cleaning tanks..

Sorry if this question has already been answered but I can not find much info on the site...

What do you use to clean your old tanks with when relocating.....

Just wondered as due to move shortly.. and friends have passed a couple of well mucky tanks on to me to set up at our new home...

And wanting to make sure they dont come with nasties what is the best stuff to get them clean and make them like nice and shiney again......

Regards

LJ

I get the odd mucky tank as well.

First used some warm water and scrub it out, getting rid of the worst of it. if its really hard to get off let is soak. Once you have got most of if off, tos the first lot of cleaning water and add in some new warm water with some bleach (i go about 1 part bleach to 20-30 parts water) so use that to give the tank a good scrub. this will kill all of the nasties that might be in the tanks. Make sure you get it right up into the top of the tank too, get all of the surface of the glass, remembering that nasties will like to hide under the lib supports.

Once you are satisfied with the bleach scrub take it outside and used a hose to rince it out several times. i often rince it 3 times, then fill it on the lawn and let it it for an hour or so to let the final bits of bleach leach out. then its ready to be set up.

things to watch are obviously for breaking the glass, dont grab it on the long side when full as its not supported and will snap. also dont use boiling water, or ever hot water, use warm water as the hot water will attack the silicon and weaken it. not good

hope that helps

also, this is prob a bit of overkill but i have invested a lot into my fish and would hate for all that to be undone by a dodgy cleaning job

just been advised by the local fish store owner that he gets stubborn stains off old fish tanks with
neat white vinegar......

according to him it gets the scum and slime off big time...lol...

and then rinses well and his safe for fish after = any one else heard of this...

Yeah, although i use another mild acid the result is the same.

I just picked up two tanks from uni and used the above method to clean them, plus a bit of acid for some white stuff of the outside and they came up a treat! already got fry in wrigglers in one

I tried with bleach b4, but maybe I didn't rinse them thoroughly enough, I ended up with dead fishes, in the end I threw away that tank.

Anyway, I have been soaking the whole tank using heavy doses of Potassium Pomeganate (PP) for some 2 days, then scrub, with no problem. Vinegar is another good one and safe too, I heard, though I hv just used it once. Maybe cos after using vinegar, I let it sit for many weeks b4 using.

yeah, i rinse them many many MANY times. prob all up about 6-7 times before the fish get anywhere near the tank. the final one using old tank water too

I have used vinegar to clean tanks before...It does a reasonable job...

ive just cleaned my new ish tanks out with just a sponge and a lot of hard work...
i didnt fancy any chemicals so went for the elbow grease approch lol

elbow grease does not always work....

even more so with thick limescale and old tanks.....

glad your treating all the fish and tanks well...

good luck with the breeding programme

The good old fashioned scraper http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Algarde-Aquarium-Fish-Tank-Scraper-Cleaner-/230432040882?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item35a6d1e7b2 comes with a bit at the end that people try to clean the tank with.. it's proper use is to remove the plastic wedge and slide in a razor blade. I think that would work wet or dry for limescale.

yeah, i have a whole stash of razor blades which i use

I think the key word in both of these is to wash the tank really goood after you use either bleach or vinigar. I have used both and have never had a problem with either because i wash the tank out several times.


mod edit: no need to shout