bettasbest Posted July 22, 2010 Report Share Posted July 22, 2010 Hello All, I just bought a new tank off ebay and it's home and it looks great and apparently is fairly new. My only concern is what if the fish there were previously in it were sick and had a disease i dont want me fish getting. How can i properly clean out the tank and make it fish safe? Any advice is welcome! Thanks, Julie (Lisa if this is in the wrong forum please move it wasnt sure where it should be thanks ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul Posted July 22, 2010 Report Share Posted July 22, 2010 Usually a bit of bleach and sunlight do the trick for sterilisation. You'll need to wash thoroughly after treating with bleach to remove any residue. A much simpler method and probably almost as effective in killing germs is to simply wash the tank then dry and then wipe down with those alcohol wipes you can buy. Contains isopropyl alcohol and kills most germs as the alcohol dries. Gives the glass a nice clean in the process with no residue and because it evaporates completely, it can't harm the fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted July 23, 2010 Report Share Posted July 23, 2010 (edited) I was looking at this sort of thing a while a ago and found a site that suggested using a combination of bleach and vinegar, as combined it has been shown to kill a larger range of bacteris etc and some more resiliant strains. I have posted a link somewhere but I cant find it ... will have a look when I et home and post it again this evening (it is a good article). I mix 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 tablespoon of bleach in a 10 litre bucket and rinse a couple of times, although I am not obsessed about rinsing, just do it well. I have not had any adverse reactions and I use it on my vac pump every time I use it Cheers, Bec Edited July 23, 2010 by Bec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miha1967 Posted July 23, 2010 Report Share Posted July 23, 2010 I use white vinegar straight form the bottle, apply on the entire surface, leave it to dry in the sun and then rinse very well. I think the residue from the bleach is more harmful than the one from the vinegar. I also don't think one spoon of bleach and one spoon of vinegar in a bucket of water would be enough to kill all bacteria. As far as I know most bacteria that can live and multiply in the water would be killed by drying the tank in the sun. When the fish tank is in use and maintenance is less than perfect, the source of infection is most likely other than from the initial bacterial population on the dry tank. I think a good clean is better than a perfect sterilisation with harsh chemichals. Good lack! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted July 23, 2010 Report Share Posted July 23, 2010 (edited) Ok ... here is the site http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/vinegar-as-a-disinfectant.html It appears to backed up with a medical doc as a reference its more like five spoons each per bucket ... Bec Edited July 23, 2010 by Bec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracey6565 Posted July 23, 2010 Report Share Posted July 23, 2010 Interesting article Bec, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted July 26, 2010 Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 Moved to equipment forum :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Posted July 26, 2010 Report Share Posted July 26, 2010 My understanding is if the tank has been dry for any more than a few days you will be ok Any pathogens that effect fish can't live without water..... No need to disinfect anything.....residue may be more harmful that what you are trying to kill!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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