Live Sand in a freshwater setup?

[skanda]

What would happen if you put live sand meant for marine tanks in a freshwater setup? Can it pollute the water quality? Is there any way of curing it to be used in a freshwater setup?

Thnks

 

[Acpape0]

Better off selling and buying cheap pool filter sand and putting the extra $ in pocket


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[chriscoli]

I suspect there'd be a transition period where the old colonizing microbes died off and new ones became established. A certain portion of the population might make the transition from one environment to the other with no problem.

I'd be worried that you'd have an ammonia/nitrate spike when the old microbes died off. If it's "lightly populated" you probably wouldn't notice, but I wouldn't risk it. Seems like it would unnecessarily funk-up your water for a while.

 

[Blu]

Hmmm, I don't think there would be really any spikes though I do agree that it would muck up the clarity as it established itself to the new water parameters. And, though this probably need not be said but the finer the sand the less time your power heads last... I don't even use conventional pool sand as it destroyed 3 filters due to large cichlids digging up plants while getting frisky lol. Even using sponge intakes the sand has a way of getting in there, well for me it did.