Cleaning a Tank to set up a new SW to FW

[wilddiscuss]

I had a thread in here earlier that talked about converting a tank set up froma saltwater tank to a freshwater tank. Although I have a few questions. I was told to use bleach and water. How deluded should the bleach be? I know it should be non scented...pure bleach. I am going to clean the inside and out of the tanks. I am going to replace the hoses that I can. I have heard I can boil the bio balls from the trickle filter. If that is true....how long do I boil them for? More than once? I will use some green scrubbies and sponges while cleaning all the tank out. Should I soak the submersible water pump in water and bleach..then scrub? I have also heard that I should use vinegar and water. Should I use that to clean the inside of the tank, and trickle filter...or should I use the bleach on everything? I am confused about what I should use where and how. Clean the whole thing with bleach and water, than if I need to used vinager and water? But what do I delude that to with water? Please help!

Todd

[wilddiscuss]

I just talked to Cary Strong at Great Lakes Discus and he said to use strait rubbing alcohol in a bottle and clean. Soak what ever pumps over night in bleach and water. Rinse those with bleach really well and rinse the alcohol off once. It seems to me that is easier than having to rinse a whole lot of bleach out of the tank. What is everyone's take on that? Let me know :)

Todd

[Ed13]

It will all depend on state of the tank and your patience. If there is a lot of algae and organics stuck to the tank and hardware the bleach is a better option. Rubbing alcohol does work great too, I can't beleive I forgot about it, but you have to rub it.:) You can use both Alcohol for the easy to acces stuff and bleach for the hard to reach, just don't mix them!

With bleach you pretty much have two options to apply it

1) You prepare a solution and spray or rub it everywhere
2) My crazy way, which is to literally fill the tank up, run everything(filters, pumps etc) and pour bleach in. Running time will depend on the solution, then drain and rinse. Don't forget to clean the areas that are not submerged. Don't tell anyone but I've poured a couple(more than a few;)) of gallons per tank. Everything porous will have to be replaced like cartridges and stuff.

Either way you'll have to rinse throughly and add extra de-chlor, but it shouldn't be a big deal. Basically if you smell it you...keep rinsing:D


As to solutions 1 3/4 cups of bleach per gallon applied for 5 minutes to a smooth surface and let to dry is pretty much strong to kill anything that can be killed, including very nasty viruses. It's doubtfull you'll need such a strong one, but I'm just saying the stuff is strong
A solution between 10%-15% sounds about right

BTW, the vinegar or other acids is to dissolve calcareous stuff and calcium stains, it will not disinfect. PLEASE DON'T MIX BLEACH WITH ACIDS OR AMMONIAS, unless you like chemical weapons!

[wilddiscuss]

What do you think about boiling the bio-balls? Is that a good idea? The clear hoses I'm going to replace. But the hose that looks like a vacum hose that leads to the trickle filter I want to re-use. Should I soak it in bleach 1 part bleach 3 parts water over night...then rinse. Also my subergable pump? Thanks for the help.

Todd

[Ed13]

What do you think about boiling the bio-balls? Is that a good idea? The clear hoses I'm going to replace. But the hose that looks like a vacum hose that leads to the trickle filter I want to re-use. Should I soak it in bleach 1 part bleach 3 parts water over night...then rinse. Also my subergable pump? Thanks for the help.

Todd
Boiling is the poorest way to disnfect, seriously if your not gonna do everything with bleach or alcohol then there is no reason to do it in the first place.
BTW, once the bleach is done working it will basically turn to water and salt so just rinse properly add sodium thiosulfate and if there happens to be any remaining bleach(very unlikely) it will be completely gone very fast, therefore since you should be cycling the tank you won't run into problems
bleach, rinse, dechlor...

[wilddiscuss]

Boiling is the poorest way to disnfect, seriously if your not gonna do everything with bleach or alcohol then there is no reason to do it in the first place.
BTW, once the bleach is done working it will basically turn to water and salt so just rinse properly add sodium thiosulfate and if there happens to be any remaining bleach(very unlikely) it will be completely gone very fast, therefore since you should be cycling the tank you won't run into problems
bleach, rinse, dechlor...

So I will just soak the bio-balls in bleach and water...rinse well and dechlor....add ammonia and begin my cycle. Sounds easy. Thanks :)

Todd

[Ed13]

So I will just soak the bio-balls in bleach and water...rinse well and dechlor....add ammonia and begin my cycle. Sounds easy. Thanks :)

Todd
Yup, but don't forget the tank;) otherwise why do it at all! The 10% solution sounds right. If you want to be 100% sure you can get a chlorine test, very cheap at pool supply stores and HD.

[wilddiscuss]

Note to self and anyone who cleans a trickle or wet/dry filter with acrylic parts or is made of acrylic. Do not use cold water to rinse. The temperature change causes it to crack. I cleaned it with rubbing alcohol...then when I went to rinse it...not thinking I rinsed it out with cold water and it cracked, caused web cracks also. So now I have to pay 50 bucks getting a new peice made at a local acrylic shop becuase Oceanic doesn't make my model of trickle filters anymore, so they don't carry the parts. Luckily they are going to make it for me. It is an Oceanic trickle filter model 75. What a pain..but you live and learn.

Todd

[Apistomaster]

Just FYI. The concentration of your bleach solution isn't very critical.
It is usually enough to use one cup of chlorox per one or two gallons of fresh water

Ed13's method isn't that crazy, at least as far as I am concerned, since I use it myself.

Warm water is sufficient with bleach solutions. There is no need to use extremely hot water.
Regardless of your method it can take awhile and some elbow grease to remove the left over salt water deposits and those that remain maybe come off better using weak acids like vinegar.

All you really need to do is clean the tank. There are no diseases of marine animals that survive bleach and even if they did they are harmless to freshwater fish.