Used tank, preuse care questions???

peterbiss

AC Members
Jan 5, 2010
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0
Eugene, Oregon
I just bought a used 80 gal tank off craigslist. The fellow is a long time fish keeper and is just ready to move on. The tank appears to be in great shape. He has a magnum 350, 2 aquaclear 70s, and undergravel filtration as well as a Lifegard ql-8 UV sterilizer. Pictures to follow. Right now It is still in the van and I trying to figure what to do next.

His water was very clear, with a few healthy appearing cichlids. There were a few spots of black algae. We rinsed out the tank with a hose before leaving his house. My question is do I need to do anything further before I bring it in the house.i.e. clean it with bleach or vinegar or something?

I will try to find information on the web, but if you have ideas let me know!

Thanks
 
So far the advice I have been reading is to be conservative. Clean with water only, clean with baking soda, clean with vinegar. I believe this makes sense.
 
i would say do a 24 hour leak test to make sure teh seals are still good but if you saw it filled at his house and your happy with it i'd say just a rinse out and maybe test the filter/heater and whatever other electrics you got with it.
 
I cleaned out the tank with water and baking soda.

80 gallon 001.jpg

Looks a lot better. Now has a spot in the family room. I'm glad I did not use any bleach or otherwise cause mischief. Thank the stars for the internet. What did people do before?

Here is the tank:

80 gallon 003.jpg80 gallon 005.jpg

Will open a separate build thread to gather assistance in preparation for this tank.

Thank you,
Peter

80 gallon 001.jpg 80 gallon 003.jpg 80 gallon 005.jpg
 
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