Cleaning A Used Tank.

[rikkitiger]

hello, i am new to this forum because i am getting fish. let me explain. my next door neighbor and dear friend had five fish in a ten gallon aquarium. not an elaborate set up, but it has a filter, a thermometer, gravel, and some pieces to go in it.
 
recently one of her fish got a fungus spot on it's fin. she put in a fungus tablet and changed the water, and all the fish were belly up by morning.
this is not suprising as this is the third year she has had the same five goldfish. wow.
so the Aquarium worked for her. but she is not getting any more fish, so she gave the full set up aquaruim to me. i power washed everything first of all. all the decorations, all the gravel, the lid, the filter, everything.
 
i put the pieces and filter in a bleach solution, using the 1/2 cup for every gallon solution. I am boiling the aquarium gravel as we speak. the tank and lid are power washed and sitting in the sun.
 
i am thirteen and have no immediate money other than what i have saved for the fish, a bit more gravel (for a different tank) and food and water conditioner for the fish.
 
i live in south dakota, so even if i were to have money, the nearest pet store is four hours away. out of the question.
 
obviously im a DIY girl, and so that means im limited to walmart.
 
that's all fine and good so far, but i have these questions:
 
is that ok to start out with for cleaning? i am planning to spread the gravel out on a cookie sheet and blow dry it after it boils for a bit, and to run some vinegar through the filter then rinse it out.
 
the pieces and decorations that go in the tank are a bit... dull.
 
so i was wondering, i have a flip flop that has no pair, sitting around doing nothing. is there anything i could do, say bleach, or rinse in vinegar, or boil that would not melt my flip flop, but make it safe for my tank? this is a standard flip flop, so it is mildly abosorbant.
 
thanks for reading! i look forward to being on the forum

 

[Donya]

The cleaning sounds on the right track.
 
Do you know what medications were used on the tank? The reason I bring it up is that the medication history of a tank can effect stocking options. There are some chemicals that can get into sealants and leach out later, although it's only an issue for invertebrates like shrimp and snails, not fish.
 

so i was wondering, i have a flip flop that has no pair, sitting around doing nothing. is there anything i could do, say bleach, or rinse in vinegar, or boil that would not melt my flip flop, but make it safe for my tank? this is a standard flip flop, so it is mildly abosorbant.

 
I really wouldn't do this, since the material is unclear and especially if it has been walked around in. There are all kinds of things like oils from cars and other stuff from roads and sidewalks that could get into an abosrbant material and be very difficult to remove. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Hi, to the forum.
 
I would say no to the flip flops, same reason as Donya has.
 
Make sure you cycle the tank. The details are in my signature.
 
You could always try for a natural tank, with plants (silk or live, depending on the fish you want to stock plastic might not be a good idea), driftwood and sand/natural gravel. It can look really effective, and shouldn't be too expensive. IMO this sort of setup looks a lot better than tanks with lots of bright ornaments and gravel, however, they can look effective too if you like that sort of setup.
 
The cleaning sounds good, just make sure to rinse it REALLY well after. Make sure to soak it in dechlorinated water to make sure there is no residue left, as most dechlorinaters neutralize bleach.
 
Make sure you start a journal when the tank is all set up and running, I'd love to follow your progress

 

[Ninjouzata]

Depending on the type of fish you want to keep, you may need to pick up a heater.
Would also like to follow your progress if you start a journal

 

[rikkitiger]

I am cycling tank now, it is filled with dechlorinated tap water, i did not pursue the flip flop, and i will most definitely start a journal on monday when i get my fish! And i am thinking about getting some fake plants, but right now what i have doesnt look too bad. Once i bleached the pieces they came out bright and new. Dont worry, i rinsed everything in hot water and let the bleached things soak in hot water for a half an hour.
Thanks for the warm welcome! I really appreciate it. I found this forum after i joined a frog forum for my american green tree frogs and LOVED it. Then when i started this i was like, i should join a forum for fish people! It is so much fun i really enjoy it, and it is so nice to talk to other people about this stuff and have them answer. I look forward to posting pictures when i get it all set up. I am doing a before and after thing.