Tank Cleanout

[gayno]

Hi all,

I am planning to do a proper cleanout this weekend as my tank is looking a fair bit dirty! I plan to empty the water out strip it right down to the bones, clean everything and set it all up again.

My 2 questions are:

1) I have a 5G tank spare that i can put my current fish into, not ideal I know but its the only way. How long will it be ok to keep them in there without a filter?? Also, how do I keep my current filter bacteria colony from dieing off??

2) If I was to fill the now clean tank up with 100% fresh water from tap and upto temp. Is this ok to put the fish straight back into?? Should I do a form of acclimatising on the whole 5G tank with fresh water as well so the chemistry isn't too far apart from the clean tank??

Thanks for any replies!

Adam

 

[riverman444]

It seems that you have been on the forum for a while. I see that you have quite a few replies and such.

You are not really going to totally tear down the tank, are you?

Do I need to remind you about cycling and bacteria?

 

[blitztidus]

1) a few (2-4) days at most

2)Do not put fish in right away, that can kill them. You must make sure there is no water salt in it used in most homes now a days, make sure all params are ok too. run it for a day to 3 days before adding fish. I have done it in one day properly.

 

[Trance2006]

This is most and complete utter BS.

I feel this is a prank

 

[gayno]

Sure, because I would post a topic that long as a prank.....

At least someone was nice enough to post a meaningful reply.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Is there any reason in particular why you are stripping the tank down ? Otherwise, just do a 50% water change with dechlorinator after a subtrate cleaning session and give the insides and outsides of the tank glass a wipe with a clean sponge(making sure it has not come into contact with cleaning chemicals).

 

[gayno]

Perhaps "Stripping the tank down" was the wrong choice of wording. The gravel needs a huge clean through as there is a lot of old uneaten food in there. As its only a small tank, I cant get through enough gravel in one water change to clear it all out properly, and because of that, it builds up over time to like it is now.
Whenever I do a water change now, when pouring the water back in it stirrs up this rubbish and the water looks disgusting, sure it settles down again, but it doesn't solve the problem.

 

[Jules H-T]

To be honest if you're determined to do this you can (and I don't necessarily think it's a bad idea).

You have a spare 5G right? Just put the fish, some nice clean topwater from the tank, AND YOUR FILTER, into it.

Strip the tank, clean it, fill it half full with new dechlorinated water and get your heater in it. By the time you've washed the gravel & scrubbed the ornaments, it should be up to temp. Provided it is, whack the gravel, ornaments, heater, filter, fish and what water you took out (broadly in that order), back into the 18G. With a tank that size you'll be done in under an hour if you get on with it.

It's hardley anything more than a 66% water change. You're not going to lose significant volumes of bacteria in the gravel, off the ornaments, or in the old water.

IMHO.

If you've got one of those fixed internal filters I've heard so much about on these aquariums, it gets a bit more complex. Not that much more though. Get the filter media out (I assume it does come out) and in the 5G with your fish, add an airstone for circulation, and just get a bloody wriggle on and get the job done quickly.

TBH a 5G might be a bit tight for all those fish, go spend a quid on a decent sized bucket and split the fish into two groups.

But that's just my view.