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  #1  
Old 08/28/2007, 01:26 AM
ACBlinky ACBlinky is offline
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Why I don't reuse old sand

I did a dumb thing today. A short while ago we had to tear down our tank to remove the sump, which can only be removed through the top of the stand, because it had cracked. I decided to replace the sand in the display, and remove the sand that was in the refugium all together. We took out about 50lbs of 'special grade reef sand' (what I consider the standard size aragonite sand - not CC, not sugar sized, somewhere in between). I tossed it in a bucket and put it aside, more concerned with rebuilding than washing the old sand. I had planned to throw it out, but then I read a thread on how to wash, dry, rewash, redry and save old sand, so I thought I'd try it. WRONG. I left the sand in the bucket too long, and it became anaerobic, and the second I moved the top layer I unleashed an unholy smell that sent my husband running out the door! I quickly tossed the bucket, but it was too late - the house STANK all day, despite candles, open windows, fans and the bathroom and kitchen exhaust running nonstop. All I could think while I was gagging is 'dear God, I was thinking of reusing this?' Even when it was 'fresh' out of the tank, it was probably full of disgusting things - no wonder people advise buying new sand when the old sandbed is disturbed for something like a move or an upgrade.

The worst part is, I should have learned my lesson - some time ago I had silica sand and left a bunch in a bucket when I switched over to aragonite. I think this time I just didn't consider that a larger-grained aragonite sand would get that funky, that fast - the bucket was open to the air, and the top layer looked fine... but, lesson learned. Old sand in a bucket without water and circulation is a no-no, and if it's left too long, it should be thrown away immediately upon discovery. IMHO, there's no way on earth old sand should be reused unless it's immediately cleaned and dried!!

Seriously (okay, not really), I think I'm still dizzy... how in the world can microscopic bacteria make such a nasty stink?!
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  #2  
Old 08/28/2007, 02:25 AM
tkeracer619 tkeracer619 is offline
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I little bit of bleach goes a long way with sand that has been left in a bucket and is rotten.

I cleaned 1200lbs of it for my new tank.... what a horrible experience.... they marinated for at least a month. In the end it was worth it because the sand only cost me about 10 cents a lb for aragonite.
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  #3  
Old 08/28/2007, 10:47 AM
Candi Candi is offline
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Oh that smell :::shudders::: I once saw someone local offering free sand (no longer alive) from his tank teardown. I thought AWESOME I'll just wash it and I'm good to go. Loaded my toddler in the car and drove over, it was 2 5g buckets full and they were outside, saw a few shells on top but didn't think much of it. Loaded it in the car and headed out.... maybe 3mins later the smell started drifting from the back of my SUV at first I thought my little one had soiled her diaper. Then I realized what it was STINKY SAND & DEAD SNAILS! He had scooped the sand from his tank, pods/snails and all into the buckets and tossed them out in the sun. The sun baked the very top layer which is why I didn't smell it outside but when I started driving it shifted and the worst thing I ever smelled in my entire life was freed

I never put sand to the curb faster... a guy from my local reefer club came and got it (he was warned) and said it took him over a week of rinsing and dumping to get the smell out...not worth it to me!
  #4  
Old 08/28/2007, 11:26 AM
tkeracer619 tkeracer619 is offline
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All he needed to do was rinse it with a mild bleach solution, it would have taken 2 maybe 3 rinses at most. Bleach dissolves all the organic material leaving only sand. It also kills the smell almost instantly.

No reason to throw away buckets of sand.
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  #5  
Old 08/28/2007, 12:02 PM
ricsreef ricsreef is offline
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What is the recipe for the bleach solution?I might haft to try it at some point.
  #6  
Old 08/28/2007, 12:27 PM
techreef techreef is offline
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someone will have to pry my cold dead fingers off of my hard-found (HARD-found, i say!) aragonite sand! ACBlinky, were you referring to Waterkeeper's thread on rinsing and reusing sand? I've got that thread printed and filed away for the future day I need it. How long was your sand sitting in the bucket before it turned stank?
  #7  
Old 08/29/2007, 01:15 AM
ACBlinky ACBlinky is offline
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Probably about a week, maybe a bit longer - it doesn't take long for those bacteria to do their work IME. Yes, that's the thread I meant - I couldn't remember who created it, but it makes sense that it's Waterkeeper - he's full of good advice and helpful hints

I thought about bleaching it, but it was BLACK and frankly we couldn't bear the smell in our apartment any longer. Even after we threw the sand away, the smell lingered for hours. We kept fans running, bleached the tub drain (we had planned to rinse the sand in the tub as we have no backyard or other suitable area) to prevent the smell of any previously drained water from drifting back up, had candles burning all over, and it still took all day for the smell to completely disappear. I just don't think that bleaching this particular bucket of sand would have neutralized the sand - in any case, we didn't want to keep it around long enough to test the theory. If this was 1200lbs, I might have tried harder, but with 30lbs or so that's already been used for a good long time, I didn't really feel bad tossing it.
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  #8  
Old 08/29/2007, 01:33 AM
Jamokie01 Jamokie01 is offline
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Tanks can make bad smell quickly. A while back my friends tank was nuked when a family member "febreezed" the room. He called and says stuff is dying get here quick. It was unlike anything Ive ever seen/smelled in my life. Serpent stars climbing out of the tank, everything in the rock (bristleworms, pods, spaghetti worms, emerald crabs, etc) was laying on the sandbed dead or dying. Ive never smelled something so bad that it almost made me throw up before.

Anyways, its wicked hard to find aragonite here, and when I do find it Im less than excited about paying 12$ for 20lbs so reusing sand sounds lovely. Bleach you say?I got bleach. The only issue I assumed there would be was leaching of phosphates. Phosphate binds to aragonite, no? Im guessing it doesnt become inert afterwards, does the sand have a saturation point afterwhich it leaches phosphate?
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  #9  
Old 08/29/2007, 01:37 AM
happyface888 happyface888 is offline
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Wooh yeah that stuff is a killer, when I upgraded a tank I stirred my sand pretty bad and it nuked my tank and wow it really stank. But all is good now.
 

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