Is it safe?

[meemoo]

Is there any reason why I can't use sand from someone else's tank for my refuguim base if it's been sitting for a week in a tank that has been taken down? My major concern is would it cause my tank to have a mini cycle like if I were to add a piece of LR that had not been cured.

 

[skyedolphan]

if it has been sitting with no heater or circulation I wouldnt chance it you would probably get a cycle due to the death of the organisms

 

[meemoo]

How would I go about fixing it? Can I put it in a container, run a heater and pwerhead for a while? Or should I chuck it?

 

[dz6t]

Does it smell? A week is too long. I won't chance it if I were you.

 

[Moe_K]

Just take a very thin layer off the top.
Smell the stuff. If it doesn't small bad, then I'd go ahead and use it to seed a new sand bed.

 

[denvig]

Just take a very thin layer off the top.
Smell the stuff. If it doesn't small bad, then I'd go ahead and use it to seed a new sand bed.

I agree top layer only, if it's been in another tank for a long time you would not want the stuff at the middle or the bottom. IMO you would just be asking for trouble. Lots of nasties there. You only need a little to seed new sand.

 

[NateHanson]

I don't think you'll have a problem. I just cleaned out my old fuge after disconnecting it about 10 days earlier. It didn't smell bad, and there was still lots of life in the sand. I think that stuff is pretty hardy.

That said, there's no reason to use more than a cup of the top layer, to minimize the chance of overloading your tank with dead stuff.

 

[meemoo]

yeah it smell pretty darn bad. Could I rinse a little of it and then take a bit from the top of my sand bed in my tank to put on top of that in my hang on refugium. I have the small refugium so I don't need alot. Then what do I do with the rest of the 30 lbs. I'd hate to throw it out expecially if it could become live sand someday.

 

[skyedolphan]

Tanya unfortunatley throwing it out is what is need if you are like me it will take you while to go threw it to try to get as many living things outta it as possible but you will only take steps backwards if you use this sand and it spikes your params ..If you want some sand to seed I can give you a few cups from my main tank ( dont have much in the fuge ) but I am slowly thinning the main tank sand bed down Just LMK when you can come or wait till the 14th

 

[meemoo]

That was my gut feeling. Thanks for all confirming as I don't want to upset the balance in my tank over a cup of sand. Thanks dawn for the offer, everyone in this forum is so nice and has been very helpful in a hobby in which you can easily get lost. It's funny for such a calming hobby it can really get you worked up sometimes. Dawn- I can feel for you when you lost your zoo's. My little one's went MIA and I had to move a couple of rocks, but finally found them. Ahh