# Removing dirt from gravel



## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

Simply because I could find nothing about it when I was looking, I'm making this how-to thread on removing dirt from a tank. This method will ONLY work if you've capped the dirt with gravel, I can't think of any method to separate sand from dirt. This method will empty the tank to bare glass. You will loose some gravel with this process.

Overall, it took about 4 hours to clean out the tank, clean the gravel, and rescape my 5 gallon tank. Your time may vary, and this would be more difficult for larger tanks. 

Why would you want to remove dirt from a dirted tank?
-Dirt compaction
-anerobic spots
-more freedom with scaping
-pH issues from soil leeching
-any reason you want really

*Here's the basic steps summed up. I go into greater detail later on*
*
Remove looser pieces of wood, plants, and decor that needs to be kept wet. Put them in a container large enough for all that, and your fish and shrimp as well.
If you haven't already, fill said container with water and move over filter, if it is a submerged or HOB filter. Otherwise, make sure there's filtration on the container
Move over fish/shrimp to container.
Make sure everything you want to stay wet is in the container, and set where it won't be disturbed
Remove rocks, substrate supports, and any additional decor that can be dried out. Leave only the substrate.
Drain out water, and move ALL substrate into a container/s that the substrate can be washed in
Clean out the tank, removing remaining dirt, algae, ect. 
Add enough water to cover the gravel, and scrub the gravel against itself, like washing rice. 
When you feel the water is as dirty as it can get, drain the water, refill the container, and scrub again
Repeat the scrub/drain procedure aprox. 10-25 times, depending how clean you want your gravel.
To add the gravel back to the tank, put it in a smaller container, add just enough water to cover, and gently shake the container for 10 seconds to separate gravel from grit. Then scoop up gravel and add to tank, being careful to not add the grit.
 Rescape, and return fish and shrimp to tank
*
In my case, I was having compaction issues and really wanted a bit more freedom when it came to scaping. I'd had the rocks in this scape in their positions since I first set up the tank, about 2 years. I wasn't able to move the rocks because they were marking the borders of where I'd used the dirt, and would have caused a huge mess to try and move. So I decided it was time to try to remove the dirt.

The before:


I started off by filling the fish container, moving over the wood pieces and filter. Then came time to try and catch the fish. This would have been significantly easier with colorful fish, rather than well-camouflaged wonders I have (Heterandria Formosa). I also have red rili shrimp, a version of the red cherry, these were difficult to catch as well. Once all those were settled and not going to be disturbed, I moved onto the tank itself. 

Fish in their temporary home:


After this I removed the plants, and put them in a container in the fish bucket so they wouldn't get dried out. I pulled out the rocks and let them in a bucket, and started removing the gravel and dirt. There were several clumps of dirt that I just pulled out and tossed. My main goal here was to get everything out of the tank. After that I moved tank, gravel, and a bucket of water outside where it wouldn't matter if I made a mess. A hose would have been a more convenient water source, but I don't have external water in my backyard. 

The setup:


I cleaned out the tank first, getting out all the dirt and stains. Deeply considered de-rimming the tank, but then realized that the parental unit who had bought me the tank with the rule "Don't do anything weird to the tank" would likely be unhappy with me. I would have loved to de-rim the tank, especially with the scape I went with, but what's done is done.



Then came the gravel scrubbing. Pretty simple, just tedious and takes awhile. Good way to water the yard though. I didn't see the water clearing up until around the 7th scrubbing, but I wouldn't really call it clean enough to use until at least the 10th round, and even then, it would have only been in a non-display tank. I kept going until the 20-21st scrubbing. It still had quite a bit of grit in the gravel though. A trick I did figure out was to drain out the water very quickly after scrubbing, since the dirt will settle quickly. 
7th scrubbing:

10th:

15th:

The remaining grit:

Overall look after 20 scrubs:


This was about as clean as I was willing to make the gravel from scrubbing alone. I started adding gravel back to the tank by scooping up some gravel into a smaller container, adding a small amount of water, and gentle shaking the container until the grit separated and settled at the bottom. It was fairly easy to scoop out just the gravel, but I did get some grit in the tank. Not enough to make a difference, in my estimation. You can also do the same process in the larger container, but I found it harder to avoid scooping the grit with the gravel. This is one of the places where I ended up throwing out some of my gravel. It was too difficult to separate it from the remaining grit without using a screen separator. 

Grit in the small container:

In the larger:


After this was rescaping, adding water, and reintroducing the livestock. Overall, not as difficult as I expected and I'm very happy with the results. There's minimal clouding in the tank, though it's been a few hours, but I'm certain that that will settle out. 

Closeup of gravel in the filled tank:


The finished rescape, 4 hours after filling:


----------



## Arthur7 (Feb 22, 2013)

Good procedure.
Almost the same as I
Every six months I do with the display tanks a thorough cleaning.
First, I win about 60% of water above, from the center (clean). In a bucket of it all come fish. Cover (Killies). The plants were placed in 40 ° water. (Sometimes hydra or planaria has taken root in the long term). The filter sponge is only roughly cleaned.
Then I baggere the gravel out with a can 1/2 liter.
The gravel is repeatedly washed and rinsed, and finally overflowing with hot water. 1/2 hour. Meanwhile, the dirt has set and I suck the "chocolate" from.
The pool is rubbed with a little water and lots of salt inside. (Sessile algae). Rinsed again. The large round stone I change. (I have spare). Then the gravel back inside. The water, the plants, the filter. The fish. To this end, 40% new water. Done. About 2 hours.


----------



## rtmaston (Jul 14, 2012)

very good pictures


----------



## saltydad (Jun 27, 2008)

I use my Python to make water changes, using it only to remove water. I do water changes on my 20 long planted tank every 2 weeks. My substrate is a mixture of gravel and Eco-Complete. About every 3-4 months, I do a much more energetic siphoning of the substrate, going deep into the mixture. After doing this, on the next water change I find hardly any dirt/mulm as seen in the siphoned water, much cleaner. I would have some concerns of losing an important part of your bacterial load with your rather intensive method.However, if it works and you have no indication of having lost your N cycle, great!

Edit- I should clarify (no pun intended) that I do this vigorous substrate cleaning in two steps- half the tank on each of 2 cleanings. This maximizes bacteria retention.


----------



## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

saltydad said:


> I would have some concerns of losing an important part of your bacterial load with your rather intensive method.However, if it works and you have no indication of having lost your N cycle, great!


I'm almost entirely certain I lost the bacteria in the gravel and on the rocks. However, I did keep the driftwood and more importantly, the filter wet and running, so the bacteria there was intact. And given that the majority of a filtered tank's bacteria resides in the filter, I felt it was safe. I'm still planning on a few more water changes than usual, just in case. 

I also happen to only be stocking low-bioload critters in this tank, a variation of the cherry shrimp and the world's smallest livebearer (almost all those in my tank are juvies) and both of those are quite hardy. There's also snails, but I'm pretty sure I removed quite a few of those from the population. 

Do something this invasive at your own risk. I was ready to handle what emergencies may have come, but so far, so good. The fish and shrimp have settled in nicely, and no one seems too shaken by the whole thing.


----------



## rtmaston (Jul 14, 2012)

I also used a gravel vac.its so much better and easy.i do a quarter section each week so I have gong through the hole tank once a month.i never break my 3 tanks down.thay have been set up for years.


----------



## Arthur7 (Feb 22, 2013)

Of course, but I also do every week 30-40% water change. The general cleaning after half a year is necessary because of possible worms and other vermin, which is agreed with the live food.
the transfer of nitrifying bacteria is via the backwaters and swam across the re-used.


----------



## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

rtmaston said:


> I also used a gravel vac.its so much better and easy.i do a quarter section each week so I have gong through the hole tank once a month.i never break my 3 tanks down.thay have been set up for years.


I did this much of a breakdown because I absolutely wanted all the dirt out in one day. I tried using a gravel vac at first but it simply was not working for the dirt I used. Thus a massive cleanout, but my tank is better for it. 

Also, update: shrimp are shedding and breeding, so all appears well


----------



## rtmaston (Jul 14, 2012)

yea buy doing it that way I would say you did lose your bacteria in the gravel but if your using a canaster you still have some.i would start using a gravel vac its much better and time.it takes me ten minutes to do mine once a week.good luck.


----------



## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

rtmaston said:


> yea buy doing it that way I would say you did lose your bacteria in the gravel but if your using a canaster you still have some.i would start using a gravel vac its much better and time.it takes me ten minutes to do mine once a week.good luck.


I have an HOB filter that I kept running on the bucket I had the fish in, so no bacterial loss there. I do have a gravel vac that I use normally, but it simply was not enough to remove the dirt substrate from under the gravel (not just fish waste)


----------



## Botiadancer (Dec 30, 2013)

I think the OP was referring to removing actual dirt (or soil) from your tank that you capped with a layer of gravel - as in "Dustin's Dirted Tanks". For regular cleaning of your substrate, any Python type water changer is the way to go.

BUT...

I keep reading in many posts about losing the beneficial bacteria (bb) in your gravel or on a prefilter sponge or on aquarium sides. If you clean the heck out of it everytime (as in thoroughly vacuuming all your gravel or stopping just short of sterilizing your prefilter) and you do it frequently, it will never grow a sizeable amount of bb - and your filter will sustain more bb to make up for it.

If you are worried about filter failure - have 2 smaller filters instead of one larger one. Remember, if your tank needs x amount of bb to keep ammonia/nitrite at 0, it will use whatever surfaces are presented to it. If you keep cleaning one, it will grow on another. Isn't that why we buy all these filters and media in the first place.

Wait...

If your thinking that you only have two sponges in your filter, and they house nearly 100% of your bb because you scrub a dub dub your tank very thoroughly every weekend; and you are worried as to how you are going to keep them clog free and clean - add a fine prefilter that doesn't let anything through. Or change to a clog free media.

Or...

Cut your sponges into pieces so instead of having to clean 50% everyweek - you can change 25% everyweek. Or 16%. This cost nothing, and they will still squeeze up next to each other and not allow any bypass.

Soooooo.....

Keep that gravel clean (for your plantless tanks), slow down nitrate buildup, and keep your fish healthy, happy and thriving.


----------



## Arthur7 (Feb 22, 2013)

I used to worry me made ​​on the conservation of beneficial bacteria strains. The routine with the general cleaning of the pools I have been practicing for many years.
Ever watched the pool after a lot better than before.
So I was satisfied.
But when I read of cycle and denitrification , etc. then I think why it looks better.
Hypothesis: Despite regular water changes to gradually accumulates more and more dirt . From various ponds are registered with the lining many different germs. In addition to the beneficial bacteria then come other into it. The result is a competition among the beneficial bacteria may suffer . This also multicellular organisms. I clean everything out with strong methods. (Heat , salt, etc. ) I only let the approaches in the filter and in free water left. ( Hypothesis) I select! 40 % clean water is added. The bacteria now have a large free space to propagation in pure culture. This goes very quickly .
So I explain the positive effect of the method.
Say please something else. It should be a fruitful discussion .


----------

