Cleaning out refugium

[Bobbofin]

My refugium looks like a sewer. It's been running for 2+ years and the 2-1/2" sand bed has never been cleaned. The walls have green moss on them with air bubbles. I was going to shut down the sump, comlpletely empty and scrap it down. Then replace the sand with 1" of new sand, the rubble and cheato. I'm afraid of using the sand again because it was so deep. Should I be concerned?

 

[afboundguy]

I reused my 3-4" sandbed when I moved without problems and I stirred it up because I didn't know any better at the time...

You could prob rinse it out and reuse it... That's what I'd do...

 

[RiverReefer]

mini cycle though?

 

[JayM]

all of the nutrient export your refugium is doing, 'sewer' or not, is going to need to be taken up somewhere......so you could definitely get an algae bloom

 

[American Flyer]

I think you are right not to reuse the sand. I think once that gets stirred up, you'd basically need to let it bake in the sun for a couple of months.

 

[Bobbofin]

I'm already having an algae bloom from tearing the tank apart several months ago. This stuff never ends.