Aquarium cleaning time

[TankBuster2]

Renovating my fish rooms, so breaking tanks down after years, and will clean everything while I have the chance- tubes, back of tanks, the works. I have several glass, and an acrylic tank. What does everyone like for cleaning long tubing (those brushes wont thread that far) old,used bio-ballls that are now bone dry, and for gravel that is covered in algae (too much winter sun) . All are fresh water tanks. Plain beach? and I have seen different opinions about Oxy/oxiclean. What is the current opinion, and is there a difference? Is is it gentler, or harher on tubing? Plan to use dilute muriatic acid to take of lime scale, live in the south, so it is heavy.. Any other suggestions?

 

[Fish Tank Travis]

For the tubing, you might try a plumbers snake. Otherwise, I would look at replacing it.

Do you have any stocking left in the tanks?

 

[TankBuster2]

For the tubing, you might try a plumbers snake. Otherwise, I would look at replacing it.

Do you have any stocking left in the tanks?

not much.. a rafael, and small synodontis cat in one, The other one has a foot long pleco, and an arrowana that is also a foot long. The latter 2 will into my big tank (300 gal) when all is done. Getting a new floor put in, so have to take everything out. Some of the tubing is from Magnum filters, so would be kinda hard to replace around here (all but one store is a chain)

 

[esoxlucius]

Cleaning the inside of piping, especially small diameter stuff used to do my head in. That was until i was rummaging in my fishing tackle one day and hit on an idea. Lead weight (obviously smaller than the inside diameter measurement of your tubing), fishing line (i use 10lb monofilament), and a small rag. I tie the weight to one end, the rag to the other, wet the rag, and then just thread the weight through the tubing until it plops out the other end. Then i gently pull the weight and the rag follows cleaning the tubing as it goes. A couple of passes and all gunk has gone.

 

[HarleyK]

I use electric cable and a rag at the other end for tubing
And I only use vinegar and water.

Throw out the gravel, gravel is cheap.

 

[TankBuster2]

Cleaning the inside of piping, especially small diameter stuff used to do my head in. That was until i was rummaging in my fishing tackle one day and hit on an idea. Lead weight (obviously smaller than the inside diameter measurement of your tubing), fishing line (i use 10lb monofilament), and a small rag. I tie the weight to one end, the rag to the other, wet the rag, and then just thread the weight through the tubing until it plops out the other end. Then i gently pull the weight and the rag follows cleaning the tubing as it goes. A couple of passes and all gunk has gone.

Good idea, thanks !

 

[J. H.]

Some of the tubing is from Magnum filters, so would be kinda hard to replace around here

I replaced the tubing on my Magnum 350 with 1/4" vinyl.
You can boil your gravel, I thought about last time I did this, about 3 months ago, but I chose to switch over to sand. It is a big improvement, by the way, just make sure you rinse ti well.
I hear vinegar is the gentlest, I used mild bleach solution for everything, as the tank had had finrot that kept coming back before I ripped it down. I rinsed everything well afterwards.

 

[squint]

One of my canister filters came with a pull-through brush like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Marina-10681-Hose-Brush/dp/B0002AQEIA

 

[xraycer]

Cleaning the inside of piping, especially small diameter stuff used to do my head in. That was until i was rummaging in my fishing tackle one day and hit on an idea. Lead weight (obviously smaller than the inside diameter measurement of your tubing), fishing line (i use 10lb monofilament), and a small rag. I tie the weight to one end, the rag to the other, wet the rag, and then just thread the weight through the tubing until it plops out the other end. Then i gently pull the weight and the rag follows cleaning the tubing as it goes. A couple of passes and all gunk has gone.

For my larger tubes, I do just the opposite. I just wad up a small piece of paper towel and push it through with a wooden dowel.

For the OP's situation, I would just set everything up ready to run: gravel and décor in tank; fill tank fully with water; set up filtration system.; add a good dose of bleach and run filters to mix in bleach; run it for a day or two; completely drain tank/filters; add new water and mix in triple the recommended dose of dechlorinator to neutralize any residual bleach. The bleach will disinfect and help remove/loosen a lot of the organic gunk build up, including algae. Do another 100% w/c before adding fish or when you're ready to cycle the tank.

 

[Chub_by]

Anything that can't break (plastic tubing, gravel) just go at it with a pressure cleaner, fast and easy. For glass and the likes I'd do what xraycer said.