quarantine live sand?

[kevin254]

Does anyone quarantine live sand? If so, for how long? and do I need to "feed" it?

 

[useskaforevil]

where are you getting it from? why are you quarentining it?

 

[Bambalam]

Re: quarantine live sand?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12846987#post12846987 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kevin254
Does anyone quarantine live sand? If so, for how long? and do I need to "feed" it?

Not in my opinion.

 

[Twz]

I think you have the wrong vision of "live sand"
Live sand isn't live because it is a living breathing thing but it is live in the sence of the bacteria living on it
Though
I do not belive much is left living or enough is left Living in it
To go out and pay the extra for the "Live" rather then saving a bit of money and buying some regular sand that will become "live" after a few weeks

 

[Slakker]

If adding to an established system containing fish, it should be cured/quarantined for a period of at least 4 weeks. C. Irritans (the parasite responsible for ich) can be found alive on substrates (rock, sand, snail shells, stony corals, pretty much anything wet) in the encysted Tomont phase for up to, and on occasion over, 28 days.

 

[Twz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12848946#post12848946 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Slakker
If adding to an established system containing fish, it should be cured/quarantined for a period of at least 4 weeks. C. Irritans (the parasite responsible for ich) can be found alive on substrates (rock, sand, snail shells, stony corals, pretty much anything wet) in the encysted Tomont phase for up to, and on occasion over, 28 days.

Wow,
Really?
But how long would you figgure them bags sit there?
I know he bags at my LFS have been there just over 7

 

[kevin254]

I'm getting the real live sand from some place like Tampa Bay Saltwater, not the fake live sand found in bags at the lfs. I'm adding it to a tank that's been running for 2 months and a refugium that's been running for 2 weeks, both already have some regular sand in them. I'm just wondering if it's worth quarantining? Can you even see the bad pest that may come with it?

 

[areze]

there is a large school of thought that ich is present in all aquariums like the common cold is in the air. just because you are around someone with the cold, does not mean you will then get it. a good immune system and proper nutrition go a long way to keeping you healthy.

personally I believe the same to be true of fish. you run a perfect aquarium for 2 years, then dump some ammonia in there, watch how fast ich develops soon as the fish get weak.

 

[Slakker]

Ich would not develop, as a two year old system that has had NO new additions (or properly quarantined additions) for 10-11 months would have NO ich. Read up.
http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/marineich.html

Bagged "live" sand rarely contains any life what-so-ever, bacterial or otherwise. Aside from being a waste of money, odds of introducing parasites with it are probably slim to none.

Edit: Ich is caused by a protozoan organism, Cryptocaryon irritans. It has a defined life cycle, it CAN be killed, and it NEEDS fish hosts to survive. The common cold is caused by a virus, which is a substantially different topic, and not a very good comparison.