Washing aragamax sugar-sized oolitic sand?

[DAvis]

Hi Guys,

I got my aragamax sand (30lbs), and want to add it to the my 28G cube. I think I need to wash it, and was wondering the easiest way to do that. Do I dump it in a bucket and rinse and stir with water, decanting off the 'dust'? Also, maybe it's a mistake, but I think I want to add it now to the tank, before I get my live rock, and then move the sand around as I set the live rock in place. Bad idea? I'm going to go with the 'justliverock'. I anxiously await your expert opinions!

By the way, there is nothing in the tank but water!
Thanks!
DAvis

 

[Smitty]

The bucket idea is a good idea, that's how I have done it several times...and go ahead and add the sand before the rock, its o.k...you have the right ideas:D

 

[Rcpilot]

Don't wash it. That dust is what helps balance your pH.

Yes, it'll look like a sandstorm for a couple days, but it'll settle down and be good for your tank.

If I was gonna start over, I'd put a big piece of egg crate on the bottom of my tank - or a piece of plastic cutting board like for the kitchen. It'll help keep the bottom of the tank protected in the event of a rock avalanche. Cover it with your sand.

Put the sand in first. Then put the live rock on top of it.

 

[yote]

Personally,I'd get enough base rock to get the live rock up out of the sand and give it a good foundation to build off of.
Why pay all that money for live rock,just to burry part of it with sand?

 

[DAvis]

Uh oh! Two opposing views on the sand washing! I was thinking along Smitty's lines of bucket washing, but I understand what RCpilot is saying. I think the Aragamax continues to break down into smaller particles, so I think you still get the buffering effect.

Yote, I may get some additional base rock. The 50 lb package of live rock I'm getting is only $30 more than 40 base/10lbs live rock package! Any thoughts on the sand question?

Thank you folks!

 

[ccCapt]

I think I need to wash it, and was wondering the easiest way to do that. Do I dump it in a bucket and rinse and stir with water, decanting off the 'dust'?

That is exactly how I washed my oolitic sand.

Don't wash it. That dust is what helps balance your pH.

Once again, aragonite DOES NOT DISSOLVE, therefore DOES NOT BUFER anything unless your pH is around 7.5. And if your pH is that low, chances are nothing is alive in your tank.

Chemistry and The Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley
"...aragonite first becomes soluble in seawater when the pH drops below about 7.7 (this value might be more like 7.5-7.7 in reef tanks where the alkalinity is often higher than in seawater). That level is attained in some sand beds, and permits the dissolution of some of the sand.

The rate of dissolution is fairly low, however, because the rate of delivery and degradation of organics (or certain nitrogen compounds) deep enough in the sand to permit a pH drop is fairly low. The rate will, however, vary from tank to tank as the different ways of delivering organics to deeper parts of the sand will vary (diffusion; movement by organisms; death of organisms, etc). Note that the need to oxidize the organics in deeper parts of the sand to permit dissolution of the sand has nothing to do with the oxygenation of the sand. It has more to do with the fact that at near surface regions of the sand, the pH will be closer to that of the tank water by acid and base transfer from the water column, and you need to be deep enough to permit a lower pH to become established."​

 

[DAvis]

OK Larry, thanks for the detailed response. I have nothing in my tank, as I am just starting my aquarium this weekend. I'll rinse the sand and get under way!

 

[daugherty]

Hi Guys,

Do I dump it in a bucket and rinse and stir with water, decanting off the 'dust'?
Thanks!
DAvis

that is how i wash my sand

 

[Rcpilot]

I still wouldn't wash it. It all gets mixed up anyway. Some dust will be deep down in the sand bed and some will be in the middle and some will be on the top. I think it's called homogeneous. :mrgreen:

Okay, so it doesn't break down. You paid good money for it. Why would you want to wash 5% of it down the drain? Sorta like Yote was saying about buying live rock and burying it in sand.

 

[DAvis]

Too late! It's washed! Actually, I bought 5% more than I needed! :mrgreen: I see what you are saying though, RC, i could wash it forever. In the tank it goes!

Thanks all, really!
:Cheers:

 

[Melosu58]

I agree with washing it in a bucket. One way you could help alleviate the sand storm is get a piece of PVC pipe and let it slide down to where you want the sand at. Just move the PVC pipe where it needs to go.

 

[puttycat]

Set the live rock on 2 inch dia pvc by 3 in high with 1/2 inch holes drilled in a few different areas. The rock can only sink down to the pvc

I washed my substrate in a bucket and still had a sand storm.

 

[dcantucson]

I think you'll be glad you washed it. It just makes for a clearer start to you water. JMO

 

[DAvis]

Thanks all! I'm not too worried about the sand storm! Nothing in the tank but sand and water. I'll create another storm when I set the rock (on bottom or on pvc - thanks puttycat!). i know I did that backwards, but I felt the incoming live rock would do better in somewhat aged/cycled water and sand. Will I regret this?!?:dunno:

Thanks again all,
DAvis

 

[dcantucson]

I don't think so. Doesn't matter much.

 

[puttycat]

I don't think it matters. If the rock is suspended you can just add the sand. It flows pretty well and is easy to move. You just can not see what you are doing as the water will be very milky. I rinsed my sand for at least 1 hour per 40 pound bag. When I put the sand in you would have never known it was rinsed.

 

[DAvis]

So it's been 36 hours and the sandstorm has cleared! There were light layers of silt on the glass, leaving lines down all sides of the aquarium which easily cleaned up. The tank looks great just with the Aragonite! I'm gonna love this gig!

So, I think a little washing was beneficial. I rinsed all 30 lbs in a 6 gallon pail with multiple washes in tap water, and then two washes in prepared salt water, The salinity of the tank after was perfect. Time to start thinking of the live rock!
Thanks again LR peoples:D
DAvis

 

[dcantucson]

Sounds like it's coming along nicely!

 

[yote]

Pics? :D

 

[DAvis]

Here's a couple pics yote (cell phone, sorry!) One with the 105W daylight/actinic, one with the moonlight LED's (ooooh!) OK, it'll look better with LR and a real camera!