Clean old tanks

[cichlid savage]

I personally don't like to use a lot of chemicals when cleaning tanks. I have cleaned many used tanks some that have been left sitting for years without use even a cpl used as saltwater tanks. I only use vinegar and water. Start out with warm water let it soak overnight and I think you will be surprised at how little effort it will take to clean them. Then rinse well to get rid of the smell Just my .02.

 

[josear1286]

THATS A LOAD of tanks and workk mann im sure itll be worth it i
n the end

 

[Iffrat]

yea im going to reseal all of them as well .. so its going to be a long time to get them all ready .. clean cut out old silicone put new in and see just what i have ...

im not huge into chemicals .. but anything to cut down the time its going to take to clean these bad boys .. and a little CLR mixed into a tub of water should not be that big of a deal .. i would think

 

[Sarah88]

im with cichlid savage on the vinegar you would be surprised how well it works, i got a used snake tank (reg tank just had snake in it) of CL that was FILTHY and had stuff encrusted on lower sides i rinsed it, then filled with water, did 1cup vinegar for every 2 gal let set till next day then just wiped down and rinse and everything was lifted off, a little vinegar goes along way and then you dont have to worry about any left over residue sticking to the glass (of course im also paranoid about this lol)

also used this technique to soak a hob filter that i got that had been used with saltwater so you can imagine the mineral deposits and crap that were stuck to it and they just wiped off the next day

 

[youngbuckfl]

I recommend you use Muriatic acid at about 1 part per ten. It works very well to remove lime and will destroy any residual organic material. It will not harm silicone or glass.

Make sure you wear goggles and rubber gloves when your handling acid, or a strong dilute solution. Work in a well ventilated area. I've had a lot of success soaking used tanks for 24 hours and then again for 24 hours with tap water to remove residual acid.

if u do this which will work and u are afraid of the acid add some baking soda and water then wash . soda will neutralize acid . but clr works great also.just make sure u wash it out real good

 

[Iffrat]

if u do this which will work and u are afraid of the acid add some baking soda and water then wash . soda will neutralize acid . but clr works great also.just make sure u wash it out real good

yea i picked up some CLR it says use 1x1 clr to water .. but i wont use it that strong ... maybe 10x1 or 20x1 ... going to use as little as it looks i can get away with .. and work my way up if needed ...