Can i switch from sand to dirt?

[Aqueonevolve4]

Hey everyone i have a 4 gallon fully cycled and heavily planted nano tank. Could i take everything out, including the sand, and replace it with some planting stratum? Will it harm the fish when i reintroduce?

 

[Rivercats]

You can use Organic Potting Soil not potting mix but you have to cap it with sand, gravel, something. The soil won't hurt the fish but if you tank is doing good is there a reason you want to switch over... just curious. If you do switch many people use Miracle Grow Organic Potting Soil, it's very light so you add about an 3/4 to an inch of soil and moisten it. It should just be moist/wet enough that you can pick it up and make a ball of it in your fist. Compact the soil down tight with you hand so it has no air pockets. Then carefully put your cap substrate on. Place a bowl, plate, or something on substrate and slowly fill tank.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

A couple of months ago I switched out the gravel in my 12g nano cube to Floramax. I basically siphoned out some tank water in a large bucket, placed an airstone and heater in there, and then transferred all my fish and snails in the bucket. I changed out the substrate. I waited a full 24hrs to let things settle and the cloudy water to clear up. I planted and replaced the fish with no problems.