I have an old 10 gal tank with all of the nessasary supplies that I wanted to set up as a freshwater tank, but before I do, I wanted to make sure everything was nice and clean and sterilized. I know I can't use soap in the tank, but is it okay to use something like bleach? And if so, how much? Thanks!
sterilizing tank
- Thread starter Mere313
- Start date
Yes, it is ok to use bleach. Just make sure to let the tank sit with water and a very heavy dose of dechlorinator afterwards. As to how much, I'm not sure, I would just put a few glugs in, but maybe somebody else can give you a more scientific approach.
I have also used Jungle Products Clear Water (active ingredient potassium permanganate).
I have also used Jungle Products Clear Water (active ingredient potassium permanganate).
Another option is oxyclean. You can fill the tank with warm water, add a scoop of oxyclean, and let it sit for 30 minutes or so. Then dump the water, and rinse. Oxyclean doesn't leave any residue, so you'll be good to go.
Not me. I'd use "a few glugs" too! I suppose that would be about 3/4 to 1 cup. That's not very scientific though.
A good, no-chem way to clean and sterilize a tank (just the tank itself, not the deco, which might get damaged during this process..)
Fill the empty tank with hot water, as hot as you can stand to put your hands in (it needs to be hot or you will have a problem a few steps down the road). Use a rag to wipe off any algae/residue, and a credit card, razor blade, or another rag soaked in vinegar to remove any mineral deposits. While you're doing that, boil a pot of water...
The reason you want the water you do this first step with to be very hot is that pouring boiling-hot water onto cold glass could make for a real catastrophe. Using hot water to do the initial cleaning warms the glass, making this less likely.
After you are done with the wiping-down and removal of any deposits, pour out the hot water, and pour the water you just boiled in (I would not recommend that it still actually be bubbling, as this would damage the seals on your tank, and that would suck.). Swish it around a couple of times, and dump it out. Then let it cool and air dry, and you should be good to go. Another big thing to remember: don't immediately fill your newly-superheated tank with cool water, as it could possibly break the seals or even explode. Let it cool first before you set it back up.
Plastic plants and driftwood, as well as natural stones can be treated in the same manner (or even a little less gingerly, to tell the truth. I just put my river rocks directly into the boiling pot...), but do not, I repeat, DO NOT use boiling water on your gravel, as the epoxy coating will flake off from then on, and you'll always have little flecks of paint floating around in your tank. Not that it's toxic, just really annoying.
Unless something really tragic happened to the former inhabitants of this tank, boiling will take care of anything that would be harmful to your fish in an old tank. If you want to bleach after these steps, go right ahead, but I don't think it's all that necessary.
Fill the empty tank with hot water, as hot as you can stand to put your hands in (it needs to be hot or you will have a problem a few steps down the road). Use a rag to wipe off any algae/residue, and a credit card, razor blade, or another rag soaked in vinegar to remove any mineral deposits. While you're doing that, boil a pot of water...
The reason you want the water you do this first step with to be very hot is that pouring boiling-hot water onto cold glass could make for a real catastrophe. Using hot water to do the initial cleaning warms the glass, making this less likely.
After you are done with the wiping-down and removal of any deposits, pour out the hot water, and pour the water you just boiled in (I would not recommend that it still actually be bubbling, as this would damage the seals on your tank, and that would suck.). Swish it around a couple of times, and dump it out. Then let it cool and air dry, and you should be good to go. Another big thing to remember: don't immediately fill your newly-superheated tank with cool water, as it could possibly break the seals or even explode. Let it cool first before you set it back up.
Plastic plants and driftwood, as well as natural stones can be treated in the same manner (or even a little less gingerly, to tell the truth. I just put my river rocks directly into the boiling pot...), but do not, I repeat, DO NOT use boiling water on your gravel, as the epoxy coating will flake off from then on, and you'll always have little flecks of paint floating around in your tank. Not that it's toxic, just really annoying.
Unless something really tragic happened to the former inhabitants of this tank, boiling will take care of anything that would be harmful to your fish in an old tank. If you want to bleach after these steps, go right ahead, but I don't think it's all that necessary.