Is there a recommended aquarium cleaner that can be used to clean a contaminated tank. Please see related thread. http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/freshwater-general-discussion/63264-toxic-water.html#post604131
Recommended aquarium cleaner
- Thread starter djm761
- Start date
I believe your problemn is not contaminated tank/gravel but misunderstanding of how to properly establish an aquarium to safely allow slow gradual stocking of fish.
You report that you have other tanks running with fish?
If so,, then you can borrow a bit of filter material from each or one of these tanks and place this borrowed material in the filter of the tank you are having trouble with.
This move would allow you to place three small fish in the new tank and every ten days,you could add another three and so on, until the tank is stocked.
Feed the fish sparingly once each day and purchase a test kit so that you can record/monitor the water without relying on other's for this crucial information.
You report that you have other tanks running with fish?
If so,, then you can borrow a bit of filter material from each or one of these tanks and place this borrowed material in the filter of the tank you are having trouble with.
This move would allow you to place three small fish in the new tank and every ten days,you could add another three and so on, until the tank is stocked.
Feed the fish sparingly once each day and purchase a test kit so that you can record/monitor the water without relying on other's for this crucial information.
Hello; With regard to the question about cleaning a contaminated tank, I use a paste made with table salt (WITHOUT IODINE). Add just enough water to the salt to make a paste.
From one of my previous posts - I use a paste made from ordinary table salt (Without iodine) and a soft sponge. (Do not use a sponge or cloth that has been used with soap or chemicals.)(I have buckets and sponges that are used only for my tanks.)The salt paste does not scratch glass (be sure the sponge or cloth used to apply the paste with is not coarse enough to scratch the glass on its own and watch for bits of gravel that seem to jump into the salt paste.) and does a fair job at removing the deposits from the surface of the glass. (Letting the salt paste dry to a haze should desiccate most critters if you want to disinfect a diseased tank.)(Note- wetting the glass will soften up the deposits somewhat.) (Also for stubborn mineral deposits, a razor blade in a holder that gives a firm grip is useful. Use a shallow the angle on the blade and keep an eye on the corners of the blade. The corners sometimes get bent and will scratch a thin line. Rinse the salt paste out ................
I generally clean a tank this way prior to a new set up even if there is no evidence of contamination. Keep in mind that there may something else causing the problem, so continue to play detective and consider the other advice given.
I have not done so, but gravel might be boiled and then rinsed thoroughly. Boiling likely will not work on gravel that is coated with a colored polymer. I have never used the coated gravel, so do not know form experience.
From one of my previous posts - I use a paste made from ordinary table salt (Without iodine) and a soft sponge. (Do not use a sponge or cloth that has been used with soap or chemicals.)(I have buckets and sponges that are used only for my tanks.)The salt paste does not scratch glass (be sure the sponge or cloth used to apply the paste with is not coarse enough to scratch the glass on its own and watch for bits of gravel that seem to jump into the salt paste.) and does a fair job at removing the deposits from the surface of the glass. (Letting the salt paste dry to a haze should desiccate most critters if you want to disinfect a diseased tank.)(Note- wetting the glass will soften up the deposits somewhat.) (Also for stubborn mineral deposits, a razor blade in a holder that gives a firm grip is useful. Use a shallow the angle on the blade and keep an eye on the corners of the blade. The corners sometimes get bent and will scratch a thin line. Rinse the salt paste out ................
I generally clean a tank this way prior to a new set up even if there is no evidence of contamination. Keep in mind that there may something else causing the problem, so continue to play detective and consider the other advice given.
I have not done so, but gravel might be boiled and then rinsed thoroughly. Boiling likely will not work on gravel that is coated with a colored polymer. I have never used the coated gravel, so do not know form experience.
Last night before starting this thread I drained the tank and removed the gravel, and when the tank dried you could see the white film left behind, and at the gravel line it actually left a ridge, I also noticed my 2 blue buckets used for fish tanks only are now stained white at the bottoms. I tried warm water, vinegar and water and strait vinegar to remove the film but it only smears, I also tried a dry paper towel, that seemed to work best, but not to satisfaction.
So next question : Has anyone tried rubbing alcohol, it would absorb most chemicals and still mix with water to make rinsing easier.
PS : Last night I purchased the API Master Kit.
So next question : Has anyone tried rubbing alcohol, it would absorb most chemicals and still mix with water to make rinsing easier.
PS : Last night I purchased the API Master Kit.
OK here is what you do go to The Fish Keeper, Nature's Disease Remedy & Immunizing Treatment "Keep Your Fish Alive!" it was at my LFS and i have been using it since to cure my tank and to prevent the opportunity from even having to me to find a cure 
good luck.
good luck.
Hello; Did the white residue have any notable qualities such as smell? Sounds as tho there was indeed something in the gravel. From the description it does not seem like anything i have encountered. When a tank sits empty for a while, things have a way of getting into it. I have had a bad habit of sticking things into an empty tank for handy storage. Have also had things drip into one.
A good rinsing of the gravel may physically dislodge much of the stuff and perhaps disolve some as well. I will look at your other post and will get back to you if any thing occurs to me.
The glass should not absorb the stuff and if the silicone is intact along all the inner seams, it should be possible to clean the stuff out. You may not want to try the salt paste untill the stuff is mostly cleaned out and then try a small patch, say on the bottom glass , where potential scratches will not show up.
A good rinsing of the gravel may physically dislodge much of the stuff and perhaps disolve some as well. I will look at your other post and will get back to you if any thing occurs to me.
The glass should not absorb the stuff and if the silicone is intact along all the inner seams, it should be possible to clean the stuff out. You may not want to try the salt paste untill the stuff is mostly cleaned out and then try a small patch, say on the bottom glass , where potential scratches will not show up.
just re-read the toxic water post. Reads that 1) the gravel was used before and is ten years old. 2) The gravel was left in a tank for that time and allowed to dry out. 3) Strong chemical smell. 4) The gravel is colored.
This comes to mind. All my tanks wind up with snails and detritis in the gravel and sitting empty over time the snails will die and the poo will dry in the gravel, but does not go away. The remains are dried out but contained in the gravel. Fresh warm water creates conditions for a toxic brew. I used gravel ten years or more old last summer to set up a tank. It took a while to rinse most of the crud and snail shells out. My gravel is the naturally colored quartz kind, so does not have artifical color added.
If the coloring is artifical, it may have broken down over time.
One thought for when the tank is set up again. I usually put only one hardy fish in at first and watch it for a day or two, then add more fish slowly over a period of weeks if all is well.
This comes to mind. All my tanks wind up with snails and detritis in the gravel and sitting empty over time the snails will die and the poo will dry in the gravel, but does not go away. The remains are dried out but contained in the gravel. Fresh warm water creates conditions for a toxic brew. I used gravel ten years or more old last summer to set up a tank. It took a while to rinse most of the crud and snail shells out. My gravel is the naturally colored quartz kind, so does not have artifical color added.
If the coloring is artifical, it may have broken down over time.
One thought for when the tank is set up again. I usually put only one hardy fish in at first and watch it for a day or two, then add more fish slowly over a period of weeks if all is well.