Old Sand and Dry Rock

[veni vidi vici]

So im getting ready to aquascape my new 120 and I currently have a all the former LR that was in my 125.... YEARS ago, also a 5 gallon bucket of sand that is still wet from my shallow sand bed that was also in my 125..YEARS ago, and I was wondering.
Im going to be cycling my tank here shortly ,is there any reason that I should should wash ,rinse,clean..... either of the two?
I opened up the bucket of sand expecting a wretched smell of death and to my surprise,nothing. Granted i havent stirred it yet,but even so. Is there a reason I shouldnt use it as is?

 

[silverado61]

Speaking as a newbie I would even trust it. Better safe than sorry. You gone this far, why take any chances?

 

[veni vidi vici]

Just cant bring myself to toss it.

 

[tonysi]

The rock I don't see a problem with using it just rinse it off with some rodi water and seed it with some live rock. The sand on the other hand, I wouldn't trust it.

 

[veni vidi vici]

Quote:
Originally Posted by TonySi http:///t/397680/old-sand-and-dry-rock#post_3545621
The rock I don't see a problem with using it just rinse it off with some rodi water and seed it with some live rock. The sand on the other hand, I wouldn't trust it.
Why not?

 

[tonysi]

I just think with the sand sitting in stagnant water for the amount of time there's gotta be a lot of bad stuff in there. Maybe if you let the sand dry out completely out in the sun then maybe you can use it but, me personally I would buy new sand.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Veni Vidi Vici http:///t/397680/old-sand-and-dry-rock#post_3545594
So im getting ready to aquascape my new 120 and I currently have a all the former LR that was in my 125.... YEARS ago, also a 5 gallon bucket of sand that is still wet from my shallow sand bed that was also in my 125..YEARS ago, and I was wondering.
Im going to be cycling my tank here shortly ,is there any reason that I should should wash ,rinse,clean..... either of the two?
I opened up the bucket of sand expecting a wretched smell of death and to my surprise,nothing. Granted i havent stirred it yet,but even so. Is there a reason I shouldnt use it as is?

Hi,

If it doesn't smell of death, it's because it's still live sand, the bacteria is so useful...by all means use it. The tank has to cycle, there is no harm to use it. I wouldn't toss out the old (once alive) dried rock either...make a cool rock wall with it, or just use it as base rock.

For those nay sayers:
the good bacteria is so good that the water isn't stagnant, which is also why it doesn't smell of death. The "live" sand you purchase in bags is really no different...it's just (good) bacteria loaded sand.

 

[eric b 125]

I wouldn't be surprised if you mixed it and found that the sand deeper in the bucket turned black and smells like sulfur. This isn't a bag of sand, it's a stagnant deep sand bed and the sand near the bottom has most likely been anaerobic for quite some time.

The rocks: I would definitely rinse them. You could even go a step further and bleach them or do a muriatic acid bath. If they are already dead, what's the harm in cleaning them real well?

 

[veni vidi vici]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/397680/old-sand-and-dry-rock#post_3545707

Hi,

If it doesn't smell of death, it's because it's still live sand, the bacteria is so useful...by all means use it. The tank has to cycle, there is no harm to use it. I wouldn't toss out the old (once alive) dried rock either...make a cool rock wall with it, or just use it as base rock.

For those nay sayers:
the good bacteria is so good that the water isn't stagnant, which is also why it doesn't smell of death. The "live" sand you purchase in bags is really no different...it's just (good) bacteria loaded sand.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric B 125 http:///t/397680/old-sand-and-dry-rock#post_3545711
I wouldn't be surprised if you mixed it and found that the sand deeper in the bucket turned black and smells like sulfur. This isn't a bag of sand, it's a stagnant deep sand bed and the sand near the bottom has most likely been anaerobic for quite some time.

The rocks: I would definitely rinse them. You could even go a step further and bleach them or do a muriatic acid bath. If they are already dead, what's the harm in cleaning them real well?
Well i dumped out the sand into a storage container and it wasnt to bad...there was a slight smell of not sulfer but ill just describe it a unidentifiable. Im going to thoroughly rinse it and reuse it and mix it with some additional LS in my DT and refugium.