I bought a used aquarium and want to clean it up and put fresh water fish in it how do I get started whats the?
by Aquaboy on Monday, February 22nd, 2010 | 4 Comments
the best thing to use to clean it up before I go out buying things
Congrats on your new tank
, ok first you will fill it up half way and add about 2 tablespoons of aquarium or house salt per gallon with a temp of 95 degree and add all the filters decor etc.. along with it and let it sit over night then rinse in the morning. Good luck
depending on the amount of dirt on it….you might want to start by scrubbing the whole tank with water and soap(if you use soap,make sure you wash the tank very well because soap can poison fish)
then scrub the tank with a tank cleaning liquid….a good alternative is just vinegar…it works well but its just a little on the more smelly side
after that fill the tank 1/2 way with water and leave the tank overnight….then dump the water out and let the tank air-dry
now your tank is clean and ready for your new fish!!!!YAY!!!!
Before you spend time cleaning it, check for leaks. Fill it to the top with water, then wait 24 hours or more to see if there are any leaks. If not, go ahead with cleaning it up. If it’s leaking from one or more seams, you may be able to reseal it with aquarium silicone cement. If it’s leaking from somewhere besides a seam (such as a crack), it’s likely not worth saving.
The best things for cleaning are an aquarium scrubbing pad (it’s like those dish scrubbers, but with no soap or chemicals in it) and plain water. Most old aquariums can be cleaned with nothing more. If there are lime deposits on it (those white salty looking residues), try using vinegar if water doesn’t get them off.
If there are already a few scratches on the glass (especially on the inside), don’t worry too much about these. Most of them won’t show when you fill the tank with water.
Only if these methods fail should you resort to more drastic tactics.
Do not use cleaning products as they WILL kill the fish.
I repeat: DO NOT USE CLEANING PRODUCTS!!! (or soap of any kind for that matter)
Hot water will do just fine. (Get a non soaped sponge, and just scrub the inside of the tank, and then let it sit with hot water over night. Like was said previously, check for leaks, as it is a used aquarium.)
Fish are more than just “Okay, here is a pretty fish tank, throw in some food, TA DA”
They require attention such as – water changes, gravel cleaning, cleaning the glass inside the tank (unless you have a pleco of some kind) variety of diet, ph balance, chlorine checks, temperature control, filtration, aeration… if your fish get diseases your going to have to get medication for that, various water treatments, live plants (for many reasons are helpful) and there are many other things…
I would recommend you go get some books and study a bit on what your getting yourself into… That way you will be prepared and won’t just end up having a bunch of fish belly up.