]

I have never heard of anyone using bleach or any chemical to clean their sand. Best suggestions Ive heard is using RO water, just keep rinsing until it runs clear.

 

Why would you want to get rid of the fish smell???

[Jan]

I stuck a hose in the bucket of sand I got and let the water run in it for a while. Then I stuck my RO/DO tubeing in it and let the RO/DI water run through it a while. I put it in a tank and skimmed it with a net and a skimmer. changed water a couple of times then added 1 cup of sand from my main tank and watched it all come to life.

 

bump I need an answer as I'm hopeing to clean it tomorow

Edited March 24, 2010 by Jan

[gmubeach]

Alright I can do that no bleach needed and the fishy smell is like the beach... anyway the sand is a good size... I will wash it with tap until its clear and flush with ro/di water and then seed.... now that I have a plan I can finally start to see my tank dreams come to life...

[Jan]

You can also just flush with RO/DI water. I flushed with tap because it was fast and the sand I got was really old. I had to change the water seeral times before I was confident that I got all the chlorinated water out.

 

Alright I can do that no bleach needed and the fishy smell is like the beach... anyway the sand is a good size... I will wash it with tap until its clear and flush with ro/di water and then seed.... now that I have a plan I can finally start to see my tank dreams come to life...

[gmubeach]

well it smells very fishy! I think I will try the tap water approach and wait until I get my rodi machine back up and running ... I sold it to a guy and then he left it out on the snow... and it exploded and now I have to try and put it back together as he gave it back to me for free... anyway hopefully I'll be up and running soon!

[Jan]

LOL, how does an RO/DI unit explode?...Please don't say leave it out in the snow. What happened to it?

 

well it smells very fishy! I think I will try the tap water approach and wait until I get my rodi machine back up and running ... I sold it to a guy and then he left it out on the snow... and it exploded and now I have to try and put it back together as he gave it back to me for free... anyway hopefully I'll be up and running soon!

[gmubeach]

Left it out in the snow I'm seeing if its fixable now.... all of the plastic cylanders are busted off and I'm unsure about the membrne... but since I sold it and he gave it back to me for free I didn't loose anything and as a bonus I got a tds meter out of it...

[bluefunelement]

I did that too - the water freeezing and expanding breaks the cylinders - if your threads are ok you can get new canisters but it's likely a loss

[sen5241b]

Make sure the hose you use does NOT have copper fittings !!!!!!!!!!

[treesprite]

If you want another bucket of sand, which is dried out, let me know. I just went and smelled it - it doesn't have that smell, though I don't know what will happen after it is in water. You would need to wash it really well.

[gmubeach]

I would love another bucket of sand let me pm you.

[gmubeach]

I had my dad sift the sand and he smells awful.... its a mix of cat %$#* and fish... anyway we are soaking it in a bucket with holes until it smells better....next we will mix it with ro/di water!