cleaning my tank ...need help

[bobofishman]

I need to clean my tank glass bad.. the inside of my tank has a really bad film on it.. I want to take everything out including my sand to clean it . Messing with my sand bed will it make my tank to have to cycle again? I want to use the same sand and rock. I just want to know because I have 14 africans in the tank and I don't want to put all them in my 30... Please help

 

[CraigRets]

Why would you take your sand out?

 

[bobofishman]

Because I am going to use vinegar to clean the inside of the tank and I don't want to get vinegar in the sand

 

[Fishstuff45]

I did something similar too my African tank. It was really nasty and ugly. What your going to do is just helpful for the short term. You should try and figure out why it's dirty and fix it. But to clean it what I did was I took out and saved 6 gallons from my water and put my fish in it with my heater. Then I took out all the rest of my water and got rid of it. I then put my sand in a bucket filled it with water in a sink and let it over flow the sides till I got all the junk out. Then I scrubbed all my rocks and fake plants then reset up my tank and added my 6 gallons of old water and my fish then filled the tank with new water. This will take a while and you shouldn't stop during so be sure you have time.

 

[bobofishman]

The reason it it so dirty is the inside hasn't been cleaned besides water changes for 7 years. So my tank won't have to cycle? And it won't kill my bacteria in my sand bed?

 

[Fishstuff45]

When I did I didn't have any problems.

 

[bobofishman]

The water is perfect it jus look like it is because of the glass

 

[Fishstuff45]

O ok ya mine wasn't lol and do you need to clean the sand or did you say you we're just taking it out to clean the glass better

 

[bobofishman]

I'll give it a try .worst case I will have to move some fish around and put them in my 30 and move my jack to my hospital tank till it is done cycling

 

[bobofishman]

My sand shouldn't need cleaned it is only about 4 months old. I should have cleaned it when I changed to sand but I didn't my stupidity...

 

[bobofishman]

The glass not the sand ...lol

 

[bobofishman]

Up and running after a deep cleaning