Acquired Used 30g

[AshleySpatula]

my first tank is a 20g 'kit' that came with everything... so i didnt have to pick out parts, but now
a friend from work gave me a 30g. it's a little dirty, has some calcium build up and is leaky.

what is the best way to clean it? how do i find the leaks so i can seal them?

it only came with the basic hood, no lights, fliters or anything.
this is a list of stuff i plan to buy for it to eventually have the whole setup, is this complete??
(i made it from aquariumguys.com last night, it's rough)

aquarium sealant (to fix the leaks)
penguin 150B power filter (30g)
30" Satallite 1x65w sunpaq w/lunar light
2 bags eco-complete
fresh lab delux test kit

now the fish i eventually want to get for this tank are some golden german rams, some tetras and some pygmy corys
and have it moderatly planted

does all this sound good, any tips??

 

[afishdude]

need a heater, 150W

 

[Teelie]

Vinegar and a lot of elbow grease will clean it up. Look at the seals for damage and if possible, set it up outside full of water and let it sit overnight for leaks or cracks. As far as sealing cracks and leaks I've always heard you have to strip all the sealant and redo them.

 

[Danno]

I would suggest a good scrubbing with some bleach. Then rinse about 3 times and then fill with water and dose 4x the amount of declor.

 

[-SPB-]

As danno said bleach but a very weak concentrate. My sister got a tank a while ago, covered in algae, complete write off in many peoples eyes, but a couple of hours of hard elbow grease, it was as good as new. I'm not sure what the ratio is with bleach and water, someonelse may be able to help you there, but when rinsing the tank, have a sniff and if you still smell bleach keep rinsing. Once the bleach smell has gone your good to go. I'd personally rinse a couple of times after the smell has gone, just to be on the safe side!!!

 

[AshleySpatula]

ok cool so some bleach or vinegar, lots and lots of rinsing and a heater, i read that 'ideal' temp for the rams and the tetras is around 72-79 degrees and the thermometer on the side of my 20g says it's 84 degrees, it's hot and humid 90 degrees outside so i am assuming that the heater will really only be needed in the winter?

i hope i dont have to strip all the sealant and re-do all of it, would the glass come apart at the seams if i stripped it all??

and as for my filter, substrate, lighting and test kit are they good choices?

 

[joejoehead]

hey.. my freind uses a aqua clear 50(for tanks from 20-50 on his 30.. i use an aqua clear 50 for the 38 gallon and works nice.