Found free fish tank on side of road. Need advice!!

[bjcballa22]

So I found this cool fish tank on the side of road. It is plastic not glass and when I was taking accessories out of the tank, I noticed some spillage of something like oil/gas. I can't make out the smell but it does smell like some kind of chemical fluid. Is there any way I can properly clean the tank to make it safe for fish once I set it up? Or is there no chance? It's not much spillage, maybe touched half of the bottom of the tank. What do you guys think?

 

[mistersprinkles]

So I found this cool fish tank on the side of road. It is plastic not glass and when I was taking accessories out of the tank, I noticed some spillage of something like oil/gas. I can make out the smell but it does smell like some kind of chemical fluid. Is there any way I can properly clean the tank to make it safe for fish once I set it up? Or is there no chance? It's not much spillage, maybe touched half of the bottom of the tank. What do you guys think?

So is it acrylic then? Only the tiniest tanks are made of "plastic". Is the spill on the outside or the inside of the tank?

I personally would not use the tank if the spill was on the inside. But somebody may be able to fill you in on a cleaning solution.

 

[bjcballa22]

So is it acrylic then? Only the tiniest tanks are made of "plastic". Is the spill on the outside or the inside of the tank?

I personally would not use the tank if the spill was on the inside. But somebody may be able to fill you in on a cleaning solution.

I would acrylic is harder than plastic and this tank feels a bit flimsy so my guess is plastic. Spill is inside the tank, but worth a try if anyone does have an idea

 

[Zaphia1]

Shouldn't bleach work? If it was thoroughly bleached and very thoroughly rinsed it should be fine, right?

 

[bmarine]

How big is it? If its flimsy i say no go. I bet the tank would bow and maybe eventually crack if it was filled with water. It could possibly be made for reptiles.

 

[bjcballa22]

It's like a small 5 gallon long. It is a fish tank but it's not like strong acrylic. I figured liquids would melt through "plastic" or something unless glass that's why I mentioned what it's made of.

 

[bjcballa22]

I wiped down the excess spill and filled the tank with white vinegar. Until then, please provide helpful answers based on question. Thanks!

 

[bjcballa22]

Any other advices?

 

[Wiggles24]

I would make sure you rinse out the tank really well to make sure there is no chemical residue left then bleach it. If the chemical smell still lingers i wouldn't risk it

 

[bjcballa22]

Wouldn't bleach make it worst considering its not recommended? And I probably wouldn't be able smell that oily fluid since vinegar would camouflage the smell even if there was any trace of the fluid left.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Bleach is safe to use. Rinse well afterwards and then let it dry out completely and the bleach residue will evaporate.

Is the spill on the inside or outside of the tank?

 

[wildroseofky]

I should first wash it with dish washing liquid. And, yes, I know soap is bad for fish but you can rinse it out. Rinse and rinse and rinse some more. Than fill with freshwater and add lots of baking soda. Swish the baking soda water around and let it sit for a day or so. Rinse again. Then you can rinse with vinegar and water to make sure all the soap is out. Fill and wait to see if there are any leaks. You should be good to go then. I did this with my first tank. It was really in bad shape. My nephew had just stuck the half emptied tank in a shed and it had sit there for many years. He had also let the tank get really nasty before doing that. All of that stuff, plus mold, and insects made for a really nasty mess. I have had it set up for over a year and all is well.

 

[Wiggles24]

I have to disagree with the dish soap. I would never wash anything associated with my fish tanks in soap. Bleach is safe for two reasons; First, soap leaves residue. That's just what it does. Bleach doesn't. Second, if there is any fear there could be some bleach leftover it can be removed safely with a water treatment such as prime.

 

[bjcballa22]

Bleach is safe to use. Rinse well afterwards and then let it dry out completely and the bleach residue will evaporate.

Is the spill on the inside or outside of the tank?

The spill is on the inside.

I have to disagree with the dish soap. I would never wash anything associated with my fish tanks in soap. Bleach is safe for two reasons; First, soap leaves residue. That's just what it does. Bleach doesn't. Second, if there is any fear there could be some bleach leftover it can be removed safely with a water treatment such as prime.

What kind of bleach are we talking about? For instance, Clorox? If so, do I need to mix it with water or just pour some in?

I will disregard the fish soap because I've heard too many fright stories so I don't want to go that route

 

[Wiggles24]

Just regular bleach. I personally wouldn't use scented. I mix with water. Straight is probably too much

 

[bjcballa22]

Just regular bleach. I personally wouldn't use scented. I mix with water. Straight is probably too much

Of course unscented and pure. I may give this try if I hint any smell of that fluid. Thanks for all your help

 

[Masha]

If the spill is oily, bleach might not do the trick. I don't think bleach will dilute oils? It disinfects.

Soap might get rid of an oily spill, but not necessarily. It sounds like a no-go to me...

 

[Coyne]

Using bleach on an unknown chemical is not the greatest of ideas. Combining bleach with some chemicals can produce toxic vapors... Chlorine gas comes to mind.

At the very least do it in a well ventilated area and maybe wear a mask and eye protection.

Personally, this sounds like a lot of effort for a found plastic 5 gallon.

 

[bjcballa22]

It's a cute little tank, it came with a bunch of aquarium stuff but I'm thinking it was left in the persons garage where they accidentally spilled something and didn't want to deal with it.

 

[wildroseofky]

You can use dish washing liquid. Any residue is done away with by the vinegar or baking soda. I have with all of my free tanks and no problems. You can even put baking soda on a cloth and wipe the inside down to get rid of residue. Bleach on an unknown substance is not a good idea. I learned that the hard way. Look up chemical pneumonia.