What to do to clean a tank? Also what to do to clay pots before adding to a tank?

[Souperman]

I am about to get a borrowed tank to temporarily house some fish. What should I do to clean this tank before I put my fish in it? The tank have been used for salt water before. Also what do I need to do before I add a clay pot to a tank?

 

[Demeter32]

Rinse, scrub and repeat. Don't use soap, only vinegar for any mineral build up and make sure you rinse then let dry afterwards. Do you have established media to get the nitrogen cycle going? If not then be prepared for lots of water changes to keep ammonia and nitrite levels down.

I'd only use a new terracotta pot and not one that had a plant in it. Just rinse that off too before adding.

 

[Souperman]

Rinse, scrub and repeat. Don't use soap, only vinegar for any mineral build up and make sure you rinse then let dry afterwards. Do you have established media to get the nitrogen cycle going? If not then be prepared for lots of water changes to keep ammonia and nitrite levels down.

I'd only use a new terracotta pot and not one that had a plant in it. Just rinse that off too before adding.

I will be only using the tank in question for a day while I redo my current tank. The filter will be swapped over to keep my cycle going. The terracotta in question is clean just wanted to know if their was any special precautions I needed to take when adding it which I now see there is not.

 

[SeanTrollope]

Just rinse and repeat.

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[NickAu]

I will be only using the tank in question for a day while I redo my current tank.

In that case you can use a new plastic tub to house the fish

This costs about $6 to $10. Fill it with water from your tank, stick a airline and heater in it and you are set.

 

[AbbeysDad]

Nick has a good idea as in a pinch totes are great - inexpensive and readily available.
As far as cleaning a tank that's totally empty, soap gets a bad rap. I like to use Barkeeper's Friend and a scotchbrite type pad. You just have to rinse well which we'd do anyway!

Back when, prior to planting my tank, I used to periodically run the plastic decor through the dishwasher sometimes with white vinegar, sometimes with chlorine bleach. I never had any problems doing this because it was always well rinsed.

Clean terracotta pots are just fine.

 

[Souperman]

In that case you can use a new plastic tub to house the fish

This costs about $6 to $10. Fill it with water from your tank, stick a airline and heater in it and you are set.

Interesting. If the tank cleaning is going to be more trouble then it is worth I will just pick up one of these.