cleaning 2nd hand tank

Anything i can use to clean out a 2nd hand tank i have just purchased before setup?
(previously used as a cichlid tank)


thanks in advance

 

Vinegar always your best friend when cleaning tans.

 

sorry to be annoying but full strength or diluted?

 

Either will help.

Full strength will not hurt if you can stand the smell.

Use quality distilled white vinegar. No red wine or apple cider vinegar.

 

Huge part of this hobby is asking questions so do not even worry about being annoying.

Diluted vinegar or diluted bleach works well.

Cleaning and Disinfecting Aquariums: A How-To Guide @ petfish.net
ClnAqFAQs

 

If you have contact with the previous owner, I'd recommend asking if copper was ever used in the tank to treat any illnesses. Just a thought.

 

For a healthier tank, i can stand the smell

any advantage to using one or the other?

if copper was used is there any way to get rid of it?



thanks for all the help guys

 

Vinegar does a much better job of cleaning away lime deposits and bleach a good job on killing any nasties. Any bacterial, fungal or viral pathogens die when the tank is allowed to stand dry for a couple of days.

If you have concerns about copper just test the tank water for copper once it sits for awhile. If copper was used in the tank previously it is not a deal breaker and is usually easily remedied.

 

so giving a good clean out with both would be worth the trouble.
i shall do that, thanks alot Corailline

 

My tank was a craigslist find. So I gave it a couple of good vinegar scrubs. Although the previous owner said he never medicated the tank or used anything that had copper in it, there was still a concern for me. Rather than spending the money on a copper kit I had the LFS test my leak test water & then had then test is again with my initial saltwater fill as well. Just a technique.