Live SAND - STILL LIVING?

[newreefer2]

I have several unopened bags of CaribSea Live Sand that I have had for over 6 months. My question is how long can live sand be stored in the unopened bag and still be trusted to be live sand?

On a second note is it safe to store live sand in the garage in the north where it may freeze or will it no longer be live sand once it gets that cold?

Is there a way to test it to know if it is still good?

Finally are there any good threads on how to best set up a effetive deep sand bed?

Thanks

[75gsalt]

I would say that 6 months in the garage would probaly kill or freeze the sand, live sand that I have bought and water in the bag.

[HighlandReefer]

I would imagine the sand has gone anaerobic and the sulfur content is high. If is smells like sulfur, I would clean the sand well until there are no odors.

[newreefer2]

I was afraid that was the case but thought it worth asking.

[N-dog]

the sand will always have some Bacteria good, bad, or otherwise

[mkobu]

What I want to know is how does this supposed live sand survive in the bag? There is no air and nothing feeding it... Also how do they really go out several miles and pull up boats of sand (some heavy sh.. ) and bring it back... have this miracle "breathing" bag that keeps it alive?? Anyone ever actually see the ships? anyone drive by the place they bag it up?? (If I was still down south closer to there I would go by there..) Whose to say they are not just going to the beach and filling up bags with beach sand?? take it back... bleach it and remove trash then add some ocean water ans slap on a $25 price... Anyone in a lab ever test some of this and see what bacterias are alive in there compared to real live sand??

This could be one of the biggest scams to the hobby........

[lostintheocean]

prebagged comercial live sand is a scam, it is not live sand it is sand in water. maybe if you got it form a LFS adn it was bagged that day for sale but other wise you got hosed when you picked it up off the shelf