Cleaning up

**octopus44** · 06-20-2007, 03:24 AM

I finally have all of my equipment needed to set up my first planted tank!

but.....

Before I can set everything up I have some cleaning to do and I need you guys to answer a few questions for me.

My 55 gallon tank has been running with poor filtration, and low lights for the last few months so it has gotten a bit dirty. The plants that I currently reside in the tank have a bit of algae and the driftwood appears to have a bit of fungus. So I want to wash the tank and wood with bleach.

Questions...

1.What is a good water/bleach ratio for cleaning out the tank and soaking the driftwood?
2.How long should the tank and driftwood be left to soak?
3.How many times do I need to rinse the tank and driftwood before it is fish and plant safe?
4.The driftwood I have has a wonderful brownish red color to it which I do not want to loose. Will soaking it in bleach take away any color? It is to big to fit in a pot to boil so this is not an option. I have already tried soaking it in very hot bath water and this does not seam to kill the fungus (if it is a fungus).

Any input is greatly appreciated!

**Nick_Pavlovski** · 06-20-2007, 05:04 AM

Originally Posted by octopus44

I finally have all of my equipment needed to set up my first planted tank!

Questions...

1.What is a good water/bleach ratio for cleaning out the tank and soaking the driftwood?
2.How long should the tank and driftwood be left to soak?
3.How many times do I need to rinse the tank and driftwood before it is fish and plant safe?
4.The driftwood I have has a wonderful brownish red color to it which I do not want to loose. Will soaking it in bleach take away any color? It is to big to fit in a pot to boil so this is not an option. I have already tried soaking it in very hot bath water and this does not seam to kill the fungus (if it is a fungus).

Any input is greatly appreciated!

DO NOT, REPEAT NOT, USE ANY BLEACH!
Hard scrubbing, table salt and plenty of sunshine are the best things for cleaning.
No soaps, no chemicals at all (apart from a little table salt or sea salt). Unfortunately, there's some hard work involved.

If you don't use bleach or chemicals or soaps, then it'll be fine relatively quickly. Just make sure the sunshine pretty thoroughly dries everything out.

**cocoa_pleco** · 06-20-2007, 05:07 AM

you CAN use bleach, but dont bother. like nick said, just elbow grease and a sponge and bucket is best.

and fungus on driftwood? can you get a pic of that?

**Nick_Pavlovski** · 06-20-2007, 06:10 AM

The reason for using capital letters in my reply ("shouting") is that bleach is a poison.
I don't want you to kill your fish and plants!

**Drumachine09** · 06-20-2007, 06:13 AM

Bleach is actually used to clean most aquariums. Use a 40:1 ratio, and rinse it REALLY good, and then soak it in decholrinated water

**Lady Hobbs** · 06-20-2007, 01:14 PM

Bleaching your wood will reduce that nice color. I would just scrub it with a brush a bit. As for plants dipped in bleach, the ratio is 19 parts water to 1 bleach, dip the leaves for about 5 minutes (not the roots) and rinse them well. Some can not tolerate the bleach at all!

I used a soft toothbrush on my plants and just brushed at them lightly. Obviously this only works on larger leafed plants. I personally think the aglae removers for planted tanks would be less stressful to the plants than bleach. That's what it's made for, right? I dipped my swords in bleach and it nearly killed them.

I just used a scrubber on the inside of my tanks. Vinegar also works but needs to sit where there is lime scale for 10 minutes or so. The acid in the vinegar eats that scale away. I clean the glass tops on my tanks with vinegar and also the filter where there is lime spots this way.

**octopus44** · 06-20-2007, 02:00 PM

Nick_Pavlovski: I understand that bleach is a poison but if I rinse my tank very well so that the amount of bleach left over is minimal to none then I dont see the problem. There will not be any fish in the tank for about a month after set up so the bleach should be undetectable by then. I appreciate your concern.

Drumachine09: How long should I soak the tank after the bleach wash?

cocoa_pleco: I'm picking up some batteries for my camera after work. I will have some pics of the wood this afternoon. For now I will give you a description of what it looks like. It is tan/whitish in color and has a mucus like texture.

Lady Hobbs: If you think that the bleach will take away some color from the wood than I wont use any. I dont think I will dip the plants in bleach to rid the algae but I do think I will overdose some seachem excel as I have heard this helps to kill some algae. Any advice on this anyone?

Thanks for the quick responses and great advice.

**Lady Hobbs** · 06-20-2007, 02:48 PM

Sounds good to me. I have the dark Malaysian wood and like it just as it is. I wouldn't use bleach on mine, either.

If you have brown algae it will probably go away on it's own with brighter lights. I know it's common in newly planted tanks but I don't want to look at it, either. Hopefully the Excel will work for you but if not, get some algae eaters and feed them nothing for a while.

When talking with Nanaglen2001, we do everything the hard way here in the states. In other countries, people set up their tanks, add their plants and give them a very good start before ever adding the fish......like 3 months. We are an impatient country here and want it all done in one afternoon.

**bscman** · 06-20-2007, 06:49 PM

Bleach solutions are fine to use in your tank. I don't understand why people freak out so badly when people mention it.

Just make sure you rinse it well, and let it dry. It's a volitile substance. If you use it on anything that can soak up the bleach, soak it a time or two in water treated with dechlorinator...and you're set!