So I recently bought a 20 gallon fish tank to mess around with, everything's doing great with that tank. Since then I've been looking for a bigger tank. I came across a deal on a 110 gallon tank, stand, hood, light, a cascade 1500 and fluval 204 canister filters, heaters, bubblers, a uv sterilizer, all the tank decorations and 3 fish for $200.

But I have one problem, the sand is filthy. I wasn't able to clean it all out and remove the sand as I had fish waiting in a cooler to be placed back in the tank. Everytime I vacuum this thing I end up hitting a pocket of fish poop and the mess happens all over again.

Any ideas of either how to thoroughly clean the sand in tank, or remove the sand without breaking down the tank?

Maybe a fine fish net?

Hey BLT I use sand in my 100g and it got neglected for 2 weeks after I cut my hands open. It's an African cichlid tank so of course it was horrible. However the easiest way to clean sand is to have a python hose running from your tank to your bath tub. In the tub coil the end into a 5g bucket so to capture all the sand. Use your hand to "sweep" all the poo and filth to one end so that its in some what of a pile. Start your syphon and then remove the end so it's just the hose. Go just above the filth and it will suck it up no problem.

You will have to do this a couple of time over the next couple of days. Each time stir up the sand to release what's under it and you will have clean sand. Once again the 5g bucket is just to capture the sand. When done swirl the bucket and dump the waste and try to keep the sand in it.

Wow! I was wondering how I was going to clean the sand in a 75Gal. I just acquired that was salt water and soon will be freshwater. Looks like I'll be cutting an old garden hose up soon!