Sterilizing a used tank

reptilerescued

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jul 19, 2014
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nepa
1st official post... ( introduced my self in the proper area)
I have a 55 gallon that I want to sterilize.
this tank was up for about 8 years with "live" fresh water rocks. and was very nice.
The rocks will come back to life once they are rehydrated. I know this because I've let some sit out in the back yard for over a year just to have them re-bloom once they were introduced to a tank that was "clean"

I'm looking to go a different direction with the tank this time. And plan on getting a 120 in the future. I don't want to deal with the maint. of the live rocks. Ya know the yearly algae bloom and so forth in a 120.

I know not to introduce any of the old stuff to the tank, will bleaching the tank be enough to get the algae out of the tank and silicone?

Also I am a dialysis nurse so I have access to all the RO water I need, should I use that to fill the tank since it's 96.4 to 97% rejection rate pure?
Higher then AAMI standards.
I spend a lot of time in our water room @ work checking hardness and chloramines.

So anyways will a 10:1 bleach soak for 24 hrs then a 100:1 bleach 24 hr soak followed by a standard tap water 24 hr soak. kill this stuff?

Live rock was out of the Susquehanna River when I was keeping a lot of wild caught stuff in the beginning.
then moved to chiclids that got to frog eating size.
Donated the fish to a hospital I go to and tore it down to remodel the house.

Sorry for the long post.

Any suggestions to kill this stuff will be helpful.
Thanks
 

skjl47

Goliath Tigerfish
MFK Member
May 16, 2011
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Tennessee
Hello; I have not used bleach in a dirty tank so cannot comment from experience. I have seen posts describing this so a search may give the answers.

My method of cleaning a tank for reuse is to use NON-iodized table salt as a paste. I have done this for over 50 years with good results. ( It has been posted that the iodized salt is safe to use but I have not as yet tried it. The non-iodized salt has been easy to find a markets and is cheap.)

I first rinse a tank well to physically remove as much stuff as possible. With large tanks that are difficult to move I find that proping up one end of the tank on a 2x4 or 4x4 board and using a 3/4 inch diameter siphon hose can be an aid to remove the smaller bits by siphon. Getting the bits of sand or gravel out is important.

Once cleaned out I make a paste with salt and a very small amount of water. I use a soft sponge or soft cloth the rub the paste over the inside and outside of the tank. The paste will clean much of the stuff typically deposited on the glass and will not scratch the glass. Do not use pot scrubbers such as scotch brite or any other sort of abrasive cloth or such. Even sponges can be too coarse so be careful about what yuo use. Any small bits of sand or gravel not cleaned from the tank have a way of making it into the paste if you are not careful. This is easy to avoid if attention is paid. The paste can be left to dry to a haze and I have always suspected that this will dessicate a lot of critters. This dessication and the subsequent rinsing of the tank should leave it clean.

For deposits that remain after scrubbing with a salt paste I have often used a razor blade scraper. Care needs to be taken here as well. Use a new blade and try not to damage the corners of the blade. I have found that the corners are easy to tweak and will leave fine scratches on the glass. Razor blades can and have been effective for me. If the deposits do not clean fairly easy with a light blade pressure it may be necessary to try some vinegar to help soften them up. I usually try to clean with a blade during the time I have the tank wet during the initial rinsing of the salt paste.

Some times glass can be etched and this cannot be removed.

I usually have a tank in a place where a hose can be used during this cleaning process and after such cleaning I test fill and let it sit a while to check for leaks.

A 55 gallon is about the largest size tank I can now pick up and carry around when empty. A 55 is also somewhat difficult to manipulate when cleaning and this is why I started using a section of wood to prop up one end when rinsing. A pickup truck tailgate makes a nice work surface if a section of plywood or some such is put down as a work platform.

Two more items. One is to always have a place ready to sit down a large tank before picking it up. Another is to have any place you plan to sit a tank clear of protrusions and be smooth. I use plywood sections. Glass bottom tanks should not be placed on uneven surfaces or surfaces with even small items on it to avoid breakage.

I started some years ago adding protection to the exposed edges of all glass tanks. I have found clear plastic corner protectors for use on outside corners to protect wallpaper to work when trimmed. I buy the long lengths and cut to fit. I also use a straight edge to trim the width down a bit. I then adhear to the outside corner of my tanks with clear silicone. This helps prevent the chips that are common on the outside edges of the exposed glass.

Good luck
 

pops

Alligator Gar
MFK Member
Nov 24, 2013
6,247
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WA
bleach works great to sterilize, 2 cups bleach plenty, make sure to swab lid and under rim edges,
 

Gill Blue

Piranha
MFK Member
Apr 28, 2011
4,072
118
81
michigan
I just give mine a wipe down with straight bleach or 90% rubbing alcohol. go over it twice with a soaked paper towel.
you really want a good exhaust fan in the window this way. a 20" box on high works well.
 
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