Big ole tank cleaning..

[MelodyDurham]

Hello Experts!

Any quick ideas on how to clean a REALLY heavy tank? It's fithy! Filthy as in, it's been sitting in a warehouse for a while and litterally has dirt all inside of it.

I'm worried about using any kind of cleaning product because I can't flip this thing around and rinse it out real well. I'm pretty much limited to a spray bottle and rag or syphoning.

Are there any natural alternatives? Vinegar? Lemon juice? Will the residuals of those harm the livestock later on?

Thanks!
Melody~

 

[NateHanson]

Vinegar is fine. Bleach is also ok but requires a lot of rinsing. If it's just dirt you'll probably do fine with vinegar. It's totally reef-safe.

 

[dpnshnks]

I've heard that the benefit of bleach is that it will evaporate if left to dry. It may take quite a bit of time for all the bleach to volatalize and get out of a tank, but it's a far more caustic material that will kill just about anything at a 1:10 dilution. If you do use it, just make sure you're not wearing any clothes you particuarly want to keep (not that I'VE done something that stupid and had a problem with orange spots all over a black shirt ). Good luck, tank cleaning is a PAIN!

Eric

 

[nunofs]

If you use bleach (I've done it before with no problems), you can always add a double or triple dose of dechlorinator (for aquarium use, to remove chlorine from tap water) to the tank when you fill it... that will take care of any remaining traces of bleach that you couldn't get out by rinsing.

But if it's just dust/dirt, hot water should be enough... vinegar is mainly for calcium deposits, and bleach for sterilization.

Nuno

 

[Kevin McG]

I used lemon juice and water, worked great

 

[MelodyDurham]

Thanks guys! Now, how can I talk David into doing the cleaning... Hrmm...

*snicker*

Melody~

 

[Clam Man]

big heavy sitting in a warehouse i would put a level on it before i did anything hope it was sitting flat

 

[chuck]

fill it, let it soak, and then empty with a wet/dry vac?

 

[denvig]

You can also make a thick gritty mix of table salt with a little water and scrub the tank with it. Then rinse and siphon out the water a few times.

 

[NateHanson]

Or use baking soda to scrub it out.

 

[~Flighty~]

I brought one outside and layed it on its side in the grass for cleaning with a hose. a razor is great for coraline and stuff like that, but keep the area very wet. I would try to do something with a hose in case there was old soap or something in it you really need to rinse it good. What was the tank previously used for? there can be issues with copper from old tanks.

If it is a brand new tank (didn't you just get a glasscages one?) I would just use water and paper towles.

 

[MelodyDurham]

Very helpful info! Thank you so much everyone.

Yes, Flighty, it's a glasscages one. I'm pretty sure it's just dirt from sitting in the warehouse, but I want to make sure the tank is sterilized before I put all that hard work into setting it up and stocking it with beautiful (expensive) stuff.

Thanks again, Friends!
Melody~

 

[Chuck Spyropulos]

I would definitely use bleach. then just let water run into it and drain over the sides for a fes hours outside or in your bathtub.

 

[david3d]

Thanks guys! Now, how can I talk David into doing the cleaning... Hrmm...

*snicker*

Melody~

I don't remember signing up for that one

-David

 

[NateHanson]

Nice mantis!

 

[david3d]

Nice mantis!

Thanks Nate. That's Al Capone. So far he's been entertaining us with his daily rearranging of his digs. I got that picture when he was out and about the other day whacking at some of the live rock. He got upset at me taking his picture and charged to the front of the tank and showing his threatening stance. In the end he wacked the tank and then ran into his cave. We repeated this a couple of times was pretty amusing. He's now molting so he's been very reclusive the past couple of days. Hopefully he'll be back to his old self in a few days.

-David

 

[dz6t]

I want a mantis like that.

 

[Matt L.]

About Bleach

For everyone's information,

Bleach (sodium hypochlorite, or NaOCl) isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be. Yes, it is an extremely potent biocide, and if present even in tiny tiny concentrations, it would kill everything in your reef tank. But unlike the other nasty man-made chemicals, bleach does not persist in the environment, especially in the presence of sunlight. UV light rapidly degrades bleach into NaCl: ordinary table salt. This is why bleach comes in an opaque container at the store! This is true.

When cleaning aquariums, I use a two-step process, of first bleach cleaning and then vinegar cleaning. After the bleach cleaning, I may set the aquarium out in the sun for the day, with water, and let the bleach degrade.

Matt

 

[LauraD]

I wash my filter socks in bleach....soak them overnight. Then I soak them in hot water.
I think I better be a bit more careful and dry them in the sun before using them again.