Would you reuse old live sand ?

[Dre]

Sand is not milk, it has no expiration date and does not go bad, it is already millions of years old. Stir it up and suck out the slime with a canister filter or strain it through a coffee filter. Old sand is better than new sand which is why a new tank with new sand and new water looks lousy and can't hardly support anything.
Forget about it absorbing nitrates, phosphates or Loch Ness Monster fry. My substrait is 42 years old and just getting to where I like it.
(Except for those dam Loch Ness Monster fry)

Tell it paul, i can't see why people make such a big deal over sand and way less time researching fish and corals to put in the tank. you still need to wash new dry sand. I have sand in my tank from 99. Sand or no sand, new or old, setup your tank and enjoy it for what it worth. Sand will not make much difference at the end of the day. It's personal preference and you don't need to rinse it with rodi water.

 

[Paul B]

Many people also think water has a shelf life. It's water and has been here from the beginning of time, even before I was born, it doesn't go bad unless you add Anthrax, Lestoil, Spam, or "Secret" underarm deodorant.