Prep 32gl rubbermaid for water

[kaceyo]

I picked up a Rubbermaid 32gl trash barrel for ageing my water and am wondering if the plastic smell will get in the watr and harm the fish. Is there something I should be doing to prepare it for use? I'm thinking just fill it with water and leave it overnight but do I need to do this or something else or? Thanx, Kacey

[Howie_W]

Hi kaceyo,

When I bring anything home I wash it out first to be safe. Give it a good scrubbing with hot water the same way you’d normally clean any of your filter parts. Afterwards you should be fine. I’ve used the Rubbermaid containers to store water before and never had a problem. Occasionally you can also use clean (print free) white paper towel to wipe down the inside of the container.

Hope your fish are doing well!

Howie

[falcon]

Once every few months I will wash them with vinegar - spray on the inside, wait a couple of minutes and rinse out. You can do the same(vinegar is not toxic to fish in small quantities). Or if you want to give it a really good scrab in the beginning, you can use bleach. Be sure to rinse it well afterwards.

falcon

[jeep]

The initial plastic smell won't be a problem. It's a good idea to follow the advise and rinse well though...

[oodi]

I use bleach for cleaning empty tanks and storage barrels... in addition to rinsing well, I also use De-chlor as a safety measure.

Judi

[Ardan]

I use rubbermaid cans for my water.
I always feel on the inside for a slimey feeling. If slimey I use potassium permanganate for 4 to 6 hours and then neutralize with hydrogen peroxide, wipe them out, rinse them out and then good to go