Cleaning Used Tank

[FamilyMan_4]

I was looking into getting a Fluval EVO 13.5 because I am new to saltwater and wanted to get my toes wet by starting with a nano AIO before deciding on a full blown sump setup with larger DT.
Then a friend from work told me he had an AIO 120L tank that he didnt want any more so offered it to me for free.
BONUS right!?
Now I am getting an equipment list started, and dipping into saltwater by getting my toes wet in a slightly larger set up, but am able to mod most of it myself, so its more intrusive than the out of box AIO set up I would have started with. So a happy medium as now I am learning a TON more before starting, and hopefully this can set a good foundation of knowledge (with help from R2R community of course) before going larger.

So my questions, after that long lead in, is:

What is the best way to clean the used tank?
Its curved glass front corners, with a plastic AIO compartment in the back. Very similar look to the Biocube 29

I want to make sure the tank is well cleaned and possibly spotless before i start anything close to cycling.

 

[andrewey]

What is the current condition of the tank?

Assuming it's just full of detritus (crud), coraline algae (purple/pink hard stuff), or dried salt residue, your first step would probably be to rinse it out then let it sit in an acid bath. This can often be done by mixing some vinegar with regular tap water and letting it soak everything before hitting it hard with sponge/razor blades to remove the buildup, but other acids will work (citric acid, muriatric, etc.).

 

[JumboShrimp]

Makes a very fine (not to gritty) paste with a tiny bit of water; rag and elbow grease. Rinse well.

I think Walmart and similar places carry it. Best wishes.

 

[FamilyMan_4]

Ok awesome, thanks for the quick reply!

Funny enough, my avatar is the tank as it currently sits.
It does have some loose debris in that pic as well inside that can simply be emptied. It appears to be some previously used sand bed.

And of course, the dust on the top doesnt help haha

 

[schneidergarrettt60]

I would fill it with water and vinegar and let it run for a day or two so that it can be cycled through the whole system. But from what I have been reading lately is vinegar seems to be out of date anymore to clean saltwater equipment.
After this I would empty the water solution and scrub with a wash cloth using vinegar in tough crummy places hard to clean.
I hope this helps

 

[FamilyMan_4]

I would fill it with water and vinegar and let it run for a day or two so that it can be cycled through the whole system. But from what I have been reading lately is vinegar seems to be out of date anymore to clean saltwater equipment.
After this I would empty the water solution and scrub with a wash cloth using vinegar in tough crummy places hard to clean.
I hope this helps

Ok thanks
I am starting with all new equipment, so the only used thing actually is the tank and AIO compartment.
The tank was brought from another continent so the pump that came with it was on a different voltage. Better to start new than add the unnecessary adapter for a used pump.

 

[schneidergarrettt60]

I agree with you. Well in that case fill the bottom up with vinegar and water and scrub. Haha don't have to fill it up all the way just use it as a bucket to keep getting the rag wet when scrubbing. I would also probably use a hose in the yard and give the back chamber a good rinse out just to get the dust and old sand bed particles out of it. Using a hose in the yard if you have one so you can lay it down on its back and squirt it all out.

 

[FamilyMan_4]

Thanks!
I appreciate the info!

 

[JumboShrimp]

(If I recall correctly, Bar Keeper’s Friend is like ‘super-vinegar.’ I researched it pretty extensively back before I used it to clean the waterline marks of an old tank that needed cleaning, to ensure it wasn’t going to be harmful to use.)