Cleaning used tank sand

Originally Posted by Thinkin Reef

"you end up with lots of fillings i have heard !"



You have to accept it that is my answer Steve

ok, as you insist!

Sorry dude only based on my ideas no facts .

Originally Posted by blacjack

I wouldn't call it corrosive , it's just a matter of equalibrium, if the sand has more than the water, it will leach into the water, untill it equals itself out. I would do a couple of soaks to get the sand really clean, especilally if it's been sitting stagnet for a while.

If the phosphate is bound in calcium carbonate it cant leach out. You would actually have to dissolve the calcium carbonate to release the phosphates.

Originally Posted by high tide

Ive heard ro/di will erode your teeth if you drink it

Myth

Originally Posted by chris&barb

If the phosphate is bound in calcium carbonate it cant leach out. You would actually have to dissolve the calcium carbonate to release the phosphates.



Myth

This is so cool! all technical and such, thanks again Chris great input and correctional measures lol

Sand can bind po4 but it's also got calcium, alkalinity and magnesium to mention a few things. With calcium percipatation and skimming po4 can be reduced, as per the conditions in our tanks, I'd hope that the levels would be in the norm . I can't find the article I was reading on equalibrium, bugger but I'm wondering if it's worth the effort to soak the sand in salt water and test the water's po4 and no3, for that matter, then soak the sand in RO/DI water and re-test and see what happens.

When I make my food, I do this, I know it's different, but the results are amazing.

Hey Steve are you going to re use it ?

Originally Posted by Thinkin Reef

Hey Steve are you going to re use it ?

Oh yes!, washed it several times, bleached it overnight, washed it many many times, used a dechlorinator overnight, washed it another bunch of time, threw in a 1/2 gallon of vinegar (looked like a huge Latte) wash more, put in tank, add mixed water, add ciculation pump and heater, discover leak in tank, remove above and start scraping silicon lol its "my hobby"

Fun huh?

Originally Posted by skinz78

Fun huh?

yup! noting better than a mouth full of salty grit! arrr! whitens the teeth lol

Good thing you caught the leak early. When you silicone over silicone how do you clean the old stuff?

Originally Posted by chris&barb

Good thing you caught the leak early. When you silicone over silicone how do you clean the old stuff?

you can't. it just won't adhere to the old stuff, Ill redo the whole bottom just in case, the sides will be fine, razor blades! lots and lots of really sharp nasty razor blades and prayer

Oh, i thought if you cleaned it with something like alcohol it would stick.

some of the msds sheets specify it will not bond, I think its main form of "bond" is vacuum, thats why your supposed to sandpaper the glass first

Sandpaper the glass? ive never heard that

Silicone won't stick to old silicone due to contamination of the old silicone. Methylated spirits should help soften up the old silicone, making it easier to clean off.

I've never heard of sanding glass either, I would think a good scrape as your doing would be the go. I reckon it will hold fine on a clean surface.

if glass is an inert material that dosent fuse with chemicals the only "bond" is the stiffness and vacuum of the applied material, sanding the glass gives it "tooth", alcohol removes oil,oil is why you can't silicone acrylic. One of my glass guys does a procedure called gluechip, theres a glue made from horses thats brushed onto glass in a pattern, the piece is put in a humidity controlled chamber and slowly dried over a period of days, as the glue dries its so strong that the glass under it is peeled out of the sheet. Glass is the weirdest stuff ever lol