Neptune Aquatics

Bleaching the tank

Hi Everyone,

I think you read my previous post about ich/velvet issue. So I am supposed to wait around 3 months until it dies.
But since I do not have anything to lose(fish only aquarium with dry rock) can I just bleach out the tank completely instead? that will save so much time and I just need to wait 1 month or so for cycling.

Do you guys recommend that?
And how is the correct procedure? Should I just put bleach and keep the pump running until everything under sand/rock dies?
Any not to do?
 
Not sure how big your tank is, but just empty it out and let it completely dry out for several days. Place it in the sun in you can. If you want to be extra safe, dilute some bleach and water in a spray bottle and spray everything down before letting it completely dry out.


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Thank you very much for the advise.
Well tank is 125 gallons(6 feet) and no way I can move it. I was just thinking of mixing the water/bleach with 1/3 ratio and keep in running?
will it work?
 
Sure it would work. But I wouldn't do it that way. That's a lot of bleach. And you still need to let everything dry out after you bleach. Just drain the water, take the rock out, spray the bleach if you want inside the tank and on the equipment, and let everything dry out. Completely dry, which will take awhile indoors. Put the rock and equipment in the sun. That's what I would do. 40 gallons of bleach seems excessive, not to mention expensive.


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I usually use Vinegar for cleaning fish gear.
Gets rid of calcium deposits as well, lower risk, less smell.

+1 on empty/dry it first, then spray down to clean.
 
Bleach would be terrible for the air you breathe, especially if you have asthma or allergies. It may also destroy the caulking that holds together a glass tank.
 
Oh! in this case things might go wrong and tank falls apart, lol
I do not want 120 gallons of mixed bleach water on my floor for sure!

I think you guys are right! Empty/dry and then spray bleach should be better!
Should I just get rid of sand and buy new?
But if I spay bleach how many times should I wash the tank to make sure all the bleach or vinegar is gone and it is safe to be cycled for fish?
 
In this Hobby nothing is easy! I was thinking bleach should be super easy but now that i read your commands looks too much work!
Maybe I reconsider the 3 months fishless too ;)
 
Generally, people in this hobby get pretty nervous around nasty chemicals.
A little bit can wipe out a tank.
So we might seem a bit paranoid at tmes.

A few minutes of bleach on acrylic will do nothing. Try a tiny area if you are worried.
Long term exposure from bleach can damage tons of things.
So washing is fine, soaking long term is bad.

Note that fresh water kills ich as well. (not so much for cysts though)
Perhaps tap water for a month instead.
 
So I followed advice and and ran a powerhead and some bleach (probably 20% solution) for 24 hours. Then I rinsed everything out and let it sit in the sun for a day. Then I filled it with a vinegar solution for 24 hours. Rinsed and let it sit in the sun for 24 hours. Anyone think I have an issue? I'm assuming not primarily because bleach loses efficacy in sunlight quickly.
 
How about this...since freshwater kills these parasites, why not just empty the tank let it be dry for a few days, then fill it with RODI water let it circulate for a few days...then add salt to the salinity of your desires. Boom done, no chemicals, no hassles,....just my two cents
 
Thank you guys! I will do that.
My follow up question is this:
I happened to get more than 100 pound of live rock for free tonight but they are super black and full if algae as see in this picture. What is the easiest way to clean? It is too much that I don't know if I am that patient to brush them completely. Any idea?

I want to keep them alive and maybe after I did fresh water cleaning, use these guys to cycle my tank faster?
 

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Thank you guys! I will do that.
My follow up question is this:
I happened to get more than 100 pound of live rock for free tonight but they are super black and full if algae as see in this picture. What is the easiest way to clean? It is too much that I don't know if I am that patient to brush them completely. Any idea?

I want to keep them alive and maybe after I did fresh water cleaning, use these guys to cycle my tank faster?

I drop a cup of bleach in there and watch it do its magic then rinse dry rinse dry rinse dry let it soak in fresh water for a week asked you are ready to go. To be extra careful let it air dry outside.
 
I drop a cup of bleach in there and watch it do its magic then rinse dry rinse dry rinse dry let it soak in fresh water for a week asked you are ready to go. To be extra careful let it air dry outside.
Thank you very much.
So then will bleach kills everything? Then in will not be live rock anymore?
Can it help with cycling after so much cleaning?
 
Thank you guys! I will do that.
My follow up question is this:
I happened to get more than 100 pound of live rock for free tonight but they are super black and full if algae as see in this picture. What is the easiest way to clean? It is too much that I don't know if I am that patient to brush them completely. Any idea?

I want to keep them alive and maybe after I did fresh water cleaning, use these guys to cycle my tank faster?
No you don't.
:)
Rocks from a poorly maintained system will be FULL of nitrates and phosphates.
They will leach out for weeks or months, causing you a ton of algae and cyano problems.
And looking at that picture, those rocks are bad news.

Clean them as best you can with a wire brush, power washer, whatever.
Pour vinegar over them to open up the pores. Or muriatic acid solution.
Then soak in tap water for a few weeks, changing water every few days.
And if you want to get fancy, add lanthanum chloride each time you change water, to suck up phosphates.
 
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