My tank is only three months old but will be about six months old when my new tank is ready to receive the fish/corals from my current tank. I'm motivated to transfer the 25 gallon tank's sand bed (2'x2') to the 150 gallon tank's sand bed (4'x3') in an effort to fast forward the maturation of the tank.
I often see reasons not to transfer but they assume the sand bed has 30 years of poop in it. Sometimes they assume I'm trying to save money so they suggest I clean it completely.
I might just being a few cups over in hopes of getting the right fauna but I'd rather bring it all over. Is my six month old sand bed really tank poison that I should leave behind?
No your 6 month old sand bed is not poison. You don’t say how deep it is but…just no. You’ll be fine. Transfer it directly or keep it in a container for a day and it will be fine. You could baby it by keeping it in a stable tank at about the same depth with an ATO and flow if you need to keep it long-term in holding.
References: I’ve done it more times than once because I wanted the bugs and worms and bacteria. I’ve done a “scoop” up to “the whole thing” in smaller moves (40g to 60g). The sand bed was way older than 6 months.
Conversely. My tank sprang a leak. I threw out the 4 inches of sand and moved from a 120g AIO to a 125g standard with no sand bed (same rock). The glass was extra dirty for a few weeks, little algae bloom, and everything went back to normal.
Even if there’s die off in the sand you’re increasing your water volume by so much it won’t matter. I assume you’re moving LR too.
Do it quickly and thoughtfully. Expect a small period of Imbalance. Give the tank a month or two to find equilibrium again. This is no big deal.
In addition to increasing volume with the 150g it’s safe to say you’re also probably adding a skimmer or refugium which are also points in your favor.
Edit: I really try and listen and learn. Green is growing and ripe is rotten and I want to be green forever. I am also an argumentative person by nature so against my better judgement:
This forum has a really bad habit of jumping to conclusions. The number of accepted causes of problems simply because “that’s what changed” or “that isn’t what I would do” is ridiculous. There’s value there but no facts. There can be a lack of any concrete evidence hidden behind pseudo-science that we all clap for and take as fact. When questioned the response is often “well this is right until someone proves it wrong and ain’t nobody got time for that.” That’s…not how science should work at all…Anecdotes are all we have in many cases but do not confuse them for fact. Including mine;
Take two 5 gallon tanks. Put a piece of LR that sat in the ocean for 20 years then in my tank for another 5 in one tank and put a dry, dead, sterile piece of live rock in the other. Guess which one won’t grow algae, diatoms, and be a general mess for the next 6 months? It’s not something anyone would argue unless they’re being pedantic.
I’ll take biodiversity over sterility all day every day. I can spend 24/7 trying to control something I honestly have little control over in reality….or I can try and create an environment that has the tools to naturally balance itself. Both will probably work (although one sounds exhausting) but debating which is better or works better is silly as it’s subjective.
Sometimes when I’m feeling extra rebellious I’ll share my sand bed with others and vice versa! Sometimes I’ll sneak online and buy some sand from strangers.
