Switching tanks, have question on re-using sand!

[FSU]

I am switching tanks this weekend from a 80 RR bowfront to a 125. Can I re-use my sand? Would it be toxic?

[GaryP]

Your sand is new and it shouldn't be a problem. Any H2S will be vented off in the transfer. You'll be able to tell by the smell.

[FSU]

So I can basically just switch it all right into the bigger tank with no problems? Thanks Gary! BTW, got my clowns drip acclimating as we speak!

[Reef69]

I did the same thing when I switched to My 90 gal. you'll be fine, let me know if you need help

[FSU]

tomorrow night! Come on over!

[dow]

Alright, what about moving from a 40 to a 65? Same footprint. Should it be alright?

[Tim Marvin]

How old is the sand? If it is more than a couple months old I would scoop off the top 1-2 inches and dump the rest over into the new tank. Put the sand you scooped off on the top again. Let everything settle and run some carbon for a couple hours on the tank before putting your fish back in. If you dump the fish in and the tank is turbid you may end up lossing them to bacterial infections.

[jaded]

I used 100% of the old sand in my 135 move, things look great and I only lost one fish, but that was in transit due to my stupidity

[dow]

Fair enough. The tank is roughly four years old. I've got 80 lbs of new sand that I was going to put in there, but I don't have enough for a true dsb without dipping into the old. I had planned on using the top 1/2" or so to seed the new bed, but if I could use all/most of the existing sand bed in the new tank, I't would be much easier than tracking down a couple more bags of sand.

BTW, when we moved from Kerrville to Boerne last fall, I moved the tank with the sand bed intact. Just removed the fish, rocks, and almost all of the water, and placed the original glass top on sand bed itself. Loaded the tank and everything else up, and hauled glass (sorry. couldn't resist).

[FSU]

Tim, my tank is right about 3 months old!

[scuba_steveo]

Now is a good time to go bare bottom or very little sand. My next system will have less than 1" of sand.

[Tim Marvin]

FSU, I would scoop the top, and after you move the rest pour your scooped portion back on top. Let it settle for a couple hours and go.

Dow, Scoop the top, dump in the old sand, pour the new on top of the old and top it with the sand you scooped off.

[dow]

Dow, Scoop the top, dump in the old sand, pour the new on top of the old and top it with the sand you scooped off.

Thanks, Tim. I'll do that. You just saved me a bunch of work and effort. BTW, should I rinse the old or just dump it in and run the carbon?

[GaryP]

If you have some way to stir the old sand and filter it with something like a Magnum I think it would be a good idea to do so. That would remove a lot of the detritus and other stuff trapped in the sand. I think a lot of nutrients get released during a tank move from this source. If you can minimize it, more the better.

I also run the sand through some really big plastic collanders to remove all the snail shells and other larger stuff that accumulates in the sand bed.

[Tim Marvin]

If there is no water in the tank yet, I'd stir the sand a little and get some of the crud out of it. Then dump it in and cover it with the new sand, then the top layer of the old sand. Put a bowl in the tank and pour in your new water on that or a cookie sheet. This will keep the sand from getting all stirred up, and I'd still run some carbon for a couple hours just to be safe.

[FSU]

Great ideas! Thanks guys!