Do I need to bleach a 7 year old used aquarium

I bought this aquarium that wasn’t used for like 3 years and I haven’t used it. Since I bought it which was like 2 years ago. Do you recommend I still bleach and sanitize it or do you think it is fine to scrap some of the water mineral residue off and use it? I am saying to scrap that off because there is minerals on the glass from the water from like 7 years ago. Thanks!

 

You should be fine with watered down vinegar. I used it to clean used aquariums I buy and it works great.

 

You should be fine with watered down vinegar. I used it to clean used aquariums I buy and it works great.

Do you have a mixture to water it down? Thanks!

 

I usually eyeball it but i think it's about 2 parts water 1 part white vinegar. And then I use a washcloth to wipe ot down. You can use an algae scrubber for tough to get out spots. An unused kitchen dish scrubber from the dollar store also works.

 

I usually eyeball it but i think it's about 2 parts water 1 part white vinegar. And then I use a washcloth to wipe ot down. You can use an algae scrubber for tough to get out spots. An unused kitchen dish scrubber from the dollar store also works.

ok thanks! will a sponge work also? Thanks!

 

You can use undiluted vinegar. It's a mild acid and will desolve the minerals on the glass.

 

The diluted vinegar will disolve some of the salt buildup. If you need some additional scrubbing power, add some coarse salt like Kosher salt to the vinegar.

If the tank has been empty for a while, it is unlikely that anything would be left behind that would need to be killed with bleach. Salt and vinegar kill most things anyway.

 

The diluted vinegar will disolve some of the salt buildup. If you need some additional scrubbing power, add some coarse salt like Kosher salt to the vinegar.

If the tank has been empty for a while, it is unlikely that anything would be left behind that would need to be killed with bleach. Salt and vinegar kill most things anyway.

ok thanks!

You can use undiluted vinegar. It's a mild acid and will desolve the minerals on the glass.

ok thanks! How long should I wait before putting fish in it after it has been cleaned? Not including cycling time. Thanks!

 

ok thanks!

ok thanks! How long should I wait before putting fish in it after it has been cleaned? Not including cycling time. Thanks!

The vinegar is gone as soon as it's dry.

 

The vinegar is gone as soon as it's dry.

ok thanks!