How long can live sand live w/o water?

Ok here is my problem...I have a 55 that I am setting up and I was pretty sure I was ready to add water so I went and bought the live sand. Well it turns out that I should have thought thought things out a little better cause I am not completely ready. So will the live sand die w/o being in the tank with water? Right now it is in two plastic bags w/ no water. I can go ahead and put in in the tank with some water for now but the filtration will not be ready till Tues.

 

it has to stay damp for the bacteria to survive

 

You would be fine to dump the sand into your tank and add some water. But if it is still in the original packaging then what would it matter to leave it for a couple more weeks? It could have sat on the shelf at the LFS for a couple more weeks and you still would have paid the same price and not know it!! Filtration should not matter at all, you have a 3 month cycle ahead of you anyways!!

Where u from in Indiana??

 

I bought the sand out of a cycled tank. The plastic bag it was in was just a fish bag. I put it in my tank and added some water for now and tues. everything should be ready to go. I am from Terre Haute Indiana.

 

*Reminder* You don't have to have filtration to cycle your tank. I would fill it with water, add some base rock, throw in a yellow tailed damsel and sit back and watch it for a couple months!!
Just one man's opinion, there are many more on this subject as you will soon see!