I just received an aquaruim from a woman on a local free cycle site. she said she kept a gerbil in it at one time.
I just cleaned it the best I could without soap or any other cleaning solution.
I also Iet some water soak in it for about a day and a half before I tried to clean it out to see if any water would leak out.
After I thought I had finished cleaning it, I noticed that there was some residue in the corners in the bottom. It seems very difficult to remove with just water and takes a lot of scratching. Its kind of thin and whiteish. I wonder if it might be gerbil pee.
Is there any way to remove this?
Maybe if there were ever fish in here before could that have left some sort of buildup like this?
.anyways, I guess the real question is how can I make this tank safe for goldfish?
Answers:
Bleach is ok to use..I do not know why that other person said it wasnt. Bleach is chlorine and the chlorine remover you put in the water removes it anyway. However, make sure you use a dilute amount of bleach if you use it.
Safer however would be vinegar like most people have said. Vinegar is safe, especially if you are putting goldfish in the tank since Vinegar is acidic and goldfish like their water acidic. So any residue will benefit the fish, not damage them. Also, dont use boiling water, the sudden heat will crack the tank! Use warm water, not hot and scrub GENTLY with a stiff bristled brush. If you scrub to hard you can damaged the silicone sealant and the tank will leak.
use boiling water. You could also use just regular soap and a clean new toothbrush. Whatever you do.DO NOT use bleach.
YES
Is the white stuff sort of chalky? If yes, it's gerbil pee. Get Urine-Off or Urine Gone. That will get it off. You gotta rinse really well and let it sit with water in it for a day. Then rinse again.
Then fill it up, set up a filter and you are all set.
Good Luck
just don't use any harsh chemicals, try vinager and an old used toothbrush for the corners, shouldlbe safe enough for goldfish but just to be sure, maybe only get one fish at first , then add more
Bleach is fine to use, I have used it in all my tanks at one time and have never had a fish die from it. All you have to do is make sure to rinse till you can't smell the bleach anymore and fill the tank up with water and dechlorinater, let it sit a bit then rinse again then fill up like normal and get it ready for the fish. If its a hard residue you can try using a straight edge razor and scrape the stuff off then use the bleach to make sure any germs left are dead.
YES
could be hard water deposits use white vinegar soak use a brush if ya have it and rinse well.
should remove both.
and its non toxic
I wouldn't be afraid to use this aquarium for gold fish. I would clean it with vinegar to get any cleaning supplies and gerbil urine out of the tank from the last person and the scratches won't hurt anything. after rinsing it a couple of times, I would think it would work just fine and that residue in the corners, I wouldn't worrie about it. I would fill it up and let it sit to see if it leaks thou. hope this helps.
Yeah, the stains probably are from the gerbil.
Here's how to clean it:
1. Pour in a small amount of bleach in the tank.
2. Fill the rest of the tank with water and let sit for about a day.
This will get rid of all harmful germs even if the stains are still there. Some tank gravel can just cover that up.
Have Fun With Your Goldfish!
yes but u have to have a pump if its goldfish with pumped water and prime it is a warter condistiner u must have that yes there is a way to remove girbal pee bleach
of course
I would do a leak check first. Take the tank outside and use the hose to fill it with water. Put it on a solid surface so you know if it is leaking. You want the water to sit in it for a day or so. If there are no leaks then you are good to go. I would use a small amount of bleach on a rag and wipe the entire aquarium down then rinse very well. Add water, filter, fish and plants.
Good Luck.
Use diluted bleach in hot water. Scrub it with a new sponge and let it sit for a few hours. Afterwords rinse it a few times in hot water. Now add hot water and a chemical that removes chlorine. This chemical is sold at all fish/pet stores and you will need it anyways to take the chlorine out of your tap water before you add your goldfish.
Add triple the dose that the bottle recommends. (I.e. - if it's a 10 gallon, add enough of the chemical for 30 gallons.)
Let this sit for a few hours - I would do it for at least 5.
Rinse with hot water a few more times and the tank should be safe.
I worked at a petstore for 2 years. We had a bad case of black algae (an algae that is hard to get rid of and hard to clean off of ornaments and plastic plants).
The way I explain to you to clean you tank is the way we cleaned these ornaments and placed them back in their tanks with no problems.
When you add your goldfish (try one at first and see how he does) do not forget to add the chlorine remover. All tap water has chlorine in it and can be dangerous to fish. This will remove the chlorine from the tap water and if any of the bleach residue survived it should remove that as well. You can't really over dose a fish on this chemical - so it wouldn't hurt to add a little more then called for.
I recommend Stress Coat or Aquasafe.
save time and hassle just buy a tank kit that come with everything u need for a fish tank.
yes ,you can re~use , no never use boiling water or water from your tap ( most hot water tanks have rust as do most household plumbing ideal is water form outside hose .,USING bleach water is fine , 1 cap to 10 gallon .then dichlor test your water if ammonia level is still high bleach again , rinse well , at least 10 time with a water hose is best , Or bathtub , don't worry about the temperature , no freezing or hot water , seal is not capable of handling the stress ,
never use boiling or hot water it may break down your tank seal and then leak . goods luck i worked for aquarium tropic seas . you will be fine also add amquel + to declor your tank it handles metals and rust and ammonia , also check for RODENT chewing on the seals , if so get some silicone and reseal IT after you de ammonia tize your tank.follow instructions and fill and check for leaks , finny fish hugs ,
good luck , ring me or come join us we are slow but getting more members ,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/petfishlov.
its safe for them now dont worry its just a stain i use a freecycle site and used a 10 gallon tank that had hamsters in it dont use soap
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