Sand cleaning / storage

CAPSLOCK

Elite Fish
Jul 19, 2004
3,682
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Cape Cod
#1
Yesterday, I moved my 45g saltwater setup into a 20g tank, so obviously there is some excess sand (I was able to get all the live rock to fit :) ). It had been set up long enough that it is "live sand" at this point, so I wondered if anyone knows the best way to clean / store it so that it would be usable in the future. I know it will not be live at that point, but if I switch back up to a larger tank at some point the matching sand would be nice to mix back in.

I was thinking just a real good rinse, and drying it, then storing it. Does it even need a rinse, or will just drying work? I thought that no rinse might make it smell, since it is fresh out of a running tank. It shouldn't matter if it is rinsed w/ tap water, because it is not going to be staying live anyways, right? Drying: spreading it out and air drying as much as possible the best method? Then, should it be stored in a closed container or an open one (will be stored in my basement, where things are prone to mold...).

Thanks for any suggestions.