Cleaning an empty tank

[space]

What can I use to clean the glass in my dry 11 gal nano? The glass has a very nasty film on it that I want to clean before I put water back in it.

Thanks.

 

[chrislorentz]

vinegar

 

[space]

Spray bottle?

 

[Boogie]

You can do a 50/50 mixture (or less depending on how bad the tank is) (vinegar/water) and just fill the whole thing up if you want. Let is sit for about an hour then wipe away with a non abrasive pad (or whatever you guys use on acrylic). The vinegar won't leave any harmful chemicals but makes coraline and hard water spots very soft and easily removable.

 

[amonchak]

Also a 10% bleach solution. Just be sure to rinse thoroughly with water and let air dry. I use vinegar and then bleach solution. Letting the tank dry between each step wash out very good then dry and done.

Hth

 

[space]

Hm, bleach seems really risky considering I don't want to take the entire sand bed out to clean it. Though it is dry, it is not empty.

 

[amonchak]

If the sand is in there I would not use anything but water. I would not use vinegar or bleach.

The sand being in the tank is kinda a detail I would have made more clear. But I would just use a damp cloth to clean it.

Good luck.

 

[drtymnky]

sand in bucket, wash with amonia, rinse well

 

[miwoodar]

vinegar

You can do a 50/50 mixture (or less depending on how bad the tank is) (vinegar/water) and just fill the whole thing up if you want. Let is sit for about an hour then wipe away with a non abrasive pad (or whatever you guys use on acrylic). The vinegar won't leave any harmful chemicals but makes coraline and hard water spots very soft and easily removable.

Acid FTW. Vinegar is a good option. You might consider a 10:1 mixture of water:muriatic to save a few bucks. Take out the sand first though. (If it's used, rinse it well with fresh water to remove the detritus and gunk before using it again.)

 

[space]

Thanks miwoodar for the ideas with the sand. Didn't think about rinsing it out. Can I use garden hose water to rinse it out and just drain it really well? My RO/DI unit isn't here yet and I only have 15 gal of RO/DI water from Elite Reef which I was going to use to make saltwater.

 

[miwoodar]

A garden hose and a bucket will work fine. There will be a surprising amount of stuff in there even if it's already been cleaned.

 

[space]

Well this should be interesting. I am going to scrap off the top layer as it has dirt and junk on it. Good thing I have some extra sand in a bag to add in. I like a deep sand bed. Soon I'll be asking for help on choosing fish.

 

[space]

Alright. Thanks for the help guys. It's clean and drying. Anyone ever used the really fine sand in their tanks? I have some that looks crushed coral and fine mixed I got from Aquatic Imports two years ago. My goal is to have SPS so I know I would need a lot of flow and I last had one 600 Max and one 900 max running. Is that too much flow for the finer sand?