Sand question

[dam]

I am finally setting up a 72G bow front tank after slowly accumulating the equipment for it. I had bought about 100# of Aragamax sugar size sand about a year ago and had it sitting in the garage for the tank set up (that was supposed to also happen a year ago). I noticed that when I pulled it out today that it had a pale green color on the sand on the outside edges of the bag. I assume from some sort of mold or algea growth while it was in the bag from the moisture that was in the sand. Should I be concerned about this or can I just add it to the tank as-is? This is a new tank setup so there are no fish in it yet. I am in the process of adding this sand for a DSB and then will be adding RO/DI water over the next day to begin the cycle (once I get the RO/DI installed).
Thanks in advance. Dave

 

[shogun323]

I dont know the chemistry behind it, but I sure wouldn't have the warm and fuzzies about using it. I personally would toss it and get new.

 

[chipmaker]

Its algae thats giving it that green color. No big deal use a chlorox solution of 10 parts water 1 part chlorox and wash / soak the sand n that, then rinse well. 100 pound of aragonite sand is not cheap dead or alive so why waste it. After 24-48 hours once its been rinsed out with fresh tap water all traces of chlorox bleach will also be gone. Its certainly not adeath sentence for the sand or any future inhabitants of the tank. My lfs here had a huge stock pile of sand outside in bags and it too have lots of green color it it, but nothing that a bath in bleach will not cure.

 

[mandarin w]

One thing I do after haveing to give any thing a bleach bath is too then soak it in a chorline detoxifier, like "prime", I then soak it for a day, change out the water. and new water and more prime, let it soak again for a day, then rinse it out very thoughly.But then I usally am a big fan of being overly cautious.