Awesome free tank, but how to clean it?

Today my girlfriend found a discarded fish (10-15 gallons ;D) tank equiped with a filter and everything....only thing is, it's pretty dirty (i.e. dirt and mold). What would be the best way to clean it out so I can get it cycling? Thanks!

 

water w/bleach. 1:10 10 as water shouldnt even need the bleach just scrubber down pretty good.

 

I've read somewhere that salted water is good for cleaning out tanks.
Nicole~

 

I would use vinegar instead of bleach and other chemicals.
Tom

 

muratic acid and nitroglycerin will clean that tank! really if you have a shower head on a hose, you can put it in the shower/tub and use the hose and a scrubber to get it good and clean. maybe you won't need bleach or vinegar.

 

one of those cheapo steamers from the dollar store works wonders. you fill them up with water plug them in when the start steam let it rip. high pressure steam baby

 

vinegar is the best to use... if you ask me but I'm just fish helper ...not a tank helper..ha ha ..I love useing corny jokes on here cuase yuou don't have to see peoples faces when they think your stupid

 

I would agree with the bleach 1:10 ratio. Let it soak and scrub it down with the bleach solution. Then soak it in water with LOTS of declorinator to remove the chlorine from the bleach---do this repeatedly until you can't smell the bleach. You might go thru a bottle of declorinator, but you'll have a CLEAN and free tank. Congrats on the dumpster divin'!!

-M

 

Thank you very much for all the help folks! I've got a fish that I'm crazy about and am really looking forward to moving him into a bigger tank. Hopefully I'm not too anxious though.

 

I had an aquarium that we had stopped using for awhile. But I wanted to set it back up for a fry aqurium. I bought safe & easy spray at my local pet store along with a scrubber pad. Just spray it on, let it set about 30 seconds and then take the scrubber to it. Works excellent. It is manufactored by API, Aquarium Pharmaceuticals.

 

I would try an aquarium cleaner found at an lfs before I tried bleach or vinegar

 

Bleach is safe to use- it will completely dissipate if allowed to air dry, or use a dechlorinator.

Bleach is also one of the most effective anti-bacterials around.

Just use a dilute solution, as suggested above, and rinse like crazy, then heavy dechlor.

If there are calcium build ups, vinegar will dissolve what you can't scrub off. But again, rinse like crazy.

Free tank- gotta love it!

Julie

 

Free tanks are wonderful! Yep bleach works really well but you do have to rinse, rinse,rinse then let it sit over night soaking with extra dechlorinator (ok so I'm a fanatic )
Carol