Cleaning and reusing an old used tank.. advice?

[DragonFish]

Hi. I have a 20 gal tank that I had fish in it. Then suddenly, my fish just suddenly died. It looks like the filter exploded because the tank was entirely cloudy. He was fine, clear water and everything last night, and when I went to feed it, dead, white spots and such.

Well, Im afraid something DID get into the tank, chemicals, and since the filter exploded, I dont want to just do a water change and add new fish.

I want to give it an ultra clean out.

My question is, what's the best way to go about it? Im prepared to cycle the tank after its cleaned, fearing the ecosystem in the tank is destroyed (After 15+ years).

What should I use? boiling hot water, scrub and rinse? Some sort of bleach? suggestions please? And is iodized salt good for cleaning it?

 

[greenmaji]

The filter exploded? Do you have some evedance of that?
White and cloudy is what a bacteria plume looks like. If the fish died the bacteria could have caused it our the death of the fish could have cause the plume.
Do you have a testkit? what is the NH3, NO2 and NO3 in ppm?

The tank could be perfectly fine to be honest with you..

 

[DragonFish]

I dont have a kit anymore. since it was running fine for so many years, I have no idea what happened to the kit.

and the filter looks like a huge foamy mass pushed the lid up, dark brown to black with bits of red. I didnt touch it, its still in there, and the filter wasnt working anymore. so I'd say that's proof enough. unless that bacteria of decomposing fish has clogged the filter and it just stopped.

 

[greenmaji]

What kind of filter is it?

if your still online try going to the chat link.. I would like to help you there.

 

[DragonFish]

where is the chat link? still kinda new-ish to the forums. and its one of those old outside filters. came with the tank some 15 years ago or so