Removing sand will it crash the cycle ?

[Julieroo]

Hello
I've had my axi in an established tank for over a year now with no problems with water or parameters etc. The tank currently has very fine sand on the bottom but I would like to remove this for ease of cleaning . If I take this sand out its it likely to affect the tank (I.e. would it crash the cycle or anything).
Many thanks

 

[minorhero]

It might and it might not. The answer is dependent on whether you have enough live bacteria in the filter and elsewhere to handle the bioload which is essentially impossible to predict. So the solution is to do it, do a big water change (as close to 100% as you can get), and then monitor the ammonia daily for a couple of weeks and if it goes up, to do big water changes as needed.

 

[Julieroo]

Thank you By the sounds if it, it would be easier to do a 100% water change during the course of the removal ?