Isabella

Hello everyone,

I've been hearing now and then on Fish Lore about using bleach to disinfect/clean tanks, etc ... I was wondering if I could clean my tank cover (it's glass) with Clorox. Will it be safe? I am afraid that even if I rinse it well after cleaning, there may still be particles of Clorox left on my glass cover. And since there is water/drops accumulating on my glass cover due to water evaporation from the tank, the water that drips back to the tank may contain these Clorox particles. I don't need to mention, of course, that this could be lethal for my fish and plants.

The reason I want to clean my glass cover with something stronger is because water alone can't clean off the calcium deposits (or whatever it is) that is so hard to remove. I know I can also use vinegar (which is safer), right? But I don't exactly like the smell of it.

Tom

IMO, if there are fihs, I would just use vinegar since it isn't really any harmful chemicals. If you have a 4L(1 gallon) ice cream pale, fill it I think it was 1/8 vinegar and 3/4 water. Of course chlorine free water. This way, you don't really have to worry as much if some gets in. It still may cause a problem, but if it is able to remove the thing you need to clean, then you could just remove it and use the vinegar/water mix and then you don't have to worry about any dripping in while cleaning.
Tom

Richard

The clorox alternative to Tom's vinegar method would be to first find some kind of plastic tub/bucket big enough to fully immerse your tank cover in water, to which you add a couple (literally two) quick splashes of clorox along with some baking-soda.. let it sit for a couple of hours ( less if the cover has any kind of silicone.. around 30 mins. should do).. use a non-scratch pad and scour that gunk off.. the key to removing all traces of the clorox would be a couple washes with fresh water, followed by one last dip in water heavily treated with chlorine-remover.. air-dry and you should be good to go.

Chief_waterchanger

Richard is absolutely right, 5% bleach solution (1 cup per 19 cups of water.) I'd buy a $4 tote (the plastic storage boxes with lids that are sold cheaply) immerse the entire thing, most are 20g-25g capacity, so a gallon of bleach to 19 gallons of water.

Dechlorinator and clean water to rinse with several times each, you can not over-do the rinsing or dechlorinating steps. Rather safe than sorry.

Butterfly

I don't like the vinegar smell either so what I do is put my glass tops in teh bathtop cover with water, pour in vinegar and go to work Run in after let teh water out and turn teh shower on that will rinse all teh vinegar down the drain.
If you prefer to use bleach then do so just soak it in heavily dechlorinated water after cleaning.
carol

COBettaCouple

Just do what we do - throw the tank out & get another one.

Tom

Thanks, way to shoot my idea down. Just kidding, I never thought of the 5% chlorox solution.
Tom

Isabella

Thank you all for the replies.

I do have about a 15 gallon container that would accomodate my glass top (it's 2 glass parts). So, if you use a gallon of bleach per 19 gallons of water, that means I'll have to add 0.8 gallon to 15 gallons of water?

1 x
-- = -- ===> 19x / 19 = 15 / 19 ===> x = 0.8 ===> Right? LOL
19 15

So, basically, I have to use almost a GALLON of Clorox

Tom

Technically it is 0.78947368421052631578947368421053, but I think 0.8 is close enough.
Tom

Isabella

Yes, I know it's 0.78 .... but I wouldn't possibly be able to measure and pour exactly that amount into my 15 gallon container ... lol So I simply rounded the number. I'll still have to guess, more or less, where the 0.8 line on the Clorox bottle appears. I am guessing the Clorox bottle is about 1 gallon?

Tom

I sure you could get it really close, but not exact with a fair amount of machines.
Tom

Chief_waterchanger

It should tell what amount is in the bottle on the front in fine print on bottom of label. If it is the size of a milk jug, then yes it is. Or.. could measure out 14 or 15 cups? (I may be wrong, but like.. 16 cups to a gallon?) 112 ounces - 120 fluid ounces should do also. Or.. *smirk*

(hopes the numbers he remember were correct, it'd sooo throw off the fun if they weren't.)

Isabella

LOL, all right, thanks a bunch I'll figure everything out now. Just wanted to know if 0.8 gal. of Clorox is OK for a 15 gal. container

Butterfly

a gallon of bleach is 128 ounces sooooo .8 of a gallon = 102.4 ounces = 12.8cups
That will smell really strong, make sure theres alot of ventilation.
carol

COBettaCouple

you need ventilation with bleach?! :-O why didn't anyone tell me before.. what was i thinking about again?

Isabella

Carol, I will do it in my backyard. While I don't like the smell of vinegar, Clorox is even worse when used in large quantities. It makes me choke when I inhale it. Definitely doing it outside.

Butterfly

COBettaCouple

i can't remember if i've been smelling bleach or not.. : : :

Sam Livingston

Do not even risk it, clorox very lethal to anything especially fish, if any traces left behind it WILL kill them.

Richard

It does get our 'whites' nice and white when doing laundry though.. Buzz is rolling up her eyes because I'm insinuating that I actually do laundry around here.. LOL.. it's not that I don't want to do it, but she's made that her domain, even though I keep trying to tell her there's a science to hanging out clothes, a feng shui kind of thing that helps ensure that one wears clothing and sleeps in sheets with happy Karma.. OK, lemme quit before you guys start thinking I'm a few beers short of a sixpack..LOL.

Butterfly

only a few (said with tongue in cheek )
Carol

COBettaCouple

why is your tongue in your cheek? doesn't that feel weird?