# Takeing down a tank.



## Dominateprimate (Aug 27, 2011)

I hope this was the right area to post this topic because I couldn't find anywhere else that would be related to it. 
So here we go:

So tomorrow I'm planning on tearing down my 125 in plans for making a Tropheus tank out of it. I know how I'm going to tear down the basics, rock, water, filters, etc. My only issue is how I'm going to get all the sand out. I have about 80lbs of play sand in the tank and I H-A-T-E the way it looks. I've taken sand out of a tank before by scooping it but now the tank looks terrible. this is a new tank so I dont want to scrathc it up or anything but unfortunatly i dont have a shop vac. any ideaas on a more efficent way of doing this? any and all suggestios are greatly appreciated.


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## Mschn99 (Dec 24, 2012)

scoop what you can while staying in the middle of the tank, so you dont scratch the glass, to get as much out as you can that way to make it easier to move. Then put the tank on end on a sturdy table in your yard with the edge of the opening just hanging over the edge of the table. Put a container (cooler, large bucket, whatever) under it and wash the rest of the sand out of it with a garden hose. Not an easy way but very efficent in preventing scratches.


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## austings (May 12, 2012)

Mschn99 said:


> scoop what you can while staying in the middle of the tank, so you dont scratch the glass, to get as much out as you can that way to make it easier to move. Then put the tank on end on a sturdy table in your yard with the edge of the opening just hanging over the edge of the table. Put a container (cooler, large bucket, whatever) under it and wash the rest of the sand out of it with a garden hose. Not an easy way but very efficent in preventing scratches.


That will be hard with a 125 gallon tank. Unless you have a couple people. I just scooped it out with a cup, then used my gravel vaccuum and siphoned out the rest into a bucket, draining water as I went. Cant think of an easier way, its a tedious and long process.


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## Toneloc (Jul 9, 2010)

Why not just keep the sand in there?? Tropheus love sand and sift on it all day.


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## Mschn99 (Dec 24, 2012)

austings said:


> Mschn99 said:
> 
> 
> > scoop what you can while staying in the middle of the tank, so you dont scratch the glass, to get as much out as you can that way to make it easier to move. Then put the tank on end on a sturdy table in your yard with the edge of the opening just hanging over the edge of the table. Put a container (cooler, large bucket, whatever) under it and wash the rest of the sand out of it with a garden hose. Not an easy way but very efficent in preventing scratches.
> ...


I didnt say it would be easy....but it its the best way i could think of that involved no scraping of the sides or problems with a gravel vac plugging up.


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## Dominateprimate (Aug 27, 2011)

the tank's in the basement so I don't think I'm going to be able to take it outside to take the garden hose to it. I'm going to put black sand in it instead, I just hate the look of the play sand. 
were you saying to keep the water in the tank when taking the sand out and then syphon the water out after.


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

i've had the best luck getting sand/gravel out of a tank by first draining it, then using a plastic childs play shovel that would normally be used at a beach. Never had an issue with scraping sides or other scratching.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Why not just siphon the sand out of the aquarium once you remove all the rock and other in-tank stuff? Leave the water in the aquarium and use a length of vinyl hose to siphon the sand into a bucket. If need be, dump the water from the bucket back in the aquarium so you'll have enough water to continue to siphon the sand out of the tank.

This method has worked for me flawlessly and it's a lot easier than scooping wet sand out of a tank.


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## metricliman (Sep 3, 2012)

Deeda said:


> Why not just siphon the sand out of the aquarium once you remove all the rock and other in-tank stuff? Leave the water in the aquarium and use a length of vinyl hose to siphon the sand into a bucket. If need be, dump the water from the bucket back in the aquarium so you'll have enough water to continue to siphon the sand out of the tank.
> 
> This method has worked for me flawlessly and it's a lot easier than scooping wet sand out of a tank.


I have done this before, just make sure not to fill the tube up with sand. You can hold a media bag or panty hose under the end of the hose to catch any sand.


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## du3ce (Sep 11, 2012)

Get as much water out as u can then take a wet dry shop vac and vacuum all the sand out


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## ngrubich (Jun 3, 2012)

metricliman said:


> Deeda said:
> 
> 
> > Why not just siphon the sand out of the aquarium once you remove all the rock and other in-tank stuff? Leave the water in the aquarium and use a length of vinyl hose to siphon the sand into a bucket. If need be, dump the water from the bucket back in the aquarium so you'll have enough water to continue to siphon the sand out of the tank.
> ...


+1. To speed up the process, you can use a large piece of tubing: I have had good results with either 3/4" or 1" tubing from Lowes or Home Depot. The panty hose idea is great so you can keep recycling the water until you get all the sand out. I would imagine the water will be cloudy, but most/all the fine sediment will be removed when you drain the tank.


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## cbuscichlids (Dec 23, 2012)

Shop vac all day


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## ngrubich (Jun 3, 2012)

the OP said they didn't have access to a shop vac. Otherwise, I would totally agree.


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## b3w4r3 (Dec 14, 2012)

Cut the top off a 2 liter soda bottle and drag it through the sand. This is how I removed the gravel in my current set up to replace it with sand.


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## daniel_ratti (Jan 1, 2013)

use a dust pan and scoop it out.


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## Dexter. (Oct 23, 2012)

Drain the water completely, use your hands and push all the sand to one side, then start scooping with a big pitcher or something. Once you've gotten a large portion of it out to where you'd start scratching the glass if you try to scoop anymore, move some sand away from the side glass and put a piece of cardboard down the side. Start scooping again, and if you have to press against the glass to get a good scoop into the pitcher you'll push on the cardboard and not scratch it.

You might not get every bit of sand out...but if you're left with VERY little why not just put the black sand right over it? With a good 2" layer you'll never know it's there.


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