new (used) 125 gal tank and vinegar

[mycoolhoney]

i filled it full of water and duped in a gallon of vinegar should I still use bleach or will the vinegar kill and thing that might hurt the fish

[SCOTT]

Re: new (used) 125 gal tank and vinegar

Actually, the vinegar alone wont kill any of the hardier substances. At 1 gallon to roughly 100 gallons of water your PH should be in the 5.0 range, which is not severe enough to do much damage to anything but fish and some plants. In order for vinegar to be effective as an antiseptic it needs to reach concentrations of 3.5 or so. The upside, the gunk that is always found in a used tank should be very easy to clean now, hehe. The vinegar will break down the water deposits and soften them to the point where they will wipe off or at worst, scrape off with a razor blade quite nicely. If you are trying to disinfect the tank, then I am afraid you will need to try another angle.

[mycoolhoney]

Re: new (used) 125 gal tank and vinegar

thanks for the info

[mrairportjunke]

Re: new (used) 125 gal tank and vinegar

whats the best way to disinfect a used aquarium so that you dont take a chance in gettting disease to your fish???

[PhishPhreek]

Re: new (used) 125 gal tank and vinegar

There was an interesting discussion on using Hydrogen Peroxide 6 months ago.  You should be able to find it with a search

I usually scrub the tank with a stainless pot scrubber, rince it with bleach, then rince it with tap water.  When I set the tank up I use extra zip drops to take care of any bleach residue and then put some test fish (guppies/platties) in it for a month.

[tinywino]

Re: new (used) 125 gal tank and vinegar

Maybe try rinsing it with boiling water?

[kyalib]

Re: new (used) 125 gal tank and vinegar

I don't know how effective boiling water would be, especially enough of it to come in contact with all the tank surfaces for a long enough period of time....

As far as bleach is concerned, a little goes a long way.  I would just do repeated rinses with cold tap water and generous amounts of de-chlorinator after bleaching.   Then fill the tank and check the parameters after a day.  

I have done this twice with no casualties, but I only did it so quickly out of necessity.  There is definitely something to be said for erring on the side of caution and taking extra time.

[PhishPhreek]

Re: new (used) 125 gal tank and vinegar

From http://aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles...mbreeding.html

I have been using a new product to keep eggs form fungusing, and have had excellent results with both angelfish and rams: hydrogen peroxide.

Peroxide is a strong oxidizing agent that serves multiple purposes. It is both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. After a short while, it breaks down into its base components: oxygen and water. This helps add oxygen to the water for the eggs. It also requires no diluting afterwards. It is, quite simply, the most perfect assistant to egg hatching I have found to date.

The hydrogen peroxide used is the common type you find in most grocery stores and pharmacies. It is a 3% strength solution. It can be used at a rate of approximately 1 ml per gallon. In a small container such as a one-quart mason jar, I use it at a rate of ten drops per jar. Dosage should be repeated every 12 hours or so until the eggs have begun to hatch. At this point, if everything looks fine, you can simply discontinue dosing.

Also see

http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/aquainfo/algae_peroxide.html

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