Cleaned diseased aquarium with bleach and harpic anyway to remove the residue?

[Daviem]

Hi, I had an aquarium where all the fish died from a disease, I had then left the aquarium unused for months but I needed a quarantined tank so I decided to clean it, I knew bleach was ok but I couldnt remove residue from the glass so I used harpic limescale remover, anyway now I think the aquarium is unusable as I dont know how to remove any residue that may have been left behind or leached into the silicon. Is there a methid to remove anything that may have leached into the silicon or the plastic parts of the aquarium? or does it need to be thrown out, its only about 7 months old.

 

[Salty&Onion]

How do you know the fish were sick?

 

[Daviem]

In a matter of a week They got white spots The sand started turning black colour and white stuff started growing on the water surface despite water changes and medication a week later they all died, later on I purchased a large aquarium and now I thought I could clean this one up and use it as a quarantine tank but I think it’s fit for the bin now because I used harpic

 

[Salty&Onion]

White spots could have been ick, but I'm not sure... @Colin_T might be able to help.

 

[Essjay]

Rinse and rinse and rinse. Then if you really want to extra sure, rise with dechlorinated water.

Then fill it with water somewhere it won't do any harm if it leaks to make sure the silicone is OK.

 

[FishGuest5123]

I clean with bleach and then rinse and rinse. Then fill the tank and double the dose of Seachem Prime and let it sit. You can check for leaks then while Prime is doing its thing.

 

[Daviem]

Thanks for the replies and advise, but what about the Harpic lime scale remover it’s has loads of chemicals in it and there’s nothing like prime to neutralise them like it can the bleach. I really don’t want to kill any fish.

 

[Essjay]

That's where the rinse, rinse, rinse comes in. Every time you rinse, you'll remove more of the harpic.

How big is the tank? If it's too big to lift easily, take it in the garden, lay it on its side and hose it down several times.

 

[Colin_T]

What are the ingredients in the lime scale remover?
If it's phosphoric acid, then just rinse with water a few times. If it has something else then warm soapy water and rinse well afterwards.
Use a perfume free soap.

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If you ever need to clean a tank, just fill it with clean water and add a heap of salt. Leave the salt in it for a few days then drain, rinse and dry.

 

[Daviem]

It’s a 27 gallon but it wasn’t cheap and the fish I keep would need a decent size aquarium for quarantine so it’s kinda perfect for that, I just don’t want to kill my fish if I need to treat them or house them temporarily as I planned for a day as the big aquarium has gone off level or any new fish I get, it still smelt of bleach this morning but now the smell has gone, the harpic ingredients aren’t fully listed eg they say fragrances but here’s what it says (pic) do I bite the bullet and get another one or soak it for ages somewhere as well?

 

[Colin_T]

I would wash it out a few times with warm soapy water, rinse well and let dry. Then set it up and add a cheap fish. If it lives then your good to go. If it dies straight after being put in the tank, wash it a few more times with soapy water and rinse well, then try again. If they still die after that, get another tank.

 

[Metalhead88]

Wouldn't something like white vinegar be way safer than soap?

I haven't had this problem before.

If it was ich, you should have just left it set up and blast the heater for 2+ weeks and the ich would be gone.

 

[Colin_T]

vinegar won't get rid of perfumes, disinfectant or surfactants.

 

[Metalhead88]

Wouldn't something like white vinegar be way safer than soap?

I haven't had this problem before.

If it was ich, you should have just left it set up and blast the heater for 2+ weeks and the ich would be gone.

vinegar won't get rid of perfumes, disinfectant or surfactants.

got ya

 

[Daviem]

Ok thanks for the advise I really appreciate it