Question: Cleaning a used Aquarium

[sandi615]

Hi,
I'm new to Salamanders and hope to purchase one or two in the new few weeks. Right now I would like to work on setting up a terrestrial tank and I would like to know what is the best way to clean a used aquarium; it had been used for a Gecko and then an Ornate Box Turtle. I have read that Salamanders are sensitive to residues and fumes from soaps, bleach and other chemicals, so is there something someone can recommend to use.
Thank for the help,
Sandi

 

[ferret_corner]

I've used professional pool acid and common vinegar for cleaning water deposits off a tank. Plain old sunlight to bleach and sterilize, boiling and drying those items that can stand it.

 

[Socrates]

A trick that I have always used that my mother taught me on cleaning aquariums is a bleach/vinegar regime. All you do is first rinse the tank very well with water, then add some household bleach and wipe down and rinse as best as possible. Then after rinsing the tank thoroughly, add the vinegar and once again wipe down the whole tank until nice and clean. Rinse with hot water as best as possible. Then set the tank outside to be dried by the sun until all moisture is gone. The vinegar (an acid) neutralizes the bleach (which is basic) and no harmful chemicals are left, plus by air drying any vinegar that's left will evaporate away. Hope this helps!

 

[SludgeMunkey]

Yep. Vinegar is tops for getting rid of the whitish crusties.

White distilled works best, and I usually throw in a spoon full or two of non-iodized salt to help with the scrubbing.

I generally recommend avoiding household bleach as it is rarely just a 2.5-6% sodium hypochlorite solution any more. They like to add surfactants, various hydrogen peroxide releasing agents, or even worse calcium hypochlorite. A aquarium Chlorine/Chloramine remover will not remove those out of the tank for you.



Personally, I use plain old original SimpleGreen and a green or blue ScotchBrite pad for glass tanks. Plastics get no scrubbing pad, just elbow grease. The advantage to SimpleGreen is it rinses clean with no residue and biodegrades in direct sunlight (Its also FDA approved for food contact surfaces...a good thing). I just spray a bit on the scrubbing pad, clean the glass inside and out with it, wipe it down with paper towels, and then rinse it really well. Then I let it sit in direct sunlight for a day. One more good rinse and its ready for use.