Disinfecting aquarium sand

[MikiE]

I'm setting up a new tank and wanna reuse some old sand. What's the best way to disinfect it without nuking the beneficial bacteria? Got a 20 gallon with some Corydoras planned.

[cleverkit]

Boiling's the classic move, but it'll kill everything, good and bad. If you're trying to keep some bacteria, maybe rinse it with dechlorinated water and let it dry in the sun for a day or two. Worked for my 40 gallon last year.

[darktank]

Sun drying sounds sketchy to me. I'd go with a bleach dip, 10:1 water to bleach ratio, then rinse like crazy and soak in Prime for a few hours. Did that with my 55 gallon's sand, no issues.

[Lancer]

Sun drying sounds sketchy to me. I'd go with a bleach dip, 10:1 water to bleach ratio, then rinse like crazy and soak in Prime for a few hours. Did that with my 55 gallon's sand, no issues.

Bleach is risky if you don't rinse thoroughly. I'd double the soaking time in Prime to be safe, maybe 24 hours. Test for residual chlorine before adding it back.

[southpaw1]

Why not just buy new sand? It's cheap, and you avoid the hassle. I've seen too many tanks crash from leftover bleach or pathogens. Not worth the risk for a 20 gallon.

[tinylux9]

Reusing sand can be fine if you're careful. I've had success with hydrogen peroxide, 3% solution, soak for an hour, then rinse well. It breaks down into water and oxygen, so no lingering chemicals. Used it in my shrimp tank with no problems.

[findroute]

Reusing sand can be fine if you're careful. I've had success with hydrogen peroxide, 3% solution, soak for an hour, then rinse well. It breaks down into water and oxygen, so no lingering chemicals. Used it in my shrimp tank with no problems.

Yep, hydrogen peroxide's my go-to too. Just make sure it's the plain kind, no additives. Works like a charm and doesn't leave residue.

[MikiE]

Thanks for the tips, everyone. Gonna try the hydrogen peroxide method and double rinse. Appreciate the help!

[timebeat]

If you're gonna reuse sand, maybe toss it in a mesh bag and run it under hot tap water for a while. Not as thorough as chemicals, but it's a quick fix if you're in a hurry.

[pallid]

I just baked my sand at 200°F for an hour. Killed everything, but it was sterile. Had to cycle the tank from scratch, though.