How to syphon a liquid

Some sort of tubing is need for the syphoning.  This is the piece that cleans our fish tank, if we had fish, which we don't.

We do however, have a fish tank.  Why it is outside behind our house full of water isn't important here, just that we needed to get the water out of it.  You know you can't lift up a fish tank full of water or the glass will break at the water line.  Just take my word for this without testing the theory yourself because you will find out I am right and then you will have water all over your floor.  Submerse the tubing and keep rotating it around until there is no air in the tube.  If there is any air it will not work.

Put a finger over the end of the tube to make a tight seal.  Lift an end out the water keeping your finger on the tube.

Lower the end of the tube below the water line of the tank and take your finger off the tube.  The water will now run out of the tank through the tube and empty the tank.  If the tube comes out of the tank and any air gets in to the tube start the process over.  If there isn't enough water in the tank to submerse the tube and get all the air out, the tube can be filled with water, one end dipped into the tank and other hanging down before taking a finger of the end and it will work just as well.