breaking down the tank

where do i begin to break down my tank.

i want to keep everything just dont know where to begin do i need remove sand and rocks and dry them? and how would i store them. sand in ziplocs?

i just want to start all over with better equipment in the future

 

phongt86

how long would you be storing them?

if its going to be a long period then I would do as follows

rocks - clean off as best as you can, if you can get a hose on them and jet wash them that would be ideal (you dont want stuff sitting in there , because that will be a major source of phosphate should you use them again) and then leave them to bake in the sun if possible

you could even nuke them, using 50% water and 50% bleach, soak them for a week, and then soak for another week in water, discard and replace and leave to soak for another week - then leave to bake in sun for a few days, once the smell of bleach has gone, the bleach has gone!

sand - rinse very well in RODI and again leave spread out on large trays or even large sheets of cloth - and allow to bake dry

once both are completely cleaned and dry, storing them in any way that keeps them free of dust, dirt, rodents etc (if you leave them in a outside building)

tank and equipement, good rinse, and then a wash down with a water/ vinegar solution which will clean and carbonate deposits you have on power heads, heater etc

Steve

 

+1 sounds like Steve has covered it all..