Flipping tank from 110G to 55G

[Keywest99]

I'm downsizing from a 110g to a 55g. Looking for less maintenance and more room(possibility of wheelchair in the future). LFS said not to use live sand from present tank. Present tank is two years old. Why not use live sand from 110 to 55? Also anyone have success weaning mandarins from copepods to brine shrimp?

 

[fishski13]

So with your 110 gallon 2 year old system it is very established and your sand is full of debris and organic matter. If you were to take it straight from the 110 to the 55, that organic matter is going to get stirred up and now breakdown in the new tank and cause a complete cycle to occur with very high nutrients. Thats why it isnt recommeneded to do that. However what you can do is take the establsihed sand, and wash it throughly and just reuse it that way.

Probably the best way to do it is buy a couple new bags of sand, and then add a few cup fulls of the established sand to seed the tank.,

 

[Keywest99]

Thank you for the reply and reasoning!!

 

[Floyd-]

Ill second that. The only way id reuse sand is if it was washed very well until it ran clean.