Used tank-how to clean?

[Pugwinkle]

Hi, I just called about a used 20 gallon tank with filter and heater in our newspaper today. The lady said she cleaned the filter, the aquarium hood and the decorations with soap, in fact she put some of the stuff in her dishwasher.

She has not however cleaned the aquarium except to rinse it out with plain water.

I am wondering what I should use to clean the aquarium and how do I rectify the fact that she used soap to clean the filter and the hood and possibly even the heater?

 

[heresmike]

I've heard that vinegar is a good thing to use to clean the tank. The same would probably go for the other items.

 

[got_nailed]

The soap can kill fish but, I think if you clean every thing with ¼ white vinegar to ¾ water you should be fine.

 

[Dragonslair]

It depends on how dirty the tank is. If it's got limescale and encrusted dried on slime and dead algae then I would use a normal household bleach and scrub the tank down, and then rinse it well. The way to make sure of that is rinse the tank until no trace of "froth" appears in the clean water. Then you can use aquarium disinfectant to destroy and fungal spores and/or bacteria etc. Again rinse well.
Then check the silicone seals as often a tank that has been left empty for a while after gallons of water in it, contracts. This can sometimes lead to small "weeping" leaks and obvious weak joints. Remember 20g of water is extremely heavy. The filter, hood and decor can be soaked overnight in water to make sure all the residue are off. You will need to get new filter media. Check the heter for any flaws, as the tinest crack will cause you big problems. It is safer and more economical to buy a new heater.
This is my usual method of cleaning down a second hand tank, and I have never lost any fish yet by this method. Just make sure you have lots and lots of clean running water and patience.