Question
I got lazy and didn't clean my aquarium sand, what bad can happen?
This is what I used gravel link on Amazon.
So far everything is good.
Answer
As trond points out, the dust is the only real problem you get from non-rinsed sand. Even when I've washed sand you still get a small amount of dust because it's very difficult to remove completely.
However, be aware that all of this dust has to go somewhere. Once your tank has cleared up you'll want check your filter to ensure that the dust isn't clogging it. Most likely, the sponges or filter pads in your filter will have a lot of the dust stuck inside them. Due to the fact the dust is extremely fine, it can really limit flow rate.
Whilst I'm sure you'd pick this up at your monthly filter maintenance, it's definitely worth checking a day or so after you've put in the new substrate just to head off any potential issues.
Answered By - Henders