Removing Crushed Coral

[MayoBoy]

I have this stuff in my tank now
http://www.petsmart.com/media/ps/images/products/detail/large/September04/lg_7957_3d867.jpg
and after about 2 years, I'm convinced that it's nothing but a detritus trap.

I'm going to remove it but am wondering what's the best way. 1/2" or 3/4" hose and try and sipon it out? Just scoop it out?

I figure I'll do enough to fill up a couple of 5 gallon buckets at a time and then do some more in a week or so until it's all gone. I'm going to replace with white sand.

Any other ideas?

[JotaDe]

Here is what I did on my 29 and it took a couple hours with no loss at all.

-Clear a large area around your tank, furniture etc. and spread towells over the floor.
-Buy a large 55 Gallon plastic trash can from Home Depot - I actually bought 2 to double up for extra precaution
-Mix up some extra 5 gallon buckets of salt water for "in case of" scenario
-Transer some tank water, heater, airstone or powerhead, fish, critters, rocks etc to the 55 gallon trash can. I might have separated the fish into another 5 gallon bucket - can't remember for sure.
-Empty out your tank water (into buckets or trashcan) as much as you and scoop out the CC
-Once it was pretty empty I gave it a good rinse with some fresh water to get out all the nasty solids that accumulated below the CC
-Add in sand, then water and reverse the process with all your goodies from the trash can back to the tank
-Rinse out your Home Depot trash can and buckets (if you bought those also) and return them back for a refund ;)

A few hours later, some elbow grease and sweat produced, you'll have a much better looking tank and you can do it all on a Sunday afternoon. I killed a bazillion 'pods living in the CC which I didn't like, but I couldn't keep the CC anymore.

[imtheonlylp]

im also wondering the same thing, Jota...i was planning on siphoning out 1/4 of the tank at a time (around the existing live rock, because i honestly dont want to take it all out just to replace it again - i really like my aquascaping the way it is now)....so i was going to siphon it out 1/4 at a time and replace (SLOWLY) with a cup of sand at a time to cut down on any clouding...hopefully this way i can keep some of the helpful bacteria in the tank and it will spread over to the new substrate...i am planning on doing 1/4 each week...

[pjhaddock]

I would also do it all at once if it were me. If you dont, it will all mix together and you will never get rid of it all. If you have a sump running, the bacteria and such with quicly find its way into the new substrate. I do understand about not wanting to take down the aquascape though, cause I dont care how hard you try, you can NEVER get it back the same.. lol Good luck with whatever you do!

[MayoBoy]

Yeah, taking the aquascape out isn't an option. I'm going to remove it a bit at a time until I'm bare-bottomed and only then will I add the sand.

I have a sump and a fuge so bacteria won't be a problem - I just don't want to lose all my baby/small snails, etc.

[imtheonlylp]

yeah, but my refugium has only been going for about a month now...so theres not a lot of bacterial growth down there yet....besides, i dont mind if a little coral gets mixed in with the sand...the sand's volume will greatly outweigh the coral