If you notice in the first picture (the coloured one) there is no substrate there, in the second there is substrate. The owner of the tank has obviously started breaking down their tank and stirred up stuff that was in the substrate, it would undoubtedly not change the conditions of the water as it was already in the water anyway, although stirring up the substrate will release the anaerobic bacteria giving off a sulphur smell which of memory is toxic to fish.