How do you guys clean your new used tank?

[jnguyen4007]

I bought a beautiful used 120 gal RR tank from Steveoutlaw. The tank is mostly empty right now with some remaining sands still on the bottom of the tank. It's sitting on the stand in my garage right now and what I would like to do is clean it so that when the time come for me to set it up, I don't have to worry about having to clean it first. I'm curious to know how and what you guys use to clean your tank. With the tank being quite heavy, is it safe to lay it on its side so I can spray water into the back of the tank?

[Amuze]

I usually get the sand out with a shop-vac. Next just set it up, fill it with water, get it all running and clean the glass as normal with your mag float or a piece of acrylic for scraping. Then do a big water change or a few smaller ones over the next few days. Easy.

Edited December 18, 2008 by audible

[jason the filter freak]

i clean most of the sand out, lay the sucker on any side that need to be soaked with vinegar to soak off corraline then spay with water after soaking rinse repeate as necessary

[zoozilla]

With the tank being quite heavy, is it safe to lay it on its side so I can spray water into the back of the tank?

 

 

Laying the tank on it's side/end for cleaning is fine. I usually use vinegar or diluted muriatic acid to remove stubborn calcerous algae.

[amay121]

Crashing your thread here. Yeah, but what happens when you have a 225g tank? How would go about cleaning that?

[jason the filter freak]

Crashing your thread here. Yeah, but what happens when you have a 225g tank? How would go about cleaning that?

 

Lay it carefully on its side I've seen you're tank you and your daughter can totally handle it If you need help I can give you a hand

[Integral9]

Whatever you do, don't use clorine or amonia based cleaners as they will leave a toxic residue. I prefer plain white vinegar as it is always safe as long as you rinse it out and any residue left behind won't be toxic. I've been using it to clean tanks since I was 8 years old and not even a hamster has died.

 

It should be safe to tip the tank over onto it's side if it doesn't have much water in it. If you have too much in the tank, the sheer forces could cause the glass to crack / shatter, etc. ruin your tank. I took mine outside, set it in the grass filled it about 1-2" with water and scrubbed it down. I then cut the bottom off a milk jug, and bailed the tank out like a boat. Once there wasn't much water at all left, I tipped the tank over and poured the rest out. I then took a jug of vinegar and a vinyl sponge (scrubby but not abraisive. ie. safe for teflon coated pans)

 

I don't know about muriatic acid. I used to use it to burn the stains off the plaster in pools. It's pretty strong stuff as I recall. It won't burn right through your skin like the acid from Aliens, but you'll definitely know it there if you get any on you. If you go that route, I'd rinse really well and might even throw a cup of baking soda into the water (should help neutralize the acid) for the first rinse and then rinse a few more times after.

Edited December 18, 2008 by Integral9

[capsfan]

Just spray the sand out w/ water and use vinegar to get all the algae off the glass.

[Origami]

Laying the tank on it's side/end for cleaning is fine. I usually use vinegar or diluted muriatic acid to remove stubborn calcerous algae.

 

This is what I do taking the muriatic acid approach. Dilute the stuff to 10% to get about the same acidity as supermarket vinegar.

[davelin315]

C'mon James, you have a child that fits in the tank, remember? Duh, you just give her a spray bottle, a scraper, and tell her there's a dollar in it for her when she's done!

 

Seriously, just flip it on its side on a level surface and make sure to pad the side of the tank. Then just take a hose and scraper to it.

 

Also, you might want to just throw it out and get a larger tank now as you've probably been infected with Outlawitis Bigger Tank Syndrome (I don't believe for a second that he's done, he's simply doing a Jason right now and flooded, had to answer to the female that rules the roost, and is slowly coming back with a nano until he upgrades again like Jason did) and will set this tank up and then sell it in a few weeks.

[jnguyen4007]

C'mon James, you have a child that fits in the tank, remember? Duh, you just give her a spray bottle, a scraper, and tell her there's a dollar in it for her when she's done!

 

Seriously, just flip it on its side on a level surface and make sure to pad the side of the tank. Then just take a hose and scraper to it.

 

Also, you might want to just throw it out and get a larger tank now as you've probably been infected with Outlawitis Bigger Tank Syndrome (I don't believe for a second that he's done, he's simply doing a Jason right now and flooded, had to answer to the female that rules the roost, and is slowly coming back with a nano until he upgrades again like Jason did) and will set this tank up and then sell it in a few weeks.

 

 

LOL

 

The only way I was allowed to get this tank was that I had to promise her "No More Tank". Otherwise, she will pull a steveoutlaw's wife on me and make me get rid of not only the main tank but all the tanks in the house. Being the Man that all of us married men are, I boldly replied "Yes dear. I promise this is the last tank."

 

Thanks all for the advice. I can't believe how heavy this 120 gal is. I'm so glad now I didn't go after something larger, it took me, my wife and a cousin of ours to lift this tank off the truck and onto the stand. When the time comes for me to clean it, I'll be needing some help again too. Where do you guys get muriatic acid?

[Origami]

Lowe's carries it in their paint department.

[zoozilla]

Lowe's carries it in their paint department.

 

Usually, well hidden on the lower shelf or floor...

[jnguyen4007]

Thanks guys.

[Origami]

Usually, well hidden on the lower shelf or floor...

 

In white 1 gallon jugs with a blue label....

 

James, this is pretty caustic stuff right out of the bottle. It's used to clean concrete and such. Handle it carefully. Muriatic acid is also known as Hydrochloric acid (HCl) - something that you may recall from high school chemistry. I think the stuff they have at Lowes is about 32% or around 10 molar - pretty strong. It will actually fume when poured out of the jug. Remember, add acid to water (not the other way around) when diluting the stuff for safety. Also, don't mix it with other cleaners like ammonia or you'll have some nasty fumes to deal with.

[jnguyen4007]

In white 1 gallon jugs with a blue label....

 

James, this is pretty caustic stuff right out of the bottle. It's used to clean concrete and such. Handle it carefully. Muriatic acid is also known as Hydrochloric acid (HCl) - something that you may recall from high school chemistry. I think the stuff they have at Lowes is about 32% or around 10 molar - pretty strong. It will actually fume when poured out of the jug. Remember, add acid to water (not the other way around) when diluting the stuff for safety. Also, don't mix it with other cleaners like ammonia or you'll have some nasty fumes to deal with.

 

 

Thanks for the clarification. I will most likely have to refer back to this thread when the weather warms up and I can start cleaning it. Do you know if this stuff will melt plastic even when it's diluted?

[Hilary]

Um, if you have to ask if it will melt plastic why on earth do you not just use vinegar?

[jnguyen4007]

Um, if you have to ask if it will melt plastic why on earth do you not just use vinegar?

 

 

I would like to use something that is a bit stronger than vinegar, but not so much that it would melt the overflow. Since I can dilute this, it looks like it's exactly what I needed.

[Origami]

Thanks for the clarification. I will most likely have to refer back to this thread when the weather warms up and I can start cleaning it. Do you know if this stuff will melt plastic even when it's diluted?

 

It will not melt plastic. When diluted to 10% strength, it will have the potency of store-bought vinegar. If you normally dilute your vinegar down 1:5 (20%), then you can dilute the muriatic acid down 1:50 to get the same strength. I'll often use it stronger than this just to get things clean more quickly. I've cleaned pumps, overflows, sumps, skimmers, and tanks this way. I've even painted it on full-strength to dissolve coraline.

 

I just cleaned up my old 90g AGA yesterday (out in the front yard) using a single edged razor blade and the hose. The mechanical cleaning did a fine job for me and, for the most part, may be all that you need to do, too. Have you thought about taking that approach? (It is a glass 120, right?) By the way, with these somewhat warm days, you'll probably be able to find a day or two in the next couple of weeks (if the weather holds out) to clean it outside if you want.

[extreme_tooth_decay]

Anyone know where to get less than 1 gallon of muriatic? I just want about a pint.

[Origami]

Anyone know where to get less than 1 gallon of muriatic? I just want about a pint.

 

I'd part with a pint (I've probably got 1.75 gallons on hand) but Ashburn (or even Herndon, where I work) seems a long way to go for the stuff. Let me know if I can help.

[extreme_tooth_decay]

I'd part with a pint (I've probably got 1.75 gallons on hand) but Ashburn (or even Herndon, where I work) seems a long way to go for the stuff. Let me know if I can help.

 

Thanks for the offer but you're right, that's a little farther than I want to go.

 

For such a toxic chemical, it seems strange they only sell it in large quantities.

 

tim

[Origami]

Thanks for the offer but you're right, that's a little farther than I want to go.

 

For such a toxic chemical, it seems strange they only sell it in large quantities.

 

tim

 

I think it's used to clean masonry and concrete sidewalks - hence the large quantities. Yeah, it's caustic, but no more so than, say, Red Devil lye or some oven cleaners. Again, you just have to know what you're handling and take the appropriate precautions. My offer stands should you find yourself out my way, Tim.