Tank (inside glass) cleaners

[Rush07]

I just picked up a used 110 gallon tank and stand. *BOUNCINGS The tank is in great shape, but has been in storage for a while in a barn. It also has alot of dirt, dust, water deposits, dried algae, etc. Question is, what is the best way to safely get this in as close to new condition as I can? Should I use only "safe" cleaners or can I use what will work best and then give it a good scrubbing afterwards? Is it safe to use something like CLR and them scrub it down good? I am sure a few of you have been through this process before and any info would be appreciated. Then I can get to my post regarding filtration, cycling, stocking, lighting..............................

 

[Seleya]

I have only used bleach, an algea scrubber and LOTS of water. You can also use salt water to scrub with. I'm assuming this is a glass tank?

Some people have used soaps and chemicals to clean with, then flushed like crazy, but it's a major crapshoot and usually not worth the risks.

I've cleaned some impressively gross tanks -- the worst I've had to deal with required my having to soak the tank after the initial scrub to allow everything to loosen up a bit for another couple of goes at it. Hot water helps also. Just be sure to keep rinsing after it's clean and use dechlor to neutralize any residual bleach.

 

[Rush07]

Thanks Seleya. I am going to go the safe route. I don't think it is worth it to take the chance with anything harsh.

 

[homebunnyj]

Vinegar will dissolve some of the mineral deposits.
Of course, you'll be letting it sit filled outdoors somewhere for a couple of days to make sure it holds water, and you could use that time to soak it with the vinegar solution and soften up the gunk...
And you can check to make sure the silicone at the seams is still pliable before that.
I suppose you could scrub it with baking soda too, using it like a scouring powder on stubborn areas.

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

if it is glass, you can use a razor blade to scrape off hard water deposits.

 

[Rush07]

It is glass and thanks for the responses.

 

[jasnfeller]

I would go with Vinegar, it works great, and easy to cleanup....I wouldn't use bleach unless in really small amounts

 

[homebunnyj]

I definitely use bleach liberally when cleaning used tanks. You never know what kind of bacteria may be lurking in there! It's not a problem because you rinse and rinse, then you can let it set filled, with a liberal dose of dechlorinator to counteract any bleach that didn't get completely rinsed out. Actually, after reading an article about fish tank granuloma, I am going to start using isopropyl alcohol after the bleach treatment as the article recommended, because it can be in a tank and the aquarist won't know unless they get tank water in an open cut. So no taking any chances for me!!