Easiest way to remove sand bed for bare bottom?

[kinetic]

UPDATE: I do not need articles or answers for cautions about removing the sand bed. I just need the tool for removing it.

What's the easiest way to remove a sand bed? I'm using mostly Tropic Eden Mesoflakes.

I'm looking for the best solution, like some gigantic siphon? If that's the way, can you point me to a specific product that I can use?

I'm using a regular water changer siphone to clean it out everytime I do a water change, but the brown color of the sand (it used to be white) is just killing me. So time for it to go.

 

[14 foot reef]

I would watch the BRS360 episodes that discuss the downfalls of removing a sand bed before I would commit to this path.

 

[kinetic]

I would watch the BRS360 episodes that discuss the downfalls of removing a sand bed before I would commit to this path.

Not my question. What kind of siphon works best to remove a sandbed? Or is there another way?

 

[LetItReef]

What's the easiest way to remove a sand bed? I'm using mostly Tropic Eden Mesoflakes.

I'm looking for the best solution, like some gigantic siphon? If that's the way, can you point me to a specific product that I can use?

I'm using a regular water changer siphone to clean it out everytime I do a water change, but the brown color of the sand (it used to be white) is just killing me. So time for it to go.

I was this yrs ago and removed portion by portion of sand weekly using wet vac.

 

[brandon429]

Official Sand Rinse and Tank Transfer thread

If you are reading this thread to cure a tank invasion from a link I sent you, we do not need to identify your type of invasion here we do not need you to test anything at anytime regarding nitrate, phosphate etc Above all, we do not need to see a microscope slide picture of your invasion at...

www.reef2reef.com

don’t remove it with the tank full. That’s 400 sandbed removals. Brs needs a notepad heh


if you remove it with water in the tank, even though no work threads exist for that, then you have a 90% chance it will be ok. 10% risk total wipe.

but if you follow the plan, forty pages not one loss. Don’t do the easy way, do the right way.

 

[kinetic]

Official Sand Rinse and Tank Transfer thread

If you are reading this thread to cure a tank invasion from a link I sent you, we do not need to identify your type of invasion here we do not need you to test anything at anytime regarding nitrate, phosphate etc Above all, we do not need to see a microscope slide picture of your invasion at...

www.reef2reef.com

don’t remove it with the tank full. That’s 400 sandbed removals. Brs needs a notepad heh


if you remove it with water in the tank, even though no work threads exist for that, then you have a 90% chance it will be ok. 10% risk total wipe.

but if you follow the plan, forty pages not one loss. Don’t do the easy way, do the right way.

Still looking for a direct answer for the best tool for removing a sand bed. Any suggestions?

 

[14 foot reef]

Not my question. What kind of siphon works best to remove a sandbed? Or is there another way?

Sorry for my response, I was only trying to help you with possible downfalls. I will assume you understand everything on this process except the tool to use. Good luck I hope your change goes without issues. Have a fabulous weekend.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

I've used a 1" tube siphoning out sand with water in patches of 8"x8". It worked fine. I did 3 of these. Chose to not continue down that path.

 

[kinetic]

Sorry for my response, I was only trying to help you with possible downfalls. I will assume you understand everything on this process except the tool to use. Good luck I hope your change goes without issues. Have a fabulous weekend.

No need to apologize, you meant well and are looking out!

Just trying to see if I can streamline the responses to get a good tool to use.

From researching other threads, people have used 3/4" or 1" tubing, but it didn't seem to be a great solution, so just seeing if there are any new/better methods.

 

[driftin]

One time I scooped it out using a combo of a small glass bowl from the kitchen and a kid's toy-set dustpan - it was probably four inches across. I don't know if I broke rules doing it that way but it was pretty easy.

 

[SoggyNW]

Still looking for a direct answer for the best tool for removing a sand bed. Any suggestions?

I would try to make a shop vac adapter for 1/2 clear tubing. You will want the adapter to mate to the body of the shop vac not the end of the standard vac hose. When vacuuming under water the vacuum has to deal with a full hose and the associated weight. Thus a 1/2 hose is a much more manageable load for the motor.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Big plastic cups or.food storage ziploc.tupaware. i think i ended up using a broom dust pan. Lol

 

[Michael Gray]

I siphoned with my regular wc hose. 5/8 or whatever it is. And just took half out one change. Water a month last bit. Then over next few changes got whatever come out under rocks. I don't regret it. Will never have sand again

 

[Tonycass12]

I'd just use a gravel vac like I normally do for waterchanges and let it suck the sand out. Might take you 2-3 go overs depending on tank size. Just take your time removing and your tank will probably be better for it too. This is the vac I use on my tank. You could just use the hose but it may get clogged from time to time. https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/python-no-spill-water-change-system.html

 

[seahorsebill]

Still looking for a direct answer for the best tool for removing a sand bed. Any suggestions?

Empty tank use garden hose

 

[MichiganMarc]

I would start with scooping as much as possible out and from there use a wet/dry vac. I have found the Bucket Head from Home Depot to be the most inexpensive way to go.

 

[fuelman]

if you have a sump the easiest way is still just use a 3/4" hose into a filter sock in the sump all the water goes right back to the DT all the sand stays in the sock, when full stop & empty or replace the sock & repeat. it's best to have a quick clamp to hold the hose in the filter sock so it doesn't pop out & spray water all over while you siphon from the tank.

 

[BostonReefer300]

For a tank your size I see in your build thread, I'd recommend just doing a total tear down. Keep your livestock and rock in a couple buckets, then scoop/wet-vac out the bed. A bit of a PITA, but you can take advantage of it by doing a thorough clean of your aquarium, rocks, etc.

 

[AdamD76]

if you have a sump the easiest way is still just use a 3/4" hose into a filter sock in the sump all the water goes right back to the DT all the sand stays in the sock, when full stop & empty or replace the sock & repeat. it's best to have a quick clamp to hold the hose in the filter sock so it doesn't pop out & spray water all over while you siphon from the tank.

This but use a large 5 micron filter bag into a bucket or barrel, then empty back into tank. The small ones don't filter enough out and clog quicker.

filter bag

 

[fuelman]

This but use a large 5 micron filter bag into a bucket or barrel, then empty back into tank. The small ones don't filter enough out and clog quicker.

filter bag

the issue with siphoning into a separate container is your pulling water out a lot faster then sand you'll get about half of your sand & your tank will be empty of water. then poring the water back in will stir up holy heck in the remaining sand in the tank. if the goal is to remove the sand with no disturbance to the fish/coral & the DT as a whole the sand needs to be removed from the system without removing the water from the system. unless you just do it with water changes & pull out as much as you can with each water change.