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Thread: Cleaning out a former Aquarium?

  1. #1
    Moderator LilyPad's Avatar
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    Default Cleaning out a former Aquarium?

    My next viv will be an aquarium I took down about 6 months ago because an ick infection. It had been running for about 12 years as an aquarium.

    I want to make sure it's extra clean without leaving behind chemicals. Would vinegar work?
    2.0.3 Hyla versicolor "Eastern Gray Tree Frogs"
    2.2.0 Agalychnis callidryas "Red Eyed Tree Frogs"

    0.0.3 Dendrobates auratus "Turquoise and Bronze"
    0.0.1 Anaxyrus fowleri "Fowler's Toad"



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  3. #2
    Tony
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    Default Re: Cleaning out a former Aquarium?

    Quote Originally Posted by LilyPad View Post
    My next viv will be an aquarium I took down about 6 months ago because an ick infection. It had been running for about 12 years as an aquarium.

    I want to make sure it's extra clean without leaving behind chemicals. Would vinegar work?
    Bleach is the way to go, dilute it to 10%, let it sit for ate least 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly and air dry.

  4. #3
    artes
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    Default Re: Cleaning out a former Aquarium?

    Vinegar would work as well as bleach, if you can't stand the bleach smell. Bleach makes me really sick, and I can't use it.

  5. #4
    Tony
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    Default Re: Cleaning out a former Aquarium?

    Vinegar is fine as a general purpose cleaner but it does not sterilize like bleach.

  6. #5
    artes
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    Default Re: Cleaning out a former Aquarium?

    Unless you're trying to kill like, ebola or something, vinegar still sterilizes. And if she has ebola in her tank, she might need a new tank, lol.

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    Moderator LilyPad's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cleaning out a former Aquarium?

    After sitting for 6 months, would their be anything left from the fish that could come back to life with humidity if I just use vinegar? I use vinegar in almost all my household cleaning because the smell of bleach does make me sick! But if necessary, I will use it. I just thought vinegar might be safer, even with a super rinse job.
    2.0.3 Hyla versicolor "Eastern Gray Tree Frogs"
    2.2.0 Agalychnis callidryas "Red Eyed Tree Frogs"

    0.0.3 Dendrobates auratus "Turquoise and Bronze"
    0.0.1 Anaxyrus fowleri "Fowler's Toad"



  8. #7
    Tony
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    Default Re: Cleaning out a former Aquarium?

    If you spray with hydrogen peroxide and vinegar (one then the other, don't pre-mix them in one sprayer) they will react to form Peracetic acid which is a good disinfectant. Vinegar alone is not effective.

  9. #8
    artes
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    Default Re: Cleaning out a former Aquarium?

    I'll second what Tony said. Although if its been a dry tank for 6 months, I would really be surprised if anything left from the ich is still there. But, better safe than sorry. If you put hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle, don't put it in a clear one - the darker the bottle, the better it is. Hydrogen peroxide becomes less effective when its shown light.

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    Moderator LilyPad's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cleaning out a former Aquarium?

    Okay, thanks guys!!
    2.0.3 Hyla versicolor "Eastern Gray Tree Frogs"
    2.2.0 Agalychnis callidryas "Red Eyed Tree Frogs"

    0.0.3 Dendrobates auratus "Turquoise and Bronze"
    0.0.1 Anaxyrus fowleri "Fowler's Toad"



  11. #10
    Rat The Unloved
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    Default Re: Cleaning out a former Aquarium?

    I have used vinegar for - well, EVER to clean tanks. It removes any hard water scale and does a bang-up-job disinfecting. Some people actually use it as a primary household cleaner.

    Then again, I've also washed out a quarantine tank with White Overproof Rum. It's apparently quite popular for scrubbing floors in Jamaca.

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    100+ Post Member MikeM670's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cleaning out a former Aquarium?

    I use vinegar to remove hard-water stains in tanks but never as a disinfectant. Bleach is the way to go.

    If the smell bothers you then drink the rum at the same time. I'm sure after a while the smell won't matter!
    1.2.0 Dendrobates tinctorius 'Azureus'
    1.1.0 Dendrobates Lamasi 'Orange'
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    0.3.0 Dendrobates leucomelas

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  13. #12
    artes
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    Default Re: Cleaning out a former Aquarium?

    I clean everything with vinegar. Countertops, bathtubs, sinks, carpet - everything but laundry (hydrogen peroxide for that).

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    100+ Post Member adawinters's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cleaning out a former Aquarium?

    Is this going to be a frog tank? Or a fish tank? Ich is a parasite that fish naturally carry, which becomes problematic when they are stressed for one reason or another. I did not think it could affect frogs. If I'm right, then a general clean should be fairly safe, if you're not comfortable sterilizing the tank with bleach.

  15. #14
    clownonfire
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    Default Re: Cleaning out a former Aquarium?

    Bleach in my experience is the way to go. And I've used a similar concoction to Tony in my quarantine tanks. When you're treating as prevention frogs against Chrytrid, you don't fool around...

    Eric

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    Moderator LilyPad's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cleaning out a former Aquarium?

    Jclee, it use to be a fishtank, empty for 6 months now, turning it into an aquarium...

    I hate bleach but if that's the surest way to make sure it's extra clean, I will use it!!
    2.0.3 Hyla versicolor "Eastern Gray Tree Frogs"
    2.2.0 Agalychnis callidryas "Red Eyed Tree Frogs"

    0.0.3 Dendrobates auratus "Turquoise and Bronze"
    0.0.1 Anaxyrus fowleri "Fowler's Toad"



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