Taking down canister filters

[fish junkie]

I recently took apart my 150 so i could sell it. I am keeping the pumps for another tank that i have .They are rena xp3 pumps ,i took them away from the tank and spaced off emptying them . Needless to say they stink something fierce so im cleaning them out and they still smell like death .
So heres the question can i use bleach to clean the media baskets and the bio sponges and the ceramic bio cylinders ? I realize it will destroy all the bio mass . And i will have to rinse them well but they stink and i have a couple weeks before i can set up the other tank . I dont want to throw out the bio media if it would work.

 

[scotty1969]

personally , i would never use bleach . i would use vinegar or something that

 

[throttle]

The bleach should be ok. Just make sure you rinse well. I think once bleach dries completely its gone. Good luck and don't forget the nose plugs.

 

[Toby_H]

Yes you can use bleach… Although I would use a bleach mixture, and not straight bleach…
　
When finished, rinse very thoroughly with tap water. If you are not confident that 100% of the bleach is gone, flush it with a dechlorinator/water mixture. Bleach is nothing more than concentrated chlorine.

 

[fish junkie]

i will rinse it 5 or six times i have plenty of time before i set the pumps in place on my new tank

 

[BODYDUB]

I would rinse the hell out of it after the bleach cleaning..........

 

[fish junkie]

i used boiling hot water and set the pump up in the sink and let it run for a few minutes it worked great then i drained the water rinsed everything off and repeated with fresh water 5 times then i added treated it with stress coat 3 times it smells like tap water again so im sure itll be fine but when i set them up again i will run the system for a month and do plenty of water changes before i add anything

 

[bomber]

Yes you can use bleach… Although I would use a bleach mixture, and not straight bleach…
　
When finished, rinse very thoroughly with tap water. If you are not confident that 100% of the bleach is gone, flush it with a dechlorinator/water mixture. Bleach is nothing more than concentrated chlorine.

Good to know thanks.