Cleaning 450 lbs of sand need help

[lank]

So I could really use some help with this. A friend gave me 450lbs of sand that was just sitting in his basement in 5 gallon buckets. This was all used in previous tanks then when he moved he never set them all back up. So he gave me all of it cause he didn't want to take the time to clean it. So my question to you guys is how would I go about cleaning all this sand? I have tried a hose in the bucket, that works well but a lot of the silt will just settle on the top of the sand and not flow over. Has anyone cleaned previous live sand that was stored before and what was the best way about cleaning it?
Really hope some here can help me out with his huge task.
Thanks,
Mike

 

[snakeblitz33]

I've used a water hose before. As long as it isn't oolite/fine grain/sugar grain it can be washed with a hose...

 

[lank]

Its not oolite or sugar sand. I got it all cleaned today luckly it was nice out so i tossed it all on a tarp and washed it and let it dry in the sun. Hopefully it will come back to its nice white original form.

 

[snakeblitz33]

You know what.... I'd probably stick it in a 5g bucket and pour some chlorox bleach in it and let it sit for a few days as well. Chlorox does get rid of some built up organics and could help purify it a bit more... essentially get it back to a cleaner state.
The main goal in reefs is nutrient control... too much and there are problems, too little and there can also be problems. Starting with sand that has absorbed nutrients over time may cause problems in the future. Just some thoughts.

 

[lank]

Wasnt sure if i could use bleach or not on the sand. So do you think this sand is "all used up" in a sense of its life span? Curious on what you mean by trouble down the road.

 

[noobzilla]

I always use a king size pillow case (never washed in soap) and bucket or tub, depending on how much I'm washing. run a hose into the pillowcase and toss a little bleach in, then aggitate the hell out of it. I've also got a bucket with holes in it, for rinsing off stubborn deposits, that was I can just run a hose into the pillowcase and the water goes through the bucket and doesn't overflow. I don't use bleach in the "holey" bucket, because I like my grass living. I'm a bit late to post here, but this could come in useful to someone someday.

 

[acrylic51]

I'm curious.....How much sand do you actually need.....450lbs is a lot of sand IMO, and depending how it was stored and what not, I might not even take the chance or effort to clean it.....

 

[lank]

I ended up putting it in a bucket with holes in it and washing it that way. As to the amount of sand im just washing it all and then sifting it out so i can get the best of the best i guess and once its clean i may try and part ways with it to the next reefer around my area.