I Got A Free Fish Tank

[picothepleco]

My friend has given me her 30 gallon tank which has been sitting in her garage for at least three or four years. It's not too dirty in fact it still had the gravel in it but I got rid of that stuff becuase  I want a finer substrate. Anyways, my question is, what is the best way to clean it. Like I said it's really not that dirty, just some dirt or something leftover from the gravel on the bottom and the usuasal residue leftover from water stains on the glass. I was thinking just some plain old vinegar and water mix but I'm not to sure of the ratio.

 

[the_lock_man]

The ratio isn't too important, so long as it cleans it. What's important is to ensure that it is seriously rinsed off before preparing it for fish.

 

[Livewire88]

As Lock man said what ever you use to clean the tank just make sure it is thoroughly rinsed off.
 
You could use bleach if you like which will kill off any nasties that may be there (dilute to  approx 20 parts water, 1 part bleach), also be careful and wear gloves.  

 

[tomtomtom1230]

Yeah, if you've think you've rinsed it enough, rinse it again.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

With bleach it is good to let it dry thoroughly then wipe it over with a slightly damp cloth.

 

[az9]

i would wash it with vinegar and water. that is what i use and it works great. i had ick in my tank and i used 1 part vinegar 10 part water. rinse well but vinegar will not hurt the fish so you wouldn't have to rinse as well as you would if you used bleach. i had this cloudy stuff in my tank that wouldn't come out even when i scrubbed so i used vinegar and all i had to do was splash the sides with it and it came right off.   

 

[picothepleco]

Thanks everybody! I think I will go with the vinegar just becuase it is better for the environment.

 

[fluttermoth]

If you find the water stains very tough, you could try half a lemon and some salt