dustin_P74
Reef enthusiast
i need to clean a tank that used to house a bearded dragon so that i can use it to hold my new skimmer. what should i use, im doubting that a vinegar solution would work, so any ideas?
cleaning a tank
- Thread starter dustin_P74
- Start date
Smitty
Reef pro
Hey dustin, what size is it? The reason I ask is because you can take a large tank outside and spray it with a high powered water hose nozzle...but my guess would be vinegar also.
dustin_P74
Reef enthusiast
20 gallon long, spraying it would get it clean on any left over cricket caucuses and all that good stuff but i dont want anything lingering, i want to completely sterilize it
Smitty
Reef pro
Would a little bleach be o.k., it rinses out well also with cold water. Other than that, vinegar is your best bet.
dustin_P74
Reef enthusiast
thats what i was thinking, but i need to know how to dilute the vinegar and/or bleach. probably wouldnt hurt to do both
RyanG
Reef enthusiast
Dustin use a cap or two of bleach per gallon of water. Rinse it well when your done or use de-bleach. Chlorine disipates rather quickly
Smitty
Reef pro
I would do the bleach first(1 part bleach, 2 parts water)...rinse...then clean with vinegar...then rinse very well...rinse with cool water, it rinse away chemicals better.
dustin_P74
Reef enthusiast
will do, time to go steal some bleach from the laundry room if we have some
dustin_P74
Reef enthusiast
also how long should i let the bleach water sit in the tank? overnight or 24 hours?
Alexander
Reef enthusiast
an hour or so max. i think 24 hours would probably not be of any extra use
Smitty
Reef pro
I agree, an hour is plenty of time.
dustin_P74
Reef enthusiast
do i not need to dilute the vinegar
Smitty
Reef pro
Yes...you can dilute it.
dustin_P74
Reef enthusiast
should I? and if so how much vinegar to water
acerhigh
just a reefer
I use bleach to clean a lot of stuff for my reef..... it goes that "extra mile" that vinegar won't touch.......... then use the vinegar to clean out the bleach and then rinse several times.. DO NOT mix bleach and vinegar...... a deadly chlorine vapor will result that will make you very sick.....
Navarchus
Almost smarter than a pig
Many people hesitate to use a reptile tank as an aquarium. The reason for this is that reptiles produce a lot of ammonia that gets into the tank's sealant. This both damages the seal and results in ammonia leaching into your tank water.
(1) The first thing you should do is fill the tank with water to ensure there has been no damage to the seal. That is, make sure there are not leaks, no matter how small. (2) Once you determine that the seal is still good, clean the tank using some of the methods other members suggested above. (3) After you are done cleaning, fill the tank and test your ammonia levels. If the ammonia levels are not zero, then clean some more and repeat steps 2 and 3.
(1) The first thing you should do is fill the tank with water to ensure there has been no damage to the seal. That is, make sure there are not leaks, no matter how small. (2) Once you determine that the seal is still good, clean the tank using some of the methods other members suggested above. (3) After you are done cleaning, fill the tank and test your ammonia levels. If the ammonia levels are not zero, then clean some more and repeat steps 2 and 3.
dustin_P74
Reef enthusiast
way ahead of you
ccCapt
Reef Hacker
OK...so don't keep us hanging. What skimmer are you getting?
SWC cone? ;)
SWC cone? ;)
dustin_P74
Reef enthusiast
ccCapt
Reef Hacker
NICE woooohoooo!!!!!
