If cleansers were ever used inside a tank...

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XanAvaloni

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Nov 13, 2009
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...is there any way their vile contaminants can be sufficiently removed that the tank would be safe for fish?

reason I ask....this tank is as close to me as it can possibly be. But....(cue scary music) see those spray bottles up on top, and how sparkly clean the former-"hampster"-holding tank is? I am filled with foreboding. :(

Overlooking the fact that I have no place for a tank even half this big, and my spousal unit (not to mention most of the better laws of gravity) forbid anything remotely this big in this little teeny house, and also that I don't have the funding available in the same week we are getting our propane fill forthe year so naturally THIS is the week this comes available and I shouldn't even be looking at it......back to the question. Can cleansers ever be cleaned from a tank, and if so, how?
 
A fairly good guess here would be to simply say that it depends on the cleanser that was used. Some may have a greater ability to linger and cling to surfaces, especially the silicone bead.

But what I'm about to type may make that question and its' answer a non-issue:

If this is in fact a "former hamster motel", I think the bigger issue is what damage the hamsters may have done to the outer silicone bead (The part that's protrudes from the seams). What cleansers were used to clean it up is secondary to this question.

Before you really get amped up to bring this tank home, take a few minutes to examine that silicone bead and make sure it hasn't been clawed and scratched at to the point that it's a compromised tank.
 
thanks, bushkill. Yeah, I thought about that too; just from what I can see in the pic there look like there might be some nibble marks on the bottom right seam. (shrug) Like I said, I can't get this particular tank anyway, it just gave me an opportunity to raise the cleanser question. I can't see how the chemicals used in otc home spray bottle cleansers could be all that hideously lethal particularly after repeated rinsing in fresh water and maybe some dry in the sun time. But there is a chance I am wrong on this. It does happen. :)
 
Some chemicals may react differently with silicone. That's why I couldn't make any definitive statement. So it's safe to use around the house, but the product testing is never designed for application on aquarium silicone. I would agree that repeated rinsing and soaking should be fine, but even then I would have to go the "canary in a coal mine" route before going further. In any case, if you could see damage to the bead from a picture, my gut tells me it would be worse in person and then you'd be talking about stripping all that silicone and reapplying. A BIG job.
 
I agree the hamster damage would be more of a concern for me. If it was a good deal, I would fill it with a strong vinegar and water solution and let it soak for a while, After that, I wouldn't have any issues with using the tank.
 
I wouldn't worry about bleach or ammonia ... We all know how to deal with those, right? But I would be concerned about any product containing soap, detergent, or other additives. Best to ask the seller what those spray products are and whether they were used on the inside and/or rim of the tank.

That said, yeah, start with the condition of the silicone.

(It really is a beautiful tank. Good luck.)
 
I am very practical about things. Bring it home and fill it with water for a few days and see if you get any leaking. Secondly, while you have the water in the tank use some vinegar in it to clean the tank. When you stock the tank, start with one or two fish and work your way up from there. Frankly the odds are that everything well be fine.
 
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