Easy way to replace sand?

[Moloch]

So I've got my 65g set up with playsand but I've gotten tired of how hard it is to NOT siphon the sand out while trying to clean and how long it takes for it to settle after getting stirred up (I'm also just not a big fan of how it looks, color-wise)

So I went to a rock/masonry type store that an employee at my lfs mentioned a while back when I asked him about substrate. Turns out, they really DO sell 3m colorquarts I bought a 50lb bag of the dark brown/chocolate color and I want to go ahead and do the change-over tonight.

I'm thinking the easiest way to do is to remove a bit of water from the tank so I have some splash room, then take a cup and scoop whatever I can off the bottom that way, and try to siphon the rest out with my python? Hopefully I'll either not end up removing enough water to worry about my fish, or they'll survive in my 20gal for the hour or two it might take to do the change...It'd be a bit of a stressful time putting 4 convicts, a JD, 2 sen's and 8 tiger barbs in a 20gal tank...

You guys know of an easier way to do this?

 

[jcardona1]

Use a net, then get whatever's left the water siphon

 

[Moloch]

Net seems like I'd be fighting a losing battle...my sand falls right through my nets. Unless I sink a 5g bucket to the bottom of the tank and fill it up inside the tank...that also seems kind of.....off.

 

[MonsterMinis]

syphon it out... hehe.. I've done this a few times... syphon it out as part of a water change.

 

[jcardona1]

Net seems like I'd be fighting a losing battle...my sand falls right through my nets. Unless I sink a 5g bucket to the bottom of the tank and fill it up inside the tank...that also seems kind of.....off.

You must have some really fine sand! I was able to get all the sand out of a 400g using nothing but a standard fish net. Not much was left over, which was easily remove with a Python

 

[Moloch]

Maybe it'd be easier than I think. I do have to shake the net a tad to get it to fall out, but not much. I think if I were pulling the net out of the tank & putting the sand in a bucket or whatever I'd definitely be dropping a lot of sand.

I guess I'll just try the net, if it doesn't work, try the cup, if that doesn't work...siphon it is and I'll probably have to rehome my fish during the process.

 

[D12DetroitD12]

Ive done this a couple times just because im never happy with how my sand looks. If you have a net with small holes you can use that, if not then id say just use a cup. try to get it all to one corner it will make it easier. And when there is just a little left use the siphon.

 

[Moloch]

Cool, thats what I figured, I just though I'd ask in case there was some crazy technique to use.

Thanks. Here's to hoping the colorquartz looks as good as I hope and acts better than the play sand

 

[eatingleg4peanut]

i did it one time when it wanted to remove my fine white sand....

THE FOLLOWING IS NOT RECOMMENDED!

I hooked a tube up to the intake of an spare powerhead I had lying around, sucked the sand out hyper fast, and worked great. But if care is not taken could be super messy, probably not good on the powerhead either.

 

[B.Ho]

I just scooped out my sand with a cup and siphoned the rest out. I don't think theres any easier way of doing it