Do you think the problem is my sand?

[specialk]

Hey All -

So I had a 55 gallon tank in my room (my "other" tank as my main 125 DT in my living room was my main baby) which the water parameters were not good and I was having some issues with it, so I took it down. I did however take some of the sand and used it in a small 20 gallon tank that I set up. I DID put the old sand in a bucket, wash it numerous time to get all the crap out of there and then took the "good" sand from that and used it in this 20 gallon.

In setting up the new 20 gallon, I used half of the water from the old tank, and then added new 10 gallons of new freshly made water.

However, after adding 10 gallons of new good water to the "old" tank water, I have it a day and tested the water and the phosphate was high, nitites and nitrates not really all that good either, and ph off a bit.

My question is, is this more likely from the bad water from that 55, OR could it be from that sand from that tank?

 

[specialk]

And btw I am assuming that it is the bad water from that tank, and will be doing another water change in about 2-3 days. BUT just wanted to make sure the sand would not be a problem considering it was thoroughly washed out before it went in the new 20 gal..

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If the sand was rinsed free of detritus, then I wouldn't worry about it, even if something did come from it.

 

[specialk]

If the sand was rinsed free of detritus, then I wouldn't worry about it, even if something did come from it.

Thanks Randy! ok thats good news I guess ... I thought it was probobly my water. But man I did not realize my water from that tank was so bad ... I should have tested that water upstairs before I transferred some of it. All I had in there was a simple clown fish so I could have gotten away with only using a really small amount of it when transferring and setting up the new tank. I also had established live rock go into the new 20 gallon so I would not have had to wait for the tank to cycle or anything like that really.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Keep track of ammonia if it may cycle. Nitrite doesn't really matter, as it is not toxic in seawater.