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Cleaning a used tank

Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2024 7:43 pm
by Eholna
I got a used 55g tank and I have no idea how but it smells like the bar I went to in college. I washed it with soapy dechlorinated water and cleaned the outside with window cleaner, but there's a lot of hard water stains inside it and it still kinda smells. I've put two bowls of baking soda in there overnight to hopefully absorb some of the smell, but my question is: is it OK to use harsh cleaning chemicals like vinegar? Should I use bleach? How do I safely disinfect and prepare this tank for my babies?
Thank you!

Re: Cleaning a used tank

Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2024 7:55 pm
by wodesorel
Vinegar can be used with just a wipe-down afterwards to make it crab safe. Bleach can also be used but should be rinsed throughly with running water and allowed to air dry until no smell remains. Personally, I like unscented cleaning ammonia the best for scrubbing nasty used tanks (removes grime and odors) but it's noxious and pretty much has to be done outside due to the fumes, and then rinsed off well.

Hard water stains can be surface level in which case a straight razor will scrape them off. Vinegar can also help to disolve them. Magic erasers can also work but the tank should be as clean as possible first to avoid scratching the glass. If the glass is etched though, which sometimes happens due to local water chemistry, whatever marks/haze are permanent.

Re: Cleaning a used tank

Posted: Wed May 01, 2024 7:21 am
by Eholna
I will try vinegar and a razor. Thank you!