Used Tank Had Been Washed W/soap And Water

[GuppyGoddess]

So I bought a used tank and stand today. The guy waited until we got all the way home before calling to say the tank had been washed with soap.

Will cleaning and disinfecting the tank with bleach get rid of the soap residue?

Thanks.

 

[kelly528]

Honestly, I cleaned my betta's bowl with dish soap every week for months before I moved him into his new tank. As long as you rinse it well It'll be fine. If you want to be sure, a good blast of hot water should demolish any lingering soap.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi GuppyGoddess

Did he say what kind of soap he used? If it was dish detergent you should be able to clean it out without too much problem. This is the response I made on an old thread from 2005:

One time we had the question arise about dish detergent and I called one of the manufacturers. They told me that while they made no guarantees that their product was safe for use with fish, it did have a "quick rinse" formula. Humans don't like chemical residue on their eating utensils either, so it is made to be removed under a normal rinse.

 

[GuppyGoddess]

Hi GuppyGoddess

Did he say what kind of soap he used? If it was dish detergent you should be able to clean it out without too much problem. This is the response I made on an old thread from 2005:

One time we had the question arise about dish detergent and I called one of the manufacturers. They told me that while they made no guarantees that their product was safe for use with fish, it did have a "quick rinse" formula. Humans don't like chemical residue on their eating utensils either, so it is made to be removed under a normal rinse.

I'm unsure of the kind of detergent. He talked to my husband, but I just called the guy because I'm annoyed he didn't say anything. He seemed confused and said he'd contact his LFS and find out how to clean it.

Right after I posted, I called an aquarium store and the guy said to wash the tank with vinegar.

 

[fatheadminnow]

Mix together 1 part bleach to 10 parts water.

Scrub with a plastic scrubber or sponge.

Then rinse it out with hot water really well.

Then when you got to fill the tank, double up on water conditioner the first time.

-FHM

 

[Inchworm]

Right after I posted, I called an aquarium store and the guy said to wash the tank with vinegar.

Vinegar won't hurt and will remove any hard water marks that might be on the glass. I don't know what it will do about eliminating chemical residue. Repeated rinsing alone might do that. It wouldn't hurt to fill it with water and let it stand overnight to dissolve whatever might be dried on there.

It would help greatly if you could find out what brand it was. You might then be able to call the manufacturer and find out what to do. Chlorine bleach will sterilize the tank, but that's not the immediate problem. If it was laundry detergent it might have had some kind of caustic chemicals in it. Real soap (not likely) has a fatty base that would be more difficult to get rid of.

 

[Tolak]

Rinse it as good as you can, this is one of the few times I would suggest running carbon, as this removes chemicals. If you can spray it with a hose out in the yard this will clean off & dilute most any soap or detergent. I've used harsher than that on really filthy tanks, a serious hosing & it's good to go.

 

[GuppyGoddess]

Rinse it as good as you can, this is one of the few times I would suggest running carbon, as this removes chemicals. If you can spray it with a hose out in the yard this will clean off & dilute most any soap or detergent. I've used harsher than that on really filthy tanks, a serious hosing & it's good to go.

The seller emailed and said it was "hand soap." I'm guessing it was the liquid kind. I swear though, when when I called him, he mentioned something about laundry detergent. . .but then said he didn't use it after I said asked, "that is what you used?".

I'm kind of bummed. I really wanted to have the tank ready ASAP because I have two bettas in 2-gallon bowls who need to be moved into bigger spaces (was going to divide the tank). They're getting 50-100% water changes daily so they need to settle ASAP. I may just cut my losses and buy a new tank today that fits on to the table I bought.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi GuppyGoddess

Take heart, I think Tolak's idea about putting some carbon in the filter is a good one. Beside that, your bettas are fine where they are. There is a lot of wrong information circulating about their needs and living in large tanks is part of it. Let me give you a link to an interview with Mark Denaro, past president of the IBC (International Betta Congress). If you want expert advice, he's the one to trust. He speaks of this in the first section of the podcast, after he mentions food and temperature requirements. I found the rest of the program interesting too.

http/www.aquaradio.net/pages/podcasts/po...o_07_04_09.html

 

[GuppyGoddess]

Thanks again everyone. Seems like vinegar is the route to take. I'm trying to decide what to do because I read that it can damage the seals on the tank! I found the same tank at a LFS for $13.99, so I may get that. Basically all the money I gave him went to pay for the stand and the stress!

I'm afraid to use the heater now because the dial doesn't have the exact temperature that it can be set to.

 

[GuppyGoddess]

Inchworm - thanks for the link. Very interesting to listen to. All those types of Bettas. . . .if only I had room for 70+ tanks!

Sounds like even a divided 10-gallon is unnecessary since some varieties have long fins and find it difficult to swim even in 5 gallons. The main reasons I'm upgrading is due to ammonia spikes (= daily water changes) and also because my fish need a heater. I found a slower 58 GPH filter to use. Maybe it would be better to divide the tank into three and put a third in when the ammonia levels even out! It'd be like a little betta apartment building!

 

[Tolak]

Vinegar won't bother the seals, something like a good jab with a putty knife may. Honestly, I would hose it & use it. I've used muriatic acid & Sno-Bowl toilet bowl cleaner on tanks (not together!) and have some fairly sensitive fish in those tanks ATM.