Bleached Filter

FLESHY

Polypterus
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Jan 7, 2006
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So I took an old filter apart that I want to put onto my 125g...it smelled something awefull, so I threw away the filter floss and scrubbed out the whole thing. Didnt help. I soaked in a 1:1 bleach water solution for probably an hour, and the smell is better, but still there. After that, I soaked everything in water for a couple more hours...Is this aquarium ready? Or should I do another freshwater soak with decholorinator? It has been sitting dry for two days since this happened. So tell me. Safe to put back on the tank?
 

Otto_VonBacon

Jack Dempsey
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Nov 16, 2008
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Did you try vinegar first? Bleach is pretty toxic stuff. Personally I wouldn't use it at all. I guess all you can do now is clean it out really good with vinegar and let it cycle through with vinegar water for a few hours before you use it again.
 

FLESHY

Polypterus
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Jan 7, 2006
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No I didnt cause I figured bleach would work better for sanitizing purposes...I have used it before on other things...but I was very thoroughly. I think that I am going to soak it again with a dechlorinator and see what happens...anyone have any ideas? Thanks
 

shua71

Candiru
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Aug 26, 2009
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FLESHY;4398926; said:
No I didnt cause I figured bleach would work better for sanitizing purposes...I have used it before on other things...but I was very thoroughly. I think that I am going to soak it again with a dechlorinator and see what happens...anyone have any ideas? Thanks
I don't think soaking it with more chemicals is a good idea. What did it smell like in the first place? Any idea why? And as suggested vinegar probably wouldve been best
 

shua71

Candiru
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Aug 26, 2009
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FLESHY;4400812; said:
It smelled like dead snails...still does.
I think if you had let it just dry out for a few hours it would've been a lot better. I mean its normal for equipment to smell horrible, skimmers, filters, etc. But bleach is some powerful stuff and I would still probably air it out cause vinegar smells bad as well. Then just rinse it again to try to remove the bleach?
 

Heathd

Fire Eel
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Mar 9, 2010
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Bleach is fine so long as its just regular bleach with no other additives. It is pretty much chlorine, and with enough agitation, will dissipate. Decholorinator will neutralize it as well.

Vinegar will neutralize odors, although it can be an annoying scent in its own right.
 

Zoodiver

As seen on TV
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Aug 22, 2005
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You'll need more than your typical dechlor drops for treating tap water. That junk is ... well... watered down. (No pun intended).

You'll need to let it dry out in the sun, put it in freshwater with an airstone to burn on the CL2 or use something like sodium thiosulfate to neutralize the CL2 in the bleach.
 

FLESHY

Polypterus
MFK Member
Jan 7, 2006
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Central Wisconsin
The filter had been sitting for a couple days after I unplugged it from last use...hence the snail smell. I think took it apart...washed it with water, and let it sit outside for a little less than a week. Still a very powerful smell. Thats when I did the bleach soak, which I have used before on other things, even though I dont LIKE to do it.

So now, sun, airstone, decholr? I cant believe that no one else has used bleach to clean aquarium stuff. (That sounds really stupid, now possibly realizing the error of my ways.) That being said...some experience from someone would be nice.
 

Zoodiver

As seen on TV
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Aug 22, 2005
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I use liquid CL2 to clean a lot of things... especially canister filters and filter socks. Soak them in the CL2 water, blast them off, soak them in thiosulfate water (usually aggitated with an airstone) to dechlorinate, then air dry in the sun. Good to re install once dry.

Chlorine is a very volitale chemical, and will burn off with UV and leach out of things into water quite well.
 
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